Program Manager, National Security Policy Operations

OpenAI is seeking a highly organized and skilled Program Manager, National Security Policy Operations to join the Global Affairs team, reporting directly to Sasha Baker, who leads the National Security Policy team. This is a hands-on program management role focused on running the planning, coordination, and execution systems that enable the team to operate effectively. This role may be based in San Francisco or Washington, DC. It will require travel as necessary, and we offer relocation assistance to new employees.

Responsibilities

Run portfolio planning and team operations, including intake, workplans, milestones, owners, dependencies, risks, and progress reporting; Build and maintain lightweight, repeatable operating systems for planning, meeting cadences, knowledge management, decision logs, and centralized tracking; Own the team's program metrics and central tracking of commitments, owners, deadlines, dependencies, decisions, and follow-up; Coordinate policy deliverables and external engagements from planning through follow-up, including briefing packages, talking points, visits, convenings, and action item tracking; Own operational management of the team's contractors and consultants, coordinating onboarding, scopes of work, deliverables, contract renewals, invoices, and offboarding; Coordinate across Global Affairs, Research, Safety, Security, Product Policy, Legal, Communications, and OpenAI for Government to manage dependencies, surface decisions, and advance shared priorities; Continuously improve the team's operating model through feedback loops, retrospectives, and the use of AI, automation, and lightweight tooling

Requirements

5+ years of relevant experience in program management, project management, policy operations, strategic operations, chief of staff, government program delivery, or related roles; Experience coordinating complex work across multiple stakeholders and building practical systems that help teams deliver; A track record of independently driving complex cross-functional programs from scoping through delivery, managing stakeholders, dependencies, and risks while building durable systems and delivering measurable outcomes; Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills, with the ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative inputs into crisp decision materials, action plans, and executive-ready updates; The ability to understand strategic context while remaining hands-on in detailed execution, influence without formal authority, and exercise sound judgment and discretion in fast-moving, sensitive environments; Genuine care for the impact of AI on national security, democratic institutions, and society

Nice to have

Experience supporting policy, government, national security, or technical teams; Familiarity with areas such as frontier risk, cybersecurity, biosecurity, critical infrastructure, defense and intelligence applications, or technical AI governance; Formal project or program management certification

Benefits

Relocation assistance for new employees