Date Posted:
June 2, 2026
Position Title:
Executive Director – Youth AI Safety Institute
Office/Company:
Common Sense Media
Party:
N/A
Office Code:
Job Number:
HC-07600
Reports To:
Location:
San Francisco, CA
Contact:
Salary:
$250,000.00 – $300,000.00 per year
Primary Role
Secondary Role:
Job Type:
Full Time
Description:
The Executive Director is the founding leader of the Youth AI Safety Institute—a mission-driven institution-builder who will launch a technically credible global institute and scale it into a trusted, field-level standard setter.Vision & Strategic Leadership, Research, Testing & Standards, Public Leadership & Awareness, Fundraising & Development, Talent, Team & Vendor Management, Industry & Stakeholder Engagement, Operational Oversight, Board & GovernanceAn accomplished, recognized leader in AI, technology, or public policy who brings existing credibility, gravitas, and a strong professional network.
Responsibilities:
• Own the Institute’s multi-year strategy; make disciplined decisions on scope, cadence, and publication under sustained public and industry scrutiny.
• Direct product testing, benchmarking, and research; oversee rigorous, reproducible AI safety standards and evaluation frameworks; publish findings—including uncomfortable ones—with full transparency.
• Serve as a primary public face of the Institute; drive industry accountability and translate findings for broad audiences through media, campaigns, and global convenings.
• Lead closing of major philanthropic commitments; manage multi-year fund structures, funder governance, and supporter relationships.
• Recruit and retain exceptional staff; build a culture blending startup speed with standards-body rigor; manage vendors and make disciplined build-vs-partner decisions.
• Engage credibly at the highest levels with frontier AI labs, policymakers, and global regulatory bodies; drive consensus on and commitment to youth AI safety standards.
Qualifications:
• Deep, current fluency in AI—including large language models, evaluation methodologies, and AI safety frameworks—sufficient to engage as a peer with frontier AI labs.
• Demonstrated success building or scaling a research, standards, or advocacy organization; proven ability to recruit senior talent and manage a growing team and vendor ecosystem.
• Strong fundraising track record, including direct responsibility for closing major philanthropic commitments and managing multi-year funder relationships.
• Exceptional public communication skills; experience as a credible spokesperson with media, policymakers, the AI industry, and broad audiences.
• Comfortable making difficult calls, navigating conflicts of interest, and operating with transparency under scrutiny, including through credibility-testing events.
• Experience managing significant operating budgets, vendor ecosystems, and organizational operations.
Instructions:
Email to apply
Other:
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