Policy Advisor - AI Governance

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.

We are a global team of over 800 changemakers, operating in more than 40 countries, across five continents. We are political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages. We are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Role Summary

The Policy Advisor for AI Governance is based within the Science & Technology (S&T) Policy team in TBI’s Policy and Politics division in London. The S&T Policy team develops radical, actionable policy solutions to help governments foster innovation, accelerate technology adoption and govern emerging technologies.

Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, creating profound opportunities for economic growth and improvements in public services while raising new questions for governments about safety, security, accountability and international cooperation. Policymakers need governance approaches that can keep pace with technological change, manage emerging risks and enable societies to capture the benefits of increasingly capable AI systems.

The Policy Advisor will play a central role in building and advancing TBI’s AI governance agenda. Working closely with the Director of Science & Technology Policy, they will develop ambitious and practical policy proposals for how governments should govern advanced AI. The role will have a particular focus on building effective AI assurance ecosystems, developing policy approaches to frontier open-source AI, and strengthening international coordination on AI governance.

The successful candidate will combine rigorous policy analysis with excellent political judgement and exceptional written and verbal communication skills. They will be able to understand complex technical and policy questions, identify what matters for political leaders, and translate their analysis into clear, compelling and actionable recommendations.

This is also an externally facing role. The Policy Advisor will represent TBI in discussions with policymakers, senior officials, technology companies, researchers and other leading voices in AI governance. They should be intellectually confident, persuasive and comfortable contributing TBI’s perspective in senior policy discussions.

The role is suited to someone with established experience in AI, technology policy or a closely related field who is ready to take significant ownership of substantive policy projects while working closely with senior colleagues to shape TBI’s wider AI governance agenda. 

As part of your application for the Policy Advisor – AI Governance position, you are required to submit both a CV and cover letter.

Your cover letter should outline your motivation for joining TBI and your interest in AI governance, including how your experience, academic background and/or expertise are relevant to the role.

Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities

The holder of this position will:

• Contribute to TBI’s AI governance policy agenda, working closely with Elizabeth Seger, Senior Policy Advisor - AI Governane, to identify important emerging questions, develop distinctive policy positions and translate them into actionable recommendations for governments.
• Lead substantial policy projects on priority AI governance issues, with a particular focus on AI assurance ecosystems, frontier open-source AI policy and international AI governance coordination.
• Produce outstanding written policy work, including major reports, policy papers, briefings, comment pieces and materials for senior political audiences, translating complex technical and policy questions into clear and persuasive arguments.
• Develop practical policy proposals that account for technological developments, institutional and regulatory constraints, political economy and the needs of policymakers implementing AI governance in practice.
• Provide policy advice and briefing to senior leaders within TBI and support TBI advisory teams working with governments globally, ensuring that the Institute’s work on AI governance informs practical advice to political leaders and policymakers.
• Represent TBI externally in meetings, roundtables and policy discussions with governments, senior officials, technology companies, researchers, civil society organisations and international institutions, communicating TBI’s positions clearly and credibly.
• Build and manage relationships with leading stakeholders across the AI governance ecosystem, using these relationships both to strengthen TBI’s policy thinking and to build support for its recommendations.
• Track developments in AI capabilities, governance and regulation internationally, identifying emerging issues that warrant political attention and opportunities for TBI to shape policy debates.
• Work collaboratively across TBI, including with colleagues in policy, advisory and other teams, to ensure that our AI governance work draws on TBI’s global experience and contributes to the Institute’s wider technology agenda.
• Contribute to a high-performing team culture, including supporting and collaborating with analysts and other colleagues on research and policy development. 

Person Specification

We are looking for an intellectually ambitious policy thinker with strong knowledge of AI governance and a strong grasp of how modern AI systems work, how their capabilities are evolving, and what those developments mean for risk and governance. The successful candidate will be able to engage confidently with both the technical and policy dimensions of AI, and to turn complex questions into clear, politically relevant policy recommendations. They will be comfortable taking ownership of substantial pieces of work, while collaborating closely with senior colleagues on the strategic direction of TBI’s AI governance agenda.

Above all, they will be an exceptional writer and communicator. They should have a demonstrated ability to distil complex technical and policy ideas into clear, intuitive and compelling writing, making difficult concepts accessible without losing important nuance or analytical precision. They should be able to move fluently between detailed analysis and concise advice for senior policymakers, and be equally comfortable developing an argument on the page and defending it in a room.

The successful candidate will have:

• Strong knowledge of AI governance and policy, with a sophisticated understanding of current debates around the governance of advanced AI systems and the institutions involved.
• Strong technical fluency in AI, including a sound understanding of how modern AI systems are developed, trained, evaluated and deployed; how their capabilities are evolving; and how technical characteristics of these systems shape potential risks and the policy approaches available to govern them.
• Relevant professional experience in AI or technology policy, gained in government, a policy organisation, academia, industry, consulting, an international organisation or another relevant setting.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to distil complex ideas into clear, intuitive and persuasive writing, develop rigorous arguments, and produce high-quality policy analysis and recommendations for both expert and non-expert audiences.
• Good policy judgement, including an ability to distinguish important policy questions from noise, understand political and institutional constraints, and develop ambitious proposals that governments could realistically implement.
• Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to rapidly understand unfamiliar or technically complex subjects, critically assess evidence and synthesise insights from different disciplines.
• The ability to connect technical developments to policy, identifying the implications of changes in AI capabilities, development and deployment for risks, governance institutions and concrete policy interventions.
• Confidence representing an organisation externally, including the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and contribute effectively to discussions with senior policymakers, government officials, researchers, industry leaders and other expert stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to build productive relationships across government, industry, academia and civil society and use external expertise to improve policy development.
• Strong project-management skills, with the ability to take ownership of substantial workstreams, manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outputs at pace.
• A collaborative and entrepreneurial approach, including the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams, respond quickly to a fast-moving policy environment and contribute constructively to the development of a growing policy agenda.

The following attributes are desirable:

• Direct experience working on AI assurance, evaluations, auditing, standards or other mechanisms for assessing and demonstrating the safety, security or performance of AI systems.
• Experience researching or developing policy concerning open-source or open-weight AI models, particularly the governance challenges associated with increasingly capable frontier models.
• Experience working on international AI governance, including international institutions, multilateral or plurilateral initiatives, standards-setting, or coordination between governments.
• Experience working directly with government or senior policymakers on technology or AI policy.
• Experience working across different geographical, institutional or cultural contexts.

Closing Date: