At a glance

Organization: ADEN, AI Diplomatic Engagement Network
Title: Head of Policy and Research
Location: Berkeley, CA. Full-time, in-person. U.S. work authorization required; we cannot sponsor or transfer employment visas.
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Compensation: $150,000–$180,000 base, depending on experience. Open to discussion for exceptional candidates. Annual bonus potential.
Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage. 401(k) with employer matching. PTO.
Travel: Approximately 6–8 international trips per year (Seoul, Tokyo, Washington DC, others TBD).
Employment: Full-time (1.0 FTE) via Employer of Record, as ADEN is registered in the UK. Two-year initial term aligned to grant period, with strong expectation of renewal.
Start date: September 2026 (target).
Application: Rolling review until filled – please see "How to apply" below.

About ADEN

ADEN is a program of senior diplomatic engagement and policy translation, working to support thoughtful AI governance in consequential states beyond the traditional Western policy centers. We are a team of former UK and U.S. foreign service officers with deep experience in East Asia and beyond. We begin in South Korea and Japan, and broaden our engagement over time.

ADEN is new. We launched in July 2026 with a fully funded two-year program; our first engagement, a senior scoping visit to Seoul alongside the International Conference on Machine Learning, takes place this month. Day to day, we build relationships with senior officials in our focus countries, run structured engagements for them, and produce the briefings and materials those engagements depend on. Joining now means shaping the substance of a new organization from the start.

AI is developing faster than the institutions and norms meant to govern it. The safety research community has produced careful analytical and policy work, but the means to carry that work to senior policymakers outside a small set of capitals remains underdeveloped. ADEN helps close that gap. Diplomats already perform this function on climate, trade, non-proliferation, and public health. We perform it for AI: sustained, senior, two-way engagement with the policymakers deciding how these systems will be governed.

We are a deployment vehicle for the broader AI safety community, not a research institution or an advocate. We translate and localize others' work for senior audiences in the countries where we engage, and we carry those countries' perspectives back into the community's strategic thinking. Our work runs through four programs, anchored by senior advisors with active government networks:

Tabletop exercises (TTX). Structured crisis simulations that let senior officials rehearse decisions under realistic AI scenarios.
Track 1.5 dialogues. Off-the-record discussions that put government officials and outside experts at the same table.
Country-specific policy briefings. Short, decision-ready translations of the field's best research.
Visiting policymakers fellowship. Structured time for officials with the research community in the Bay Area.

ADEN is grant-funded. The Head of Policy and Research is one of two senior hires authorized under our current grant and is on the critical path for delivery in our initial two-year program.

The role

The Head of Policy and Research owns the substance of everything ADEN puts in front of policymakers: what we say, which research it draws on, and whether it stands up to expert scrutiny. The role translates the AI safety field's research agendas into diplomatic deliverables and ensures our Korea and Japan engagement is grounded in the best available research. This role is central to the program's success and to extending our model to other countries over time.

The reason the role exists: strong AI safety research rarely reaches the officials who are writing binding rules right now. Korea is drafting the subordinate regulations under its AI Basic Act; Japan is setting physical AI and semiconductor standards. Whether the field's best thinking reaches those decisions depends largely on this role.

We are not hiring a researcher. The AI safety ecosystem already has deep, well-funded technical expertise. What it lacks is the diplomatic infrastructure to deploy that expertise where the policy decisions are being made. The Head of Policy and Research is the bridge: curating the ecosystem's best work, translating it for international policymakers, and making sure our diplomatic deployments are technically sound and policy-relevant.

The role is based in Berkeley, full-time and in-person. Much of the job is showing up in person at partner organizations, at workshops, and in the working conversations where the field's thinking develops. It suits someone approachable and curious who moves easily between technical and policy communities; the relationships the role depends on are built face to face.

Day-to-day

In practice, the role operates across four workstreams:

Substantive policy content (approximately 40% of time). Draft and quality-control the policy briefings, op-eds, and position papers that form the core of our engagement products. Design TTX scenarios in coordination with ecosystem partners, ensuring they are grounded in current technical research and calibrated to the policy landscape in each target country. Develop substantive content for Track 1.5 dialogue agendas.
Research curation, synthesis, and localization (approximately 30% of time). Own ADEN's research function as a curator and synthesizer rather than an original producer. Maintain a continuous presence in Berkeley and across the Bay Area AI safety community. Scan the output of the community and other partner organizations, working with the Lead Developer on automation where useful. Maintain ADEN's research repository, brief co-founders and senior advisors on current developments in AI safety and governance, and coordinate with the East Asia Languages Lead to repackage the most relevant work for international policymaker audiences. Feed the best international research we encounter back into the broader AI safety ecosystem.
Partner integration and briefing products (approximately 15% of time). With ADEN's Lead Developer, serve as the day-to-day counterpart to partner organizations developing policy briefing and risk-monitoring products (early warning on AI capability developments and incidents that matter for policy), including groups like AIRE, FAR.AI, and CivAI. Curate partner outputs into country-specific, decision-relevant briefing materials. Decide what matters for policymakers in each target country, why it matters, and how to frame it in nationally relevant terms.
Visiting policymakers fellowship and convening support (approximately 15% of time). Lead program design for the visiting policymakers fellowship in partnership with executive leadership. Represent ADEN at ecosystem convenings and partner meetings. Travel periodically to Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington DC to support in-country delivery.

