Human Rights Lead – Responsible Deployment

OpenAI

. Operationalize OpenAI for Government’s significant role in the policy and governance process for evaluating high-risk national security use cases, including defense and intelligence applications.

Posted 4/28/2026full-timeWashington, DC • District of Columbia, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $299,700 - $333,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Operationalize OpenAI for Government’s significant role in the policy and governance process for evaluating high-risk national security use cases, including defense and intelligence applications.
Develop clear criteria and frameworks to guide decision-making, ensuring consistency and reducing reliance on ad hoc or case-by-case judgments.
Partner with internal teams to assess risks associated with proposed deployments and identify appropriate mitigation strategies.
Support leadership in making informed decisions that balance mission impact, safety, and human rights considerations.
Collaborate with research and product teams to integrate human rights considerations into model design, evaluation, and deployment.
Help identify and characterize patterns of human rights risk—including those beyond traditional areas such as surveillance and privacy.
Support development of systems and safeguards that enable models to recognize and appropriately respond to high-risk or rights-sensitive use cases.
Contribute to efforts exploring how AI can be used to reduce harm, including applications that improve civilian protection in conflict.
Expand OpenAI’s red teaming efforts to include robust human rights expertise.
Convene external experts across domains such as armed conflict, civilian protection, transnational repression, and vulnerable populations.
Build and maintain relationships with human rights organizations, multilateral institutions, and expert communities.
Represent OpenAI in external engagements related to human rights and responsible AI deployment.
Facilitate dialogue with stakeholders to understand concerns and expectations and incorporate those insights into OpenAI’s work.
Serve as a resource to leadership and cross-functional teams on human rights considerations in high-stakes contexts.
Support development of internal materials, training, and guidance to build company-wide fluency on human rights issues.
Help establish frameworks for monitoring the real-world human rights impacts of deployed systems.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to respond to and investigate incidents or concerns.
Ensure lessons learned are incorporated into future governance, product, and policy decisions.

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of experience in human rights, national security, conflict, or related policy fields.
Deep expertise in human rights standards and how they apply in complex, real-world operational contexts.
Experience working with or within government, military, intelligence, or international institutions preferred.
Demonstrated ability to build or influence governance frameworks and decision-making processes.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively across technical, policy, and external stakeholder groups.
Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, high-stakes environments.
Commitment to OpenAI’s mission of ensuring AI benefits all of humanity.

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.

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Soft Skills

strong communication skillsinterpersonal skillsability to engage effectivelyability to operate in ambiguous environmentsinfluence governance frameworksdecision-making processes