Location: Remote, with regular international travel for convenings and meetings. Being based in the UK is an advantage.

Type: Full-time. 

Reports to: Co-Directors. As an early-stage team, we expect reporting lines to evolve as the Lab grows.

Terms: This is a one-year position, renewable subject to funding and performance. Employment will be through a partner nonprofit, the AI Readiness Project, and you will serve as a Programme Officer at the AI Diplomacy Lab of the AI Governance Initiative at the University of Oxford. Compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. We are open to secondment arrangements, including from governments. Applicants must have the right to work in their country of residence. We are not able to sponsor visas.

The Lab

The Oxford AI Diplomacy Lab helps governments and civil society work together to govern advanced AI more effectively. The Lab is part of the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative (AIGI) at the University of Oxford. 

AI is now on the agenda of nearly every major international body and a growing share of bilateral relationships. The officials handling it are often working without the specialist support, peer networks, and institutional memory that fields like arms control, climate, and trade built up over decades. The Lab exists to help close that gap. We work to make multilateral processes more effective. That includes the international AI summit series, where we work to strengthen continuity from one summit to the next.

The role

We're hiring someone to help manage the Lab's external engagement. You'll spend much of your time with diplomats, officials, and partner organisations, building the relationships and running the convenings that are at the centre of what we do in support of effective global conversations on challenging AI policy topics. You'll work closely with the Co-Directors on strategy, and we expect you to carry work forward with a good deal of independence, including representing the Lab in meetings on your own.

This is a chance to help build something new. You'll help shape the role and set priorities with the Co-Directors, and we expect the job to change as the Lab and the field develop. 

In this role you will

• Build and maintain relationships with government officials, multilateral organisations, AI developers, and expert institutions.

• Design and run small convenings and working sessions with officials.

• Track AI policy and diplomatic developments in relevant forums, and use that understanding to inform the Lab’s research and convening priorities.

• Produce follow-up materials for participants, such as summary notes, options papers, and briefing materials.

• Represent the Lab with officials and partners, on your own where appropriate, and lead one or more workstreams from initial idea to delivery.

• Help build the Lab, including partnerships, event planning, and funder reporting, working with contracted operations support.

What we're looking for

• Experience in the practice of diplomacy or international policy. Service in a foreign ministry, diplomatic service, or national security staff is ideal. Relevant experience at an international organisation, or in running dialogues at a well-regarded foreign policy institution, is also valuable.

• Ease working with senior officials, and a practical understanding of how governments make decisions and how multilateral processes work.

• A track record of getting things done with limited supervision. We want an organiser and connector who builds professional relationships and follows through.

• The confidence, judgment, and discretion to represent the Lab.

• Clear, concise writing for busy officials.

• Interest in the governance of advanced AI and the ability to learn quickly. Familiarity with AI policy is a plus but not required. We weigh diplomatic experience and judgment more heavily, and we will help the right person come up to speed.

• A kind, respectful collaborator who puts the mission and the team ahead of personal advancement.

• Willingness to travel internationally several times a year, sometimes at short notice.

Experience: We expect most strong candidates to bring roughly seven or more years of relevant experience, though we care more about judgment and the ability to work independently than about a precise experience threshold.

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

How to apply: Complete the application form below. We will prioritise applications received by Monday, 9 November at 9:00am GMT. We will review applications on a rolling basis and earlier applications may receive earlier review. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including those who don't meet each criterion listed. If you think you could be a strong fit but something in this description does not align with your circumstances, please note that in your application. Please reach out to us at careers@oxfordailab.org if you require any reasonable adjustment in the application process.