Country policy lines

The Head of Policy and Research owns the substantive development of ADEN's country-specific policy work:

Korea: subordinate regulations under the AI Basic Act, and capacity-building for the Korea AI Safety Institute.
Japan: semiconductor supply chain safety-linked standards, physical AI safety standards, and incident reporting frameworks.

What we are looking for

An example profile could be a mid-to-senior fellow at an organization like GovAI, RAND, CSET, or IAPS, a policy team member at one of the frontier AI labs, or an AI safety researcher (a MATS alumnus, for example) who wants their work to reach the people making decisions. In each case, someone looking for a more operationally oriented role with direct international impact. Above all we care about how you think: we want colleagues who are mission-aligned, pragmatically ambitious, truth-seeking, and who update and refine their views on new evidence.

Required qualifications

Senior policy experience at the intersection of AI safety and government. Examples include policy roles at AI safety research organizations, frontier labs, AI-focused think tanks, government AI offices, or AI safety institutes.
Strong interpersonal, networking, and representational skills. The Head of Policy and Research is ADEN's day-to-day presence in the Bay Area AI safety community and our touchpoint with researchers, lab staff, and partner organizations.
Strong writing, briefing, and translation skills for non-technical senior audiences.
Substantive understanding of frontier AI capabilities and safety concerns sufficient to engage credibly with technical staff at AISIs and frontier labs.
Willingness to relocate to or be based in the Bay Area full-time, with regular in-person presence required. Please note relocation costs are not covered.
Willingness to travel internationally on a regular cadence (approximately 6–8 trips per year).
Curiosity, proficiency, and willingness to learn across the range of international contexts in which ADEN operates, from Korea's AI Basic Act to AI safety institute frameworks worldwide.
You must be authorized to work in the United States. ADEN is unfortunately unable to sponsor or transfer employment visas for this role.

Preferred qualifications

Prior experience working with international government counterparts, delivering across diverse policy domains. Korean or Japanese language ability would be an asset, but is certainly not required.
Familiarity with international AI regulatory and standards frameworks, or with AI safety institute operations.
Track record of producing policy outputs that have shaped real-world decisions (legislation, regulations, executive guidance, multilateral agreements, or institutional policy).
Existing relationships within the Bay Area AI safety community, frontier labs, or relevant U.S. government offices.

Compensation and benefits

Base salary: $150,000–$180,000 depending on experience. Open to discussion for exceptional candidates.
Annual bonus: discretionary, performance-based.
Health coverage: competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Retirement: 401(k) with employer matching.
Time off: PTO, paid holidays, and parental leave.
Professional development: conference attendance, training, and ecosystem engagement budget.
Workspace: dedicated office access in Berkeley.

The team

The Head of Policy and Research joins a small, senior team:

Executive Director, London. Founder. Leads senior diplomatic engagement, Japan policy, and UK relationships. Twenty-plus years of UK diplomatic experience.
Chief Operating Officer. Leads day-to-day delivery, grant management, and operational execution. Twenty-plus years of U.S. diplomatic, private sector, and military experience. Direct supervisor for this role.
Senior Advisors, Washington DC / Seoul. Lead senior-level Korea engagement and Washington relationships. White House and State Department backgrounds with deep Korea and Japan networks.
Lead Developer. Builds ADEN's policy briefing and risk intelligence platform, in partnership with third-party AI safety organizations.
East Asia Languages Lead. Korean and Japanese language monitoring, translation, localization, and open-source intelligence.
Operations Director. Owns all operational, administrative, and compliance functions.

How to apply

Send the following to careers@aden.global:

A current CV or résumé.
In place of a cover letter, short answers (200 words maximum each) to three questions:
- Why this role, specifically, is what you want to do next.
- A piece of AI safety policy work you produced or supported, your exact contribution to it, and what happened as a result.
- A question in AI safety or AI policy where you have changed your mind, and what changed it.
A writing sample. One piece you have written that translates technical work for a non-technical audience. A link is fine.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the role is filled. We read every application ourselves; specific, first-hand detail counts for more than polish. Shortlisted candidates can expect an initial conversation, a deeper substantive interview, and reference checks.

ADEN is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people who may not match every preferred qualification but whose experience aligns with the role's purpose. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities; if you need an accommodation during the application process, please contact careers@aden.global.

Questions about this role can be directed to careers@aden.global.

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