US Chief of Staff

$160,000 – $280,000
Full-time
US, preferably Washington, DC
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Applications close on December 2, 2026.

About LawAI

The Institute for Law & AI (LawAI) is an independent think tank that researches and advises on the legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence. We believe that sound legal analysis will promote security, welfare, and the rule of law. We conduct research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, law, and policy and advise governments, research organizations, and private actors. We also build the field through fellowships and events that bring lawyers and researchers into AI law and policy. 

We grew from roughly 28 to 40 staff between 2025 and 2026 and plan to grow by another 1.5x in 2027. We are looking for exceptional candidates to help scale our US team, lead our work, and increase our impact. 

You can learn more about LawAI on our website, alongside our recent publications, our 2025 Annual Report, and an overview of our workstreams and research directions.

About the Team

LawAI’s US team is growing. Led by Mackenzie Arnold, Managing Director of US Law & Policy, and Charlie Bullock, Senior Policy Director, our US team provides practical legal research and advice to improve the quality and clarity of AI policy in the United States. We advise policymakers, government agencies, advocacy groups, and research organizations. Our work ranges from drafting and “redlining” legislation and advising agencies on the use of existing authorities, to rapid-response legal analysis and longer-term research.

About the Role

You would partner with Mackenzie Arnold to run the US team and ensure we continue to have outsized impact. As his force multiplier and thought partner, you would turn priorities into action: help shape the team’s strategy and structure, lead hiring rounds, represent LawAI with external partners, and, depending on experience, manage staff. You would also own work that has no owner yet, for example launching a major LawAI initiative (like Radical Optionality). Alongside Mackenzie, you would work closely with Charlie Bullock, Senior Policy Director, and Cody Fenwick, Senior Communications Manager.

Responsibilities

  • Act as a force multiplier for Mackenzie: help him set the team’s priorities and track progress against them, advise on key decisions, and own drafts or full workstreams on his behalf.
  • Work with Mackenzie and other key team members to shape the strategy and structure of the US team, including identifying new priority areas and who should own them.
  • Own special projects end to end: spot what’s valuable and unowned, scope it, and run it to launch. Examples include launching a report or microsite with the press, co-hosting events with partners, and building new partnerships and advisor networks.
  • Represent LawAI in meetings with external partners, policymakers, and funders.
  • Manage hiring rounds to recruit excellent researchers and help onboard new people as the team grows.
  • Coordinate between the US team and the rest of LawAI.
  • Depending on experience, manage staff on the US team, and take responsibility for the team’s organizational health as it grows.

LawAI is growing quickly, and the role will change as the team does. We hire for the ability to take on new kinds of work, form an independent view, and adjust when priorities shift, rather than for a fixed match to the list above. 

Who Might be a Good Fit

Strong candidates will combine sound strategic judgment, a clear track record of driving work forward with little oversight, excellent writing, and the ability to support a team as it scales. You may be a great fit for this role if you:

  • Drive work forward without being told: you can tell what matters most, take ownership of it, and get it done.
  • Have taken projects from a blank page to completion, scoping and delivering work that nobody handed you a plan for.
  • Have sound strategic judgment: you see the considerations that matter in a decision and change course when priorities shift.
  • Write well, communicate clearly and directly, and build relationships quickly across policy and research settings.
  • Move easily between big-picture thinking and detailed execution, and keep several projects moving at once.
  • Know your strengths and limits: you act quickly when you know what to do, and seek input when the stakes are high or you would benefit from help.

Desirable, but not required:

  • AI policy experience
  • Management experience
  • Experience building relationships in US policy circles
  • Experience founding or scaling an organization or team

Candidates need not have legal experience. LawAI’s research and advising staff are lawyers, but their work often looks much like that of other policy organizations. While our team’s legal expertise allows us to offer distinctive insights and has contributed to LawAI’s success, you don’t need to be a lawyer to thrive here. Sound judgment and an understanding of how successful policy organizations operate matter far more, and we expect candidates without legal training to quickly acquire the knowledge they need to perform well at LawAI. We find that strong candidates sometimes don’t apply because they assume being a lawyer is a big advantage at LawAI. We do not believe that to be the case.

The ideal candidate will possess many of the skills and experiences described above. However, there is no such thing as a “perfect candidate”, and we do not expect a successful hire to excel in every dimension. Above all, we are looking for people motivated to contribute to our mission. If you are on the fence about whether you are qualified, we strongly encourage you to apply.

What We Value at LawAI

We put our mission first to realize our ambitious goals for impact, following our operating principles: rigorous and actionable in our work, curious and humble in how we think, and kind and clear in how we communicate.

Role Details and Benefits

Compensation 

The salary range for this role is $160,000 to $280,000, depending on experience and location. Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be eligible for higher compensation.

Start date

We’re ideally looking for someone who can start as soon as possible, but we’re open to waiting for the right candidate.

Time Zones and Location 

This is a full-time, permanent position with flexible working hours. We prefer candidates based in Washington, DC, and offer relocation support. We are also open to candidates elsewhere in the US.

Visas: We may be able to support visa applications in some instances for this role, though individual eligibility is not within our control.

Diversity

We aim to employ people with many different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who share our mission. We are committed to creating an environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race, religion, disability, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact hiring@law-ai.org.

Benefits

Our benefits include:

  • 5 weeks of PTO recommended per year, plus public holidays
  • 12 weeks of paid parental leave that can be taken prior to birth or adoption and during the first year, with the option to take additional unpaid leave
  • Employer pension or matching 401(k) contribution up to 4% of your salary
  • Health insurance for employees residing in countries without nationalized healthcare
  • Generous annual reimbursement funds, including:
    • $5,000 for productivity and professional development
    • $5,000 for mental health support
    • $2,500 for equipment and office supplies
  • Flexible working hours
  • Supportive team culture: a friendly, open work culture that encourages feedback and close collaboration, and a team that appreciates the contributions of all team members.
  • Networking & career support: through our work at the intersection of AI, law, and policy, employees gain exposure to an exceptional network of team members and partners in the US and EU policy spaces, along with opportunities for career development and external collaborations.
  • Social connection: even as a remote-first team, we create opportunities for casual interaction and collaboration, including an annual team retreat, so you can connect with team members beyond the work itself.

Application Process

We may adjust these steps depending on the candidate, and will tell you what to expect as we go.

  1. Submit the application form, including a short video (max. 2 minutes), by December 2, 2026. We screen applications on a rolling basis.
  2. A short screening call (~20 minutes)
  3. A paid work test (2-4 hours) that simulates the work you would do in the role
  4. Two remote interviews
  5. Reference checks
  6. A paid work trial of one day (in person in Washington, DC, or Boston, MA; remote if needed). We recognize people’s scheduling constraints and will work with candidates to find an option that works for them
  7. Employment offer, which we aim to make in early 2027

We invest a lot of time in hiring because we want to build the strongest possible team. We know our process is demanding, so we pay an honorarium for the work test and the work trial, partly so that financial constraints don’t keep anyone from applying.

This position is eligible for LawAI’s referral program, which offers $5,000 to eligible individuals who refer a candidate we hire. Full terms are here.

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