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About the Role
RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) is seeking a technical and strategic leader to oversee a research and engineering portfolio focused on securing advanced AI systems, understanding their cyber capabilities, and informing policy frameworks. This role guides RAND’s efforts to ensure AI technologies are safe, secure, and aligned with national security priorities.
Responsibilities
- Define and drive RAND’s research agenda on secure AI systems, establishing priorities across multiple teams and programs.
- Lead complex, cross-functional projects integrating technical R&D, cybersecurity operations, and policy analysis.
- Mentor and manage senior technical staff, project leaders, and researchers across a portfolio of 15-30 people.
- Translate technical findings into actionable insights for policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders.
- Oversee development of AI-specific threat models, security architectures, and evaluation tools that assess cyber risks and resilience.
- Engage directly with senior government and industry stakeholders to ensure RAND’s research informs decisions at the highest levels.
- Represent RAND at technical and policy forums, including national security working groups, agency briefings, and expert panels.
Requirements
- Excellent analytic skills.
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
- Strong commitment to RAND's core values of quality and objectivity.
- Technical experience in AI security, cybersecurity engineering, or adjacent emerging technology fields.
- Demonstrated success leading large technical or research programs, including managing multidisciplinary teams and budgets.
- Proven experience designing and delivering complex projects from concept through completion.
- Deep understanding of AI threat models, system vulnerabilities, and cyber capability evaluation.
- Strong ability to communicate complex technical issues to senior non-technical stakeholders.
- Familiarity with U.S. cybersecurity policy processes and agencies.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Background in leadership at frontier AI labs, startups, or hyper-scalers.
- Background in AI or cybersecurity R&D, red team operations, or advanced persistent threat (APT) defense.
- Experience developing or overseeing secure infrastructure for AI model training and deployment.
- Familiarity with AI/ML hardware and software stacks (e.g., GPUs, TPUs, CUDA, PyTorch, TensorFlow).
- Experience working in or with government on AI or cybersecurity policy.
- Graduate of CNODP, RIOT, FORGE, or equivalent elite technical program.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government clearance is preferred but not required.
- Either a writing sample or a code sample is required for this position.
Skills
- AI security
- Cybersecurity engineering
- AI threat models
- System vulnerabilities
- Cyber capability evaluation
- AI/ML hardware and software stacks
- Communication skills
Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Washington, DC
- Santa Monica, CA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Boston, MA
- Remote (US)
Work Type
- Hybrid
- Fully remote
Experience Level
- 6+ years of professional experience with PhD
- 9+ years of professional experience with Master's degree
- 12+ years of professional experience with Bachelor's degree
Education Level
- PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Security, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Applied Physics, Engineering Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Engineering and Public Policy, Technology and Policy, National Security Policy, Policy Analysis, Political Science, International Relations, or similar
- Master’s degree in the fields listed above
- Bachelor’s degree in the fields listed above
Salary/Compensations
- $167,300 - $261,400
Benefits
- Health insurance coverage
- Life and disability insurance
- Savings plan
- Paid time-off
About the Company
- RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) conducts cutting-edge research on transformative, high-impact technologies—including artificial intelligence and biotechnology—to shape policies that protect global security and advance the public good.
- RAND's reputation for excellence is built on our commitment to high-quality, rigorous analysis and objectivity.
Equal Opportunity
- RAND is an Equal Opportunity Employer.