Lead for Counter-AI, Center for the Geopolitics of AGI

Job Type: Term (Fixed Term) Overview RAND’s Center for the Geopolitics of AGI, part of the Global and Emerging Risks (GER) Division, is seeking a technical and strategic leader to serve as Lead for Counter-AI. RAND Global and Emerging Risks delivers rigorous and objective analysis and innovative ideas to help decisionmakers understand, prepare for, and address consequential challenges to civilization and global security.

The division brings together scholars, strategists, technologists, and practitioners to address challenges including the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, growing biological threats, a transforming climate, and intensified strategic competition. The Center for the Geopolitics of AGI helps decisionmakers understand, anticipate, and navigate the national security and geopolitical implications of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Through multidisciplinary research, gaming, and convenings, the center examines prospective AGI-enabled capabilities, the implications of their use, and the strategies and policies available to government and private sector leaders. In this senior role, you will provide technical leadership for the center’s Counter-AI portfolio, connect emerging technical capabilities with strategic analysis, and help develop research initiatives and government partnerships.

This position calls for a leader who combines deep AI expertise with experience directing complex research programs and translating technical developments into actionable insights for national security decisionmakers.

Responsibilities

Research and analysis: Lead and contribute to research on the geopolitical and national security implications of AGI, translating technical concepts and capabilities to scenarios for strategic analysis, and translating strategic analysis into requirements for technical capabilities. Written products and briefings: Draft and/or oversee the writing of policy briefs, research reports, options papers, memos, and other written products and briefings aimed at technical and senior policy audiences, including short-turnaround products in response to fast-moving events.

Sponsor and stakeholder engagement. Serve as the interface between technical communities, policy and decisionmakers, and RAND strategic analysis teams for all counter-AI projects. Partner with Director and Associate Director in business development to advance those projects, and represent RAND in meetings with a range of sponsors.

Secondary Roles Program and agenda development. Participate as an intellectual partner and research collaborator with RAND researchers and consultants. Day-to-day, participate in Geopol meetings with RAND leadership and external partners, review and inform other projects and assist with strategic planning, and recruit talent from across RAND and externally as appropriate.

Technical communicator. Maintain general technical awareness of events in the AI space and lead internal and external discussions, formally or informally, on the implications of such events for U.S. national security and geopolitics. Contribute technical expertise to Geopol game design and game runs.

Qualifications

All research leadership positions at RAND require excellent analytic skills; the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; the ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team; and a strong commitment to RAND’s core values of quality and objectivity. Required:

• At least 10 years of significant leadership experience in government research organizations, industry research and development, or major interdisciplinary research programs.
• Deep technical expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, with experience applying that expertise to national security challenges.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing research strategies, leading multidisciplinary teams, and overseeing complex research portfolios and budgets.
• Proven experience designing, securing support for, executing, evaluating, and transitioning research programs from initial concept to operational use or other demonstrable impact.
• Ability to assess emerging AI capabilities and limitations and translate technical findings into implications for strategic analysis, policy, and capability development.
• Experience advising senior government or industry leaders on complex technical issues relevant to national security.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships across government, industry, and academia, including developing research partnerships and supporting business development.
• Experience mentoring program managers, principal investigators, or technical leaders in research design, execution, evaluation, and communication.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced research environment with evolving priorities, define new initiatives under uncertainty, and collaborate across organizational and disciplinary boundaries. Preferred:
• Experience serving as a chief scientist, research office director or deputy director, or comparable senior technical leader in a government research agency or defense and intelligence research organization.
• Research or technical leadership experience in one or more relevant areas, including media authentication and forensics, computer vision, explainable AI, AI-enabled decision-making, information operations, cybersecurity, or secure and resilient systems.
• Experience developing government-sponsored research portfolios, including proposal development, government contracting, sponsor engagement, and transition of research capabilities to operational users.
• Experience establishing interagency or international research collaborations that advance shared national security objectives.
• A record of contributions to the technical research community through publications, conference leadership, peer review, workshops, or other professional activities.
• Experience representing an organization at major technical and policy forums and communicating complex research topics through public speaking and media engagement.

Education

Requirements Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a closely related technical field is required. Security Clearance Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Top Secret security clearance is required. Location Washington, DC. We offer a hybrid work arrangement, combining work from home and on-site options.

Term This position is a 3-year term appointment with a possibility of renewal, alongside options for longer term employment. Salary Range: $255,000 - $355,000 RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate’s work experience, education/training, skills, expertise; and internal equity.

Successful candidates will be offered employment in a specific title, as determined by the candidate’s education and experience. The salary range includes base pay plus RAND’s sabbatic pay (which provides additional compensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more.

#LI-DNI Equal Opportunity Employer