Hiring nowAI policy, institutions and public accountability

Compute Governance Specialist

Also called Export Control / Chip Policy Analyst

A compute governance specialist tracks and enforces the rules on chips, compute and model weights. They keep a company compliant and help it plan around controls that shape what hardware it can buy, move and use.

What they do

They read and interpret export controls, licensing conditions and other rules on advanced chips, compute and model weights. They map where the company's hardware, data centres and weights sit, and who can access them. They work with legal, security and infrastructure teams to turn rules into clear internal procedures. They assess new deals, customers and partners against those rules. They follow policy proposals and brief leadership on what is changing. They also talk to regulators and officials when the company needs clarity, a licence or a view put forward.

What a strong hire delivers

In the first months, a strong hire gives leadership a clear picture of which rules apply to the company's compute, chips and weights, and where the gaps are. They set up a working process for screening deals and transfers. They write short, usable guidance for engineers and sales. They build a reliable view of what is coming in policy, so planning decisions are made early rather than in a rush.

How you can tell they are good

Ask them to walk through a real control or compliance question they handled and explain the reasoning. Good candidates separate what the rule says from how it is enforced. They can explain chip performance thresholds and cluster concepts to a non-specialist without losing accuracy. Ask how they would screen an unusual deal. Be wary of people who only recite regulations or who stay vague on the hardware.

Why it is hard to fill

Almost nobody has done this exact job, and titles vary widely. Many people know trade law, or know hardware, but few can hold both and explain it to engineers and officials alike. Demand is high from governments, labs and chip companies at once. The pool is small, tends to be already well placed, and rarely applies to adverts. Most good hires come through direct approach.

Where to find them

Look at export control and sanctions teams, trade compliance functions and government departments handling technology policy or trade. Think tanks and research groups focused on semiconductors and AI policy are strong sources. Some come from chip makers, cloud providers and labs in policy, security or legal roles. Others come from public administration or political economy, then moved into technical governance.

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 a Compute Governance Specialist

  1. Describe a rule on chips or compute that you had to interpret and apply. What was unclear, and how did you resolve it?

    A strong answer names a specific ambiguity, explains how they sought clarity from sources or officials, and shows the decision they reached and why. Worry if they only describe the rule in general terms or never had to make a call.

  2. How would you explain why a particular chip falls under controls to an engineer who finds the rules arbitrary?

    Good answers use plain language, link the technical characteristics to the policy aim, and respect the engineer's concerns. Worry about jargon, condescension, or an answer that cannot connect the rule to the hardware.

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

Job description you can post

We are hiring a compute governance specialist to help us manage the rules that apply to advanced chips, compute and model weights. You will work across legal, security, infrastructure and leadership to keep us compliant and to plan ahead as policy changes.

What you will do

  • Interpret export controls and related rules that apply to our hardware, compute and model weights
  • Maintain a clear record of where our compute and weights are held and who can access them
  • Screen customers, partners and transfers against the relevant rules
  • Write practical guidance for engineering, sales and operations teams
  • Track policy developments and brief leadership on what they mean for us
  • Engage with regulators and officials where we need clarity or licences

What you will bring

  • Demonstrated work applying export controls, trade rules or technology policy in practice
  • Working understanding of AI hardware, clusters and how compute is measured
  • Ability to explain technical and legal points clearly to different audiences
  • Sound judgement on ambiguous cases, with clear reasoning
  • Experience working with legal, security or engineering teams
  • Track record of written analysis or guidance that others used

Nice to have

  • Experience in government, a think tank or a chip or cloud company
  • Familiarity with security practices for protecting model weights
  • Experience engaging with international regulators

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

Skills that matter

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

Other roles in aI policy, institutions and public accountability

Hiring nowAI Policy AnalystAn AI Policy Analyst turns uncertain governance questions into clear options a company can act on. They show leadership what a rule, commitment or…Hiring nowAI Governance ResearcherAn AI Governance Researcher studies how institutions and mechanisms can keep AI development accountable. They give the company evidence-based…EmergingPublic-Sector AI Accountability OfficerRuns the process that lets the public see, question and challenge how an organisation uses AI in public services. Gives leaders a defensible record…EmergingInternational AI Coordination SpecialistAn International AI Coordination Specialist helps a company work with governments, labs, regulators and standards bodies across borders. They turn…Hiring nowAI Policy LeadAn AI Policy Lead represents the company to governments on regulation, compute and national security. They help the business shape rules it must…

Related roles in other families

Hiring nowResponsible AI LeadResponsible AI governance and riskA Responsible AI Lead sets who owns AI risk and makes sure the controls around it work. They matter because customers, regulators and boards now ask…Hiring nowAI Risk ManagerResponsible AI governance and riskAn AI Risk Manager identifies, assesses and tracks the risks in a company's AI systems against agreed tolerances. They give leaders a clear view of…Hiring nowAI Impact Assessment SpecialistResponsible AI governance and riskAn AI Impact Assessment Specialist works out how an AI system could affect people and communities, then makes sure the serious risks are dealt with…EmergingAI Inventory and Governance AnalystResponsible AI governance and riskAn AI Inventory and Governance Analyst keeps a current record of every AI system a company builds or buys, who owns it and what it must comply with…

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.

← AI policy, institutions and public accountabilityAll new job families

Start a search

Hiring a Compute Governance Specialist?

Tell us the work. We find the people already doing it, whatever their job title says, and you meet them already interviewed for your role.