Senior Advisor for State Engagement

Location: Remote (U.S.), with regular travel for convenings and meetings 

Type: Full-time, W-2 

Reports to: Executive Director

The organization

The State AI Collaborative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan platform that helps states navigate the policy opportunities and challenges of AI. We connect states to independent expertise and to one another, so they can learn and act with confidence and speed, and pilot new policy approaches together. States are making consequential decisions about AI today across a range of important domains, including economic transitions, child safety, cybersecurity, model alignment and transparency, and more. We are building a network and dedicated support for effective decisionmaking.

The role

We're looking for a senior leader to engage state policymakers. You'll be one of our most public faces and a close partner to the Executive Director on strategy, and you'll help extend the Collaborative's reach across the full range of states and political leadership we work with.

This is a state-facing role. You'll spend much of your time with governors' offices and other state officials — building relationships, reading the landscape, and understanding what each state needs — while partnering closely with our policy team, who lead policy support and engagement with outside experts.

This is also a chance to help build an organization from the ground up. As one of our first senior hires, you'll help shape the role, set priorities alongside the Executive Director, and pitch in on the wider work of an early-stage team.

In this role you will

• Engage state policymakers and their staff, with a focus on governors’ offices, as well as other executive-branch officials.

• Advise the Executive Director on state political dynamics and the evolving landscape across states, so our strategy reflects conditions on the ground.

• Deepen the Collaborative's reach into states and networks where we have fewer existing relationships.

• Understand what states need and carry that back to the team, so our policy work and convenings track real demand.

• Advise on communications and messaging, and help shape how we talk about AI policy with different audiences.

• Work with the policy team to build and manage relationships across advocacy organizations, think tanks, and expert networks, and help states find the partners and allies they need.

What we're looking for

• A track record working for or closely with senior elected officials. A governor's office is ideal; attorney general offices, other statewide roles, or Capitol Hill are also relevant, as is comparable standing and experience in the policy and advocacy world.

• We expect strong candidates to bring roughly 15 or more years of professional experience, including substantial time in senior roles.

• Comfort operating as an organizer and connector, not only an advisor.

• Sound judgment and integrity. Our work depends on nonpartisan trust and confidentiality with partners.

• Kind and respectful collaborators who care more about outcomes and healthy organizational culture than individual advancement. 

• Commitment to advancing timely, thoughtful AI policy.

AI or technology policy expertise is a plus but not required. Much of this work is relationship-building, organizing, and connecting states to expertise, and we're glad to bring on someone with adjacent experience and help them come up to speed.

Minimum education: Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.

Experience: We prefer at least twelve years of relevant work experience.

Compensation and benefits

• Salary range: $160,000–$200,000. The range reflects a national band; actual offers are set within this band based on experience and geographic cost of labor. We expect an offer to fall in the lower-to-middle of this range, with the top reserved for candidates who bring exceptional experience and qualifications.

• Benefits: We provide medical, dental, and vision insurance and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.