Hiring: Vice President of State Government Affairs Company: Americans for Responsible Innovation Location: Washington, DC Job Posted Time: 2026-09-15 14:39:44 Employment Type: Full-time / Remote Target Skills & Keywords : AI About the job Experience: •10+ years of experience in government affairs, advocacy, or government, including at least 5 years leading multi-state advocacy work. •At least 5 years leading multi-state advocacy work. Required Skills: •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. •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. •Lead rapid-response advocacy when harmful bills are moving, including direct lobbying in state capitals. •Actively facilitate and support 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. Qualifications: •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. •Service as a state legislator, legislative staff director, governor’s legislative director, or in a comparable state role. •Operational familiarity with AI policy and the current state and federal legislative landscape. Compensation: •$300,000 - $350,000 / year Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!