Violence Risk & Legal Response Lead

OpenAI

. Establishing expert-informed thresholds for law enforcement referrals related to violent activities, and contributing to maturing and growing OpenAI’s efforts to mitigate credible and imminent threat of violence against others.

Posted 4/21/2026full-timeSan Francisco • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $216,000 - $240,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Establishing expert-informed thresholds for law enforcement referrals related to violent activities, and contributing to maturing and growing OpenAI’s efforts to mitigate credible and imminent threat of violence against others.
Advising on high-risk cases, applying behavioral threat assessment expertise to evaluate whether user activity meets criteria for proactive disclosure, while ensuring alignment with legal obligations, privacy protections, and human rights standards.
Engaging external experts (e.g., mental health professionals, behavioral specialists, and law enforcement) to inform case evaluations and continuously refine OpenAI’s legal and assessment methodologies.
Ensuring that OpenAI’s internal protocols, policies, and practices for detecting and assessing potential indicators of violence align with professional and industry standards for behavioral threat assessment and risk management while respecting user privacy and free speech rights.
Representing OpenAI in relevant violence detection and prevention-related external engagements and convening multi-disciplinary experts to advise on recommended guidelines related to law enforcement referrals.
Collaborating with internal teams on other responses to violent activities, including model responses to concerning user content, and threat detection and assessment efforts including triage for identification of priority matters.

Requirements

What you’ll need

15+ years of relevant experience in behavioral threat assessment and targeted violence prevention, with experience applying structured methodologies to evaluate real-world risk across a range of threat scenarios.
Experience building or leading threat assessment or violence prevention programs, including translating complex behavioral signals into practical, defensible frameworks used in operational environments.
Comfortable making or advising on high-stakes, time-sensitive decisions involving potential threats of violence, and can apply sound judgment in ambiguous situations with incomplete information.
Experience working closely with law enforcement, legal, security, and multidisciplinary teams, and understanding how to navigate the intersection of safety, privacy, and liability in complex cases.
Track record of contributing to or shaping industry standards, research, or training in threat assessment, and can translate that expertise into scalable practices within a technology environment.
Ability to distill complex behavioral and investigative insights into clear, structured guidance that improves consistency and decision-making across teams.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

behavioral threat assessmentviolence preventionrisk managementstructured methodologiesthreat detectioncase evaluationlegal complianceprivacy protectiondecision-making frameworksoperational environments

Soft Skills

sound judgmentcollaborationadvisingcommunicationcritical thinkingproblem-solvingleadershipadaptabilityinterpersonal skillsnegotiation