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Technical Governance Researcher

MIRIBerkeley, CAResearch
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Salary
$120K - $200K USD
Job type
Full-time
Posted
12 Sept 2025
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

The Machine Intelligence Research Institute is hiring a full-time Technical Governance Researcher to work in Berkeley, California. This position suits individuals passionate about AI safety who want to focus on communication, policy design, and technical governance to reduce existential risks from smarter-than-human artificial intelligence.

Role Overview

As a Technical Governance Researcher, the daily work involves a combination of reading, writing, and meetings. Researchers produce a diverse range of outputs for the technical governance space, working on threat modeling, analyzing government policies, designing AI safety standards, and preparing briefings for policymakers. The role requires a strong focus on ensuring solutions can scale to address future challenges posed by advanced artificial intelligence.

Key Responsibilities

Conduct threat modeling to determine how artificial intelligence systems might cause large-scale harm and identify preventative actions.
Formulate responses to government agency requests for comment from bodies such as NIST, the European Union, and the United Nations.
Study risk management practices from other industries and apply those frameworks to artificial intelligence.
Design and implement evaluations for AI models to demonstrate failure modes related to current policy.
Prepare and present informative briefings that explain the basics and current state of AI evaluations to policymakers.
Review government and AI developer policy documents to draft reports detailing their limitations.
Create new artificial intelligence policies and standards that overcome the shortcomings of existing approaches.

Requirements

Strong background in AI safety with familiarity or experience in compute governance, policy creation, or as an AI safety generalist.
High level of agency, operating proactively to solve problems and complete objectives without constant supervision.
Strong conscientiousness, organization, and attention to detail when managing multiple tasks and projects.
Comfort with learning on the job, quickly acquiring new skills, and working through underspecified research questions.
Generative thinking abilities, including the capacity to innovate, iterate on original ideas, and critically evaluate thoughts.
Clear internal and external communication skills, including concise writing and the ability to present complex topics to diverse audiences like policymakers.
Broad alignment with the values and mission of the organization to mitigate existential risks from artificial intelligence.

Nice to Have

Research or engineering experience focused on frontier artificial intelligence models or the AI technology stack.
Ability to create or run model evaluations, benchmark AI hardware, or conduct scaling law experiments.

Skills and Tools

Threat modeling
AI safety research
Policy writing and analysis
Technical research
Model evaluation design
Hardware benchmarking
Stakeholder communication

Salary and Benefits

Annual salary ranging from $120,000 to $200,000 in USD, dependent on the experience and skill level of the candidate.
Comprehensive health insurance including top plans from Kaiser and Blue Shield, alongside dental and vision coverage.
Flexible vacation policy encouraging staff to take time off as needed in coordination with management.
Visa sponsorship potential for particularly promising candidates.

About the Company

The Machine Intelligence Research Institute is a nonprofit research organization situated in Berkeley, California. Historically dedicated to technical alignment, the organization shifted its primary focus toward communication and artificial intelligence governance to address existential threats associated with the transition to smarter-than-human intelligence systems.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their application materials directly on the official company careers page or designated application form provided by the organization.

Questions candidates ask

What is the location of the Technical Governance Researcher role?

The role is based in Berkeley, California, with a preference for in-office work.

What is the salary range for this position?

The annual salary ranges from $120,000 to $200,000, depending on the candidate's experience and skills.

Are there specific degree requirements to apply?

No formal degree requirements are specified for this role, though a strong background in AI safety or related governance is encouraged.

Does the organization offer visa sponsorship?

Yes, visa sponsorship is a possibility for particularly promising candidates.

What kind of benefits are included?

Benefits include health insurance through Kaiser and Blue Shield, dental and vision coverage, a flexible vacation policy, and potential visa sponsorship.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official MIRI careers page.

Apply on company site