Program & Research Lead, AI, Labor, & Economy (Fixed Term)

Role Summary

PAI is seeking a Program & Research Lead, AI, Labor & Economy, to join our team as a full-time, fixed-term employee through December 15, 2027. This is a benefits-eligible employee position with a defined end date. The ideal candidate will bring strong project management, research, and partnership management experience, with a demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

PAI is building the foundational research agenda and data needed to understand the labor and economic impacts of AI in the United States and globally. Working alongside major AI companies and international development organizations, this work aims to turn fragmented, proprietary AI usage data into harmonized insights that answer high-priority questions identified by key stakeholder groups. Over the course of 2026, PAI convened a series of stakeholder workshops with representatives from labor groups and unions, K-12 and postsecondary education, workforce training systems, and safety net and human services providers; those consultations surfaced an emerging, prioritized set of research questions about AI use, adoption, and impact.

Reporting to the Head of AI, Labor, & Economy, this role supports the next phase of that work: validating and building support for the emerging research agenda, developing an understanding of what data and indicators beyond AI usage data could answer key stakeholder questions about the labor and economic impacts of AI, working with stakeholders to understand how potential new AI adoption and usage data sources meet their needs and what gaps remain, authoring public outputs for a range of audiences, and ensuring this work informs the design of a global measurement effort, related efforts, and the broader field. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The Program & Research Lead is someone who can manage complex projects across diverse stakeholder groups, plan and deliver virtual and in-person consultations/workshops (typically 1-2 hours in length), and lead and author written outputs with minimal supervision, contributing analytical and substantive expertise to program outputs.

Content Leadership & Expertise

• Apply substantive expertise to validate and build support for PAI's emerging AI, Labor & Economy U.S. research agenda. Identify what data beyond AI usage data could answer key stakeholder questions and improve their decision-making. In collaboration with others, develop a stakeholder-informed global research agenda of prioritized needs.
  
  
  
• Lead the execution of clear, accessible written outputs for a range of audiences, including U.S. labor groups and unions, K-12 and postsecondary education systems, workforce training systems, and safety net and human services providers.
  
  
  
• Represent stakeholder priorities in discussions with technical and international partners, including reviewing in-progress work and designing a bounded process for gathering stakeholder feedback on it.
  
  
  
• Ensure this work informs the design of a global AI labor-impact measurement effort and the broader field.

Program Operations & Project Management

• Own project management for complex deliverables with multiple workstreams, ensuring timelines are met and stakeholder input is integrated appropriately. Lead select projects from ideation to execution and post-project impact assessment.
• Lead end-to-end planning and execution of small group virtual consultations with stakeholders and external experts to validate, develop and build support for research agenda. Partner with colleagues to plan and execute select in-person convenings including agenda design, pre-read materials, logistics and facilitation.
• Partner closely with colleagues across PAI teams to ensure Programs & Research work is aligned with organizational priorities and contributes to PAI’s shared goals. Maintain strong communication channels across the organization to ensure alignment and transparency.

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Lead, design and facilitate consultations that validate and pressure-test the research questions identified to date, or fill perspective gaps within sectors already consulted.
• Work collaboratively and conscientiously across PAI to lead the development of deeper partnerships with PAI’s Partnership network and other organizations bringing complementary expertise, skills and networks. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Partnership network and collaborating organizations and consultation participants to support their continued ownership of the work, in partnership with the Head of AILE and other colleagues. 
• Working with PAI’s Partnership Development team, support engagement with philanthropic partners by articulating program strategies, theory of change, and expected impact.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of relevant and progressively responsible experience at the intersection of AI, labor, and economics. 
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage concurrent workstreams and deliverables.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical and policy insights into accessible research, outputs, and messaging for diverse audiences; demonstrated experience producing written outputs such as reports or briefings for policy and practitioner audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to translate stakeholder input into research questions, measurement frameworks, or analytical priorities, and to work effectively with academic researchers and technical teams.
• Strong partnership management skills, including experience stewarding a project requiring complex coordination between multiple organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate and build trust and consensus in diverse multi-stakeholder settings, including convening stakeholders with differing perspectives and spanning multiple sectors to deliberate complex issues.
• Preferred candidates (candidates are not expected to have all of these qualities)
• • Substantive expertise in common sources of labor market and economic data (e.g., government survey or Census data, tax data, private payroll data), to support translation of stakeholder research questions into a research agenda by identifying potential data sources that could answer them.
  • Knowledge of, or direct experience working in, low and medium-income countries, or with international institutions such as but not limited to the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, OECