Energy Policy Lead, Global Affairs

About the Team

OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We believe achieving this goal requires thoughtful engagement with public policy stakeholders and the broader community affected by AI. Our Global Affairs team builds trusted, collaborative relationships with public officials and the broader policymaking ecosystem to inform and support the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies. We ensure that insights from policymakers and communities guide our priorities—and we work with external partners to shape the regulatory and policy landscape for safe and beneficial AI.

As part of this work, our energy-related policy and advocacy efforts are increasingly vital. Our infrastructure initiatives implicate important discussions about energy generation and consumption, sustainability, and coordination with government and utility stakeholders. We are building out our capacity to engage deeply in these areas.

About the Role

As the Energy Policy Lead on OpenAI’s Global Affairs team, you will support OpenAI’s infrastructure goals by developing policy proposals, collaborating with third party industry and advocacy organizations, and communicating with regulators and government officials. You will be responsible for shaping OpenAI’s positions and advocacy efforts on a range of topics, including energy generation and consumption, renewable energy markets, grid reliability, interconnection and permitting, and infrastructure sustainability.

Internal collaboration is as essential to this role as external engagement. You will work closely with cross-functional teams – including our infrastructure, federal, and state teams – to ensure alignment between policy strategy, technical deployment, and OpenAI’s values. You will build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including U.S. federal and state energy agencies (e.g., DOE, FERC, PUCs), regional grid operators (e.g., ERCOT), utilities, advocates, and clean energy partners.

This role will include direct advocacy and thought leadership, as well as advising internal and external partners on energy-related regulatory and policy developments. While a primary geographic focus is the United States, you will also play a key role in supporting energy policy strategy in international contexts, in partnership with regional policy leads.

You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• Are deeply knowledgeable about energy policy, infrastructure permitting, and clean energy transition issues.
  

• Have experience working with government energy agencies or regulators at the federal, state, and regional level.
  

• Are an effective cross-functional collaborator, capable of translating technical infrastructure needs into clear and actionable policy strategies and campaigns.
  

• Are excited by the opportunity to work at the intersection of AI and energy, and to help build frameworks for responsible infrastructure growth.
  

• Are a strong communicator who can engage diverse audiences—from engineers to government officials to civil society groups.
  

• Are a strategic thinker, able to identify emerging issues and shape proactive approaches to policy and partnership development.
  

We’re looking for a blend of:

• 10-15+ years of experience in energy policy, infrastructure, or sustainability roles, including within government, utilities, energy firms, or mission-driven organizations.
  

• Demonstrated expertise in at least several of the following areas: grid reliability, interconnection, permitting and siting, energy markets, federal/state regulatory processes, clean energy transitions, or utility engagement.
  

• Experience engaging directly with U.S. energy regulators (DOE, FERC, EPA, PUCs), utilities, or RTOs/ISOs (such as ERCOT).
  

• Strong understanding of the policy implications of energy use associated with AI and high-density compute infrastructure.
  

• Prior experience working across teams (e.g., infrastructure, legal, communications, partnerships) to develop coordinated strategies.
  

• Exceptional judgment, integrity, and the ability to represent OpenAI in high-stakes external forums.
  

• Familiarity with international energy policy or interest in extending expertise to global contexts is a plus.

About OpenAI

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

For additional information, please see OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

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