Hiring nowAI policy, institutions and public accountability

AI Policy Analyst

Also called AI Policy Researcher

An AI Policy Analyst turns uncertain governance questions into clear options a company can act on. They show leadership what a rule, commitment or engagement would cost, who it affects and whether it can be delivered.

What they do

They take a live question, such as how to respond to a new regulatory proposal or whether to adopt a voluntary commitment, and break it into options. They gather evidence, read consultation records and talk to people in legal, product, safety and engineering teams. They map who is affected and how. They test each option against what the organisation can realistically implement. They write short, structured analysis that states assumptions plainly, and they brief senior people in language that engineers and lawyers can both follow. They also draft consultation responses and track how positions shift across institutions and countries.

What a strong hire delivers

In the first months, a strong hire gives leadership a clear picture of the policy issues that matter most to the business. They produce a few option papers that decision makers actually use, with assumptions written down and tradeoffs visible. They set up a simple way to track consultations and institutional developments. They build working relationships with technical and legal colleagues, so policy input arrives before decisions are made, not after.

How you can tell they are good

Ask them to walk through a policy analysis they produced. Look for how they framed the options, what they assumed and what changed their mind. Give them a rule that sounds sensible but is hard to implement and see how they test it. Strong people name who loses out, say what they do not know and explain technical points without jargon.

Why it is hard to fill

The title is used loosely. Some candidates are advocates, some are lawyers, and some are researchers who have never had to make a recommendation that someone must carry out. The rare hire combines real policy method with enough technical understanding to judge feasibility. Most people lean heavily one way. Employers often ask for both and then screen on credentials instead of evidence of work.

Where to find them

They come from government policy teams, regulators, parliamentary and civil service roles, think tanks, academic policy centres and public administration programmes. Others move from technical governance, standards work or trust and safety teams. Frontier labs, model providers and AI start-ups hire them, as do consultancies and international bodies. Political economy and public policy graduates with applied experience are a strong source.

Indicative pay

Not enough published evidence yet to give a fair range for this role, which is common for work this new. We benchmark it for you as part of a search.

Interview questions for an AI Policy Analyst

  1. Describe a policy recommendation you wrote that someone acted on. What options did you reject, and why?

    A strong answer names real alternatives, explains the criteria used and shows how the recommendation was received. Worry if they only describe research, cannot say what was rejected, or take credit without explaining their own part.

  2. How do you decide which assumptions in an option paper need to be stated most clearly?

    Good answers pick assumptions that change the conclusion if wrong, such as compliance capacity or stakeholder behaviour. They separate evidence from judgement. Be wary of generic caveats or analysis that hides its weakest points.

4 more questions, with what a strong answer covers, are in the Role Kit.

Job description you can post

We are looking for an AI Policy Analyst to help us make sound decisions on AI governance. You will analyse policy choices, test what is feasible and give our leadership clear options. You will work closely with legal, product, safety and engineering colleagues.

What you will do

  • Analyse proposed regulation, standards and voluntary commitments and set out options for the company
  • Assess implementation tradeoffs and effects on different stakeholders
  • Review consultation records and track institutional developments
  • Draft consultation responses and policy briefings
  • Work with technical teams to test whether options can be delivered
  • Explain assumptions and uncertainty clearly to senior decision makers

What you will bring

  • Examples of policy analysis that led to a decision or recommendation
  • Grounding in public policy, political economy, public administration or technical governance
  • Clear writing that states assumptions and limits
  • Ability to explain technical issues in plain language
  • Experience engaging with institutions, regulators or consultation processes
  • Sound judgement on feasibility and stakeholder effects

Nice to have

  • Experience with AI risk management frameworks
  • Familiarity with international coordination on AI
  • Work in a regulator, public body or technical standards group

Free to use and adapt. If it saves you time, a link back to this page is appreciated.

Skills that matter

  • Public policy and economicsAdvancedAnalyse institutional choices and distributional effects
  • Institutional and international coordinationAdvancedAlign actors and processes across jurisdictions
  • AI risk managementWorkingIdentify, assess, treat and monitor AI risks
  • Technical communicationWorkingExplain evidence and limitations to relevant readers

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How we wrote this

Role definitions are our own editorial work, checked against occupational classifications, standards, research and employer pages. Titles vary by company, and this is a description of the work, not a job advert.

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