This job is expired. See open roles here
Company logo

Director of Public Policy, Office of Responsible AI 

Posted May 26
Full Time
On Site

Microsoft has an immediate opening for a Director of Public Policy to lead our public policy workstream in the Office of Responsible AI. 

Microsoft is committed to ensuring that we develop and deploy our AI technologies in ways that uphold our AI principles and warrant people’s trust. The Office of Responsible AI plays a leading role in this effort as part of Microsoft’s Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs (CELA) team. With a cross-company mandate, we establish internal policy to enact our responsible AI commitments, support the rollout of our responsible AI program, enable our community of Responsible AI Champs, manage the company’s governance system, and guide high impact engineering and customer projects. We also help to contribute to the conversation about the new laws, norms, and standards needed to advance responsible AI for the benefit of society at large.    

Responsibilities

  • Lead of Public Policy Workstream. Reporting to Microsoft’s Chief Responsible AI Officer, the Director of Public Policy will lead a high-performing team responsible for the company’s public policy workstream. The workstream is focused on designing and building the next generation of public policy positions and frameworks to ensure that effective regulatory guardrails are in place to secure the beneficial use of AI technologies. By combining your in-depth understanding of AI technologies and their sociotechnical implications with your knowledge of regulatory frameworks and public policy levers, you and your team will help Microsoft develop evidence-based positions that support the establishment of effective policy interventions.  
  •  Collaborations with Research, Engineering, and Internal Policy Colleagues. Our responsible AI ecosystem at Microsoft combines policy and governance expertise with a commitment to research-led approaches that are engineered into the AI systems that we build. As such, our public policy work requires close coordination with our colleagues in Aether who provide scientific foresight on emerging issues and subject matter expertise on each of our AI principles. The Director of Public Policy will also work closely with our engineering teams to assess the impact of different policy positions and regulatory proposals and provide insight into emerging regulatory trends and developments to inform their planning cycles. Finally, you will collaborate closely with colleagues in the Office of Responsible AI’s Internal Policy team to bring insights from our internal policy development to the dialog on effective public policy measures and ensure that our internal practices are informed by emerging regulatory trends and developments.  
  •  Collaborations with External Stakeholders. The development and adoption of effective public policy measures requires deep collaboration with stakeholders external to Microsoft, including representatives of civil society, academia, government, and industry. The Director of Public Policy builds and maintains strong, ongoing relationships with external stakeholders and proactively identifies opportunities to collaborate on effective regulatory safeguards. 
  • Trend Analysis and Coordination with Global Government Affairs Teams.  Working in close partnership with our Global Government Affairs teams around the world, the Director of Public Policy will ensure that public policy trends across geographies are identified in a timely way to help inform the Office of Responsible AI’s planning and prioritization processes. Leveraging the infrastructure maintained by our central coordination teams, you and your team will develop materials and training to equip and empower our Global Government Affairs colleagues in their local policy advocacy on responsible AI issues.  
  •  Advocacy. The Director of Public Policy will be called upon to represent Microsoft externally on a range of issues at the intersection of responsible AI and regulation, which include participation in targeted working groups and initiatives. The successful candidate will spend time speaking in public fora. You will also be expected to contribute to publications, blogs, and whitepapers.  
  • People Management. The Director of Public Policy is an exemplary leader, who embodies our culture and values and delivers success through modeling, coaching, and caring. You have a track record of high ethical standards, unquestioned integrity, and a steadfast commitment to advancing the company’s diversity and inclusion commitments. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications   

  • Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Law or a related field AND 4+ years’ experience of working in technology, highly-regulated fields such as finance or healthcare, or government on the development of new regulatory concepts and public policy positions to address complex and rapidly evolving issues at the intersection of technology, law, ethics, and society 
  • OR 6+ years’ experience of working in technology, highly-regulated fields such as finance or healthcare, or government on the development of new regulatory concepts and public policy positions to address complex and rapidly evolving issues at the intersection of technology, law, ethics, and society 
  • At least 3 years of people or team management experience with a track record of delivering success through empowerment and accountability by modeling, coaching, and caring.  

Additional Qualifications 

  •  Responsible AI Experience. Experience in the domain of responsible AI is valued highly. Applicants should have a demonstrated ability to identify existing and emerging sociotechnical issues in the development and deployment of AI technologies and be able to design effective public policy strategies to address them. 
  •  Regulatory Experience. Experience in crafting regulatory responses for new and emerging domains is valued highly. A deep knowledge of regulatory frameworks and public policy levers around the globe will be critical to success in this role.  
  •  Stakeholder Engagement: A proven track record of being able to engage and influence a variety of stakeholders, both within and outside Microsoft.  Applicants should have a desire to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment that includes researchers and practitioners from computer science, statistics, social sciences, humanities, and other fields. At least 3 years of experience working in or with a large, matrixed organization. 
  •  Communication Skills: Highly developed written and oral communication skills.  Proven experience as an external presenter. Must be able to proactively advance company positions through high impact engagement in small and/or large group settings. 
  •  Collaboration: A strong record of being an effective team player dedicated to collective successes. The ability to promote cooperation and solve problems in a timely, creative, and professional manner. 
  •  Agility: The ability to navigate ambiguity and adapt to rapidly changing environments and demands.  
  •  Growth Mindset: A strong record of experimentation, learning from both successes and failures.   

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits and Perks

  • Industry leading healthcare
  • Giving programs
  • Maternity and paternity leave
  • Discounts on products and services
  • Savings and investments
  • Educational resources
  • Opportunities to network and connect
  • Generous time away
Similar Opportunities