(Senior) Research Editor

About the Team

Our researchers have published in top venues, including Science and Nature, and work closely with decision-makers across government, industry, and civil society. Our alumni have gone on to influential roles in government (US, UK, EU), leading AI companies (e.g. DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic), top think tanks (e.g. CSET, RAND), and leading universities (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge).

Our team and affiliate community possess expertise across risk management, threat modelling, frontier AI regulation, technical governance, agent governance, AI economics, international cooperation, US-China relations, and AI forecasting. Since publishing our first research agenda in 2018, we have helped define and shape the field of AI governance.

Although most of our staff are based in the United Kingdom, we also have team members in the United States and European Union.

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Why you might be interested in this role

• You'll directly shape outputs that influence key decisions in AI governance. The outputs you shape will be read by policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders making critical decisions about AI's future. Your work will make these pieces more impactful and directly translate into better-informed governance decisions.
  

• You'll help scale one of the world's leading AI governance research organizations. Low editing capacity has become a direct bottleneck to GovAI publishing more research. In the short run, your editing work will address this bottleneck. In the longer run – as we grow from 15 researchers to 30 and beyond – the systems you help build will make it possible to maintain a much larger research pipeline and have a much larger impact.
  

• You'll work at the intersection of research and communication. This role combines substantive engagement with cutting-edge research and high-impact communication.
  

• You'll develop deep expertise across the full spectrum of AI governance. Working closely with leading researchers on diverse topics – from designing safety frameworks to forecasting economic impacts – you'll gain broad knowledge of the field's most pressing challenges and promising solutions.

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Role Description

As Senior Research Editor, you will be responsible for increasing GovAI's research output and quality through hands-on editing of research pieces and help researchers get their insights in front of key decision-makers.

Core responsibilities will include:

• Working with our Director of Policy and Research to help researchers scope and frame potential research reports and other GovAI outputs.
  

• Offering substantive feedback on research projects throughout their development, helping researchers to refine their drafts and arrive at the best final outputs possible.
  

• Editing all GovAI reports and short analyses, maintaining GovAI's editorial standards.
  

• Tracking publications in the pipeline and ensuring they move forward at pace.
  

• Developing guidance for researchers and other staff members involved in publication processes.
  

• Coordinating the publication process, for instance coordinating with external copy-editors and peer reviewers.
  

• Helping to refine and iterate on GovAI’s publication processes, for example our approach to peer review.

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Depending on the candidate’s skillset, interests, and capacity, additional responsibilities may also include:

• Helping to draft blog posts, op-eds, policy memos, tweet threads, or newsletter updates that summarize and translate research findings.

• Contributing to research planning discussions and potentially helping to identify and develop new research projects and workstreams.

• Supporting Research Scholars and Seasonal Fellows in developing their writing and research communication skills.

• Collaborating with researchers on dissemination strategies to maximize the impact of their work with target audiences.

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If we find a promising candidate in the pool who is not yet ready to take on the full set of responsibilities associated with this role, we may also consider offering a Research Editor role that involves a more focused set of responsibilities.

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Selection Criteria

We're selecting candidates who are:

• Excited by the opportunity to use their careers to positively influence the lasting impact of artificial intelligence, in line with our organization’s mission.
  

• Driven by a desire to produce excellent work and achieve valuable results. Successful candidates will actively seek out feedback and opportunities to improve their skills.
  

• Skilled at writing and communication.  Professional experience working as an editor is highly valued, but not required.
  

• Able to provide meaningful feedback on both stylistic and substantive aspects of research pieces, including whether pieces are free from reasoning gaps and use framings that are well-matched to their audiences. Knowledge of AI governance topics is a strong plus.
  

• Organized and systematic in their approach to managing multiple concurrent projects. This role requires the ability to maintain quality standards under tight deadlines.
  

• Able to engage effectively with researchers, external stakeholders, and various audiences through both written and verbal communication.

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Salary and Location

This position is full-time. Our offices are located in London, UK, and we strongly prefer team members to be based here, but are open to individuals who would need to work remotely. We are able to sponsor visas. 

The Senior Research Editor will be compensated in line with our salary principles. As such, the salary for this role will depend on the successful applicant’s experience, but we expect the range to be between £76,000 (~$99,000) and £114,000 (~$148,000) if based in London. In rare cases where salary considerations would prevent a candidate from accepting an offer, there may also be some flexibility in compensation. 

We also offer competitive benefits, including a 10% pension/401k contribution and private medical cover.

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How to Apply and What to Expect

Application Process

The selection process has three stages:

• Written application

• A paid remote work test

• An interview and reference checks

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Special Circumstances

Please contact recruitment@governance.ai if you:

• Need a decision communicated by a particular date

• Require assistance with the application due to a disability

• Have questions about the application process

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Addressing complex AI governance challenges requires many different skillsets and perspectives. We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. If our mission excites you, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification listed. Your unique combination of experience and motivation might be exactly what we're looking for.

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