Vice President of State Government Affairs

Overview

Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is seeking a Vice President of State Government Affairs to build and lead a new state advocacy operation. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, the VP of State Government Affairs will establish ARI’s presence in state capitals across the country, defend against harmful AI legislation, and advance responsible AI policy at the state level. The VP will hire and lead a team of regional Directors of Government Affairs and manage a national network of contract lobbyists.

About Us

ARI is a 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 Role

Major AI companies and allied industry groups have moved aggressively into state capitals, backed by substantial lobbying operations and political spending. State legislators, who typically have limited staff and little independent technology policy expertise, are frequently presented with industry-drafted legislation and few alternatives.

ARI is building a state operation to meet that challenge. The VP of State Government Affairs will lead it. The role has two mandates. The first, and primary, is defensive: work with policy staff and lobbyists to monitor legislation across all fifty states, identify industry-friendly and preemption-oriented bills early, and intervene where it matters. The second is proactive: advance sound state legislation in the issue areas where ARI already has expertise.

The VP will set the annual fifty-state strategy, hire and manage four Regional Directors of Government Affairs, and represent ARI to national bodies including NCSL, CSG, NGA, and state legislative leadership. We are looking for someone who has built or run a multi-state program before and wants to apply that experience to one of the most consequential technology policy questions of the decade.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Set and own ARI’s annual fifty-state advocacy plan—which states we defend, where we advance legislation, and what we decline to pursue.
• Recruit, hire, and lead a distributed team of four regional Directors of Government Affairs.
• Work closely with the federal government affairs team so that state activity strengthens ARI’s federal advocacy, and the reverse.

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, bias and discrimination, and data centers and energy.
• Recruit and support state legislators willing to engage federal policymakers in opposition to sweeping preemption of state AI law.
• Hold and manage a contract lobbying budget, including retaining, directing, and evaluating contract lobbyists in key states.

External Relationships

• Represent ARI to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the National Governors Association, and state legislative leadership.
• Build relationships with state attorneys general offices, 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

Required

• 10+ years of experience in government affairs, advocacy, or government, including at least 5 years leading multi-state advocacy work.
• A demonstrated record of building or running a state government affairs program—at an advocacy organization, trade association, corporation, or comparable setting.
• Direct experience retaining and managing contract lobbyists across multiple states.
• Substantive knowledge of 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.
• Management experience, including hiring and retaining a geographically distributed team.
• Passion for the responsible governance of AI and emerging technology, and alignment with ARI’s mission and values.
• 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

This is a full-time position based in Washington, DC. ARI maintains a flexible hybrid work schedule (working in-person Tuesday–Thursday and remote on Monday and Friday). Relocation assistance may be available. This role requires substantial travel, concentrated during state legislative sessions.

The salary range for this role is $300,000–$350,000, commensurate with experience.

ARI offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Healthcare insurance: 85% of healthcare, vision, and dental insurance premiums are covered for employees, partners, and dependents.
• Discretionary PTO and ~20 office holidays, including all Federal holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with 6% Employer Match.
• 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 to all new full-time employees for home office set-up expenses.
• Professional Development Stipend: Up to $2,500 annually to be used towards building new knowledge and skills.
• 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.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Dependent Care FSA, Medical FSA, Transit FSA, and Parking FSA.

How to Apply

To apply, please complete this application form. Please submit:

• Resume.
• A Cover Letter, which can be just a few sentences, introducing who you are, what makes you a fit for the role, and includes a brief description of a multi-state advocacy program you have built.

Anticipated Hiring Process

We plan to use the following steps for this hiring process. 

1. Application Review: Our team will review submitted applications and make a decision on who to move forward to the next step of the process.
2. Hiring Manager Interview: Virtual 1:1 conversation with the SVP of Government Affairs. At this stage, you will also be asked to provide a work sample showing how you’ve set strategy for a multi-state program in the past.
3. Government Affairs Panel Interview: In-person conversation at our office with members of the Government Affairs team.
4. Cross-Departmental Panel Interview: In-person conversation at our office with colleagues from Communications, Policy, and Operations.
5. Final Interview: In-person 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.

Referral Bonus

Know a great fit for any roles for which we’re hiring? We value your network and will reward non-employees 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 for any role at the Director and Vice President level, and $1,500 for all other positions.

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., W9) 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.