Head of U.S. State Policy and Partnerships

Position description

OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. Achieving this goal requires more than cutting-edge research—it demands deep, ongoing engagement with the policymakers, communities, and institutions shaping the future of AI.

The Global Affairs team leads this engagement. We cultivate authentic, collaborative relationships with public officials, regulators, community stakeholders, and the broader AI policymaking community to ensure that diverse perspectives inform our work. By bringing external insights into OpenAI and sharing our own learnings transparently, we help advance thoughtful regulation, responsible industry standards, and governance frameworks that promote the safe and beneficial development of AI technologies.

In close partnership with our research, product, and policy colleagues, theU.S. Policy and Partnershipsteam leads our Global Affairs engagement in the U.S. at the federal, state, and local levels, working across regions to anticipate emerging issues, craft forward-looking strategies, and champion policies that align technological progress with human values. Our mission is to help shape the global conversation on AI and ensure that the benefits of this transformative technology reach people everywhere.

About the Role

OpenAI is seeking a visionary, strategic, and highly accomplished leader to serve as our Head of U.S. State Policy and Partnerships. In this role, you will lead a team of public policy professionals to drive OpenAI’s policy engagements across the various states, territories, and municipalities in the United States. You will shape state and local campaigns, partnerships, and high-level government engagement to advance OpenAI’s mission while navigating complex regulatory environments. Reporting to the Head of US and Canada Policy and Partnerships, you will lead a team of seasoned advocates who are engaging with all levels of state and local government and shaping AI policy debates and outcomes.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA or Washington, DC. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

In this role, you will:

• Strategy & leadership: Set and execute the State and Local strategy, ensuring alignment with OpenAI’s priorities and leveraging all available campaign tools to drive good policy – while serving as part of senior leadership of U.S. and Canada Policy and Partnerships team.

• Team management: Lead and develop a high-performing team of senior policy professionals across multiple states, fostering inclusivity, growth, and integrity.

• Policy & political engagement: Cultivate direct relationships with governors, state legislators, mayors, and local leaders; anticipate and shape legislative, regulatory, and political trends; advise executives on political risk and policy positioning.

• Partnerships & campaigns: Design and execute state and regional campaigns and partnerships with governments, universities, industry, and third party groups; support key campaigns like Stargate/infrastructure.

• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with research, engineering, product, legal, communications, finance, and industrial compute teams to align policy strategies with technical roadmaps and business objectives.

• Representation: Represent OpenAI external events such as conferences, summits, and government meetings.

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Are a seasoned leader at the intersection of technology and public policy, comfortable working in dynamic, fast-paced, and rapidly evolving environments.

• Inspire and develop diverse teams, empowering colleagues to excel while maintaining accountability and high ethical standards.

• Are willing to roll up your sleeves – with humility and good nature – and do the work with teammates in a high-energy, start-up, campaign environment.

• Enjoy building coalitions and thrive both independently and as part of a high-performing, peer-led team.

• Are a strong communicator and public advocate who can translate complex technical and policy concepts into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.

• Embrace cross-functional collaboration and can unify technical, legal, commercial, and operational stakeholders around a shared mission.

We’re looking for a blend of:

• 15+ years of experience in state government, technology policy, or a related field, including senior leadership roles.

• Established credibility and relationships with state and local leaders, including governors, mayors, and state legislators.

• Proven ability to lead high-stakes policy campaigns, shape legislation or regulation, and build partnerships across multiple states.

• Demonstrated success managing and developing high performing teams.

• Deep knowledge of state political and regulatory ecosystems, with a strong grasp of AI-related issues such as safety, privacy, competition, and infrastructure.

• Exceptional judgment, integrity, and political instincts with a proven ability to build consensus across diverse stakeholders, advance bold ideas, and deliver results in fast-moving, dynamic environments.

• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with a track record of influencing senior stakeholders.

• Experience working across functions (e.g., legal, research, communications, commercial) to develop coordinated strategies and deliver results.

Application instructions

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