Regional Director of State Government Affairs

About ARI

Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization advocating for artificial intelligence policy in the public interest. We believe in establishing a thoughtful governance framework for rapidly advancing AI technology that protects the public from harm while continuing to foster innovation. ARI takes a bipartisan approach, building coalitions across the political spectrum.

About the Roles

ARI is hiring four Regional Directors of State Government Affairs (“Regional Directors”), each covering a region of the United States: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.

The Regional Directors will report to the Vice President of State Government Affairs and be responsible for proactively shaping AI-related legislative and regulatory activity within their multistate region. Working with the ARI team, each Regional Director will facilitate conversations with key lawmakers across the region and build relationships to grow ARI’s presence, while actively advancing ARI’s policy goals and defending against harmful AI legislation.

In addition, each Regional Director will represent ARI to national bodies—including the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the Council of State Governments (CSG), and the National Governors Association (NGA)—and to the media, as required. We are looking for candidates with extensive experience as regional lobbyists who have worked on contentious issues and managed contract lobbyists within their regions.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include executing government affairs strategies, building relationships with state lawmakers, monitoring legislative developments, leading advocacy efforts, and collaborating with internal teams to advance ARI’s policy priorities.

Legislative Advocacy

• Lead rapid-response advocacy when harmful bills are moving, including direct lobbying in state capitals.
• Support the advancement of pro-guardrails legislation in ARI’s existing issue areas, including frontier AI governance, children’s safety, creator protections, and data centers and energy.
• Recruit and support state legislators willing to engage federal policymakers in opposition to sweeping preemption of state AI laws.
• Hold and manage a contract lobbying budget, including retaining, directing, and evaluating contract lobbyists in key states.

External Relationships

• Represent ARI to NCSL, CSG, NGA, and state legislative leadership.
• Build relationships with the offices of state attorneys general, governors’ policy and legislative staff, and state agency officials.
• Serve as ARI’s principal working link to allied organizations operating at the state level, ensuring our work complements rather than duplicates theirs.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with state-level consumer, parent, labor, creator, and faith organizations.

Qualifications

These roles require attention to detail and the ability to solve complex problems, work under strict deadlines, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Speed and accuracy are essential, as are political and situational awareness in a fast-changing environment. Knowledge and understanding of the AI space are not prerequisites; however, the ability to learn issues quickly and become a subject-matter expert is a must.

Required

• At least 7 years of experience in government affairs, advocacy, or government, including at least 2 years leading multistate advocacy work.
• A demonstrated record of effectively managing a region of the US as a state lobbyist—at an advocacy organization, trade association, corporation, or comparable setting.
• Direct experience retaining and managing contract lobbyists across multiple states.
• Substantive knowledge of the state legislative process, including session calendars, procedural deadlines, and the differences between professionalized and citizen legislatures.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with legislators of both parties.
• Passion for the responsible governance of AI and emerging technology, and alignment with ARI’s mission and values.
• A reputation for trustworthiness and integrity.
• Willingness to travel frequently, particularly during legislative sessions from January through May.

Preferred

• Experience with technology, privacy, consumer protection, or telecommunications policy at the state level.
• Service as a state legislator, legislative staff director, governor’s legislative director, or in a comparable state role.
• Familiarity with AI policy and the current state and federal legislative landscape.
• Experience building bipartisan or cross-ideological coalitions at the state level.
• Experience with state ballot measure campaigns.

Compensation, Benefits, and Location

These are full-time positions, and each Regional Director will be based within the region they cover. Regional Directors should expect regular travel to our DC office.

The salary range for each role is $165,000 to $225,000, commensurate with experience.

ARI offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: 85% of premiums are covered for employees, partners, and dependents.
• Paid Time Off: Discretionary PTO and ~20 office holidays, including all federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: 6% employer match.
• Professional Development Stipend: Up to $2,500 annually to be used towards building new knowledge and skills.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Dependent Care FSA, Medical FSA, Transit FSA, and Parking FSA.
• Basic Life, Basic AD&D, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability: 100% employer-paid with the option to elect for employee-paid supplemental coverage.
• Wellness Benefit: $150/month taxable stipend to support physical and mental well-being.
• Internet & Utilities Reimbursement: $150/month taxable stipend to cover internet and utilities expenses from remote work.
• Home Office Expenses for New Employees: Up to $500 for all new full-time employees for home office set-up expenses.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter. The priority deadline for these roles is November 15th.

Application Materials

1. Resume.
2. Cover letter, including why you are interested in joining ARI and which region(s) you are applying to cover.

Application Process

We plan to use the following steps for this hiring process. We are aiming for the Regional Directors to start in January.

1. Application Review: Our team will review submitted applications and decide whom to advance to the next step of the process.
2. Initial Interview: Virtual 1:1 conversation with the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and/or the Vice President of State Government Affairs. We may also ask applicants to engage in a short initial virtual conversation with an ARI consultant.
3. First Panel: Government Affairs panel interview.
4. Second Panel: Cross-departmental panel interview.
5. Final Interview: 1:1 interview with the President.
6. Reference Checks: We’ll ask for references from the top candidate(s) to help us confirm and/or make a final decision.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to every applicant in a timely manner. We apologize in advance for any communication delays.

Americans for Responsible Innovation is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender, age, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, personal appearance, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or protected veteran status.

Referral Bonus

Know a great fit for any of the roles we’re hiring for? We value your network and will reward you for successful referrals to help us attract and hire the very best talent to advance our mission.

If you refer a candidate who receives and accepts our offer, you’ll receive a referral bonus of $3,000.

To qualify:

• The candidate must list your name as the referral source in the application.
• The candidate must receive and accept the offer.
• The candidate must start and remain employed with us for at least 30 days.

To participate in this program, you must be a legal resident of the United States. If the referral is successfully hired by ARI, an ARI representative will contact you to obtain the required documents (e.g., W-9) to receive the referral bonus. The bonus will be paid within 60 days after the candidate has completed the required 30-day tenure period and the required documents have been submitted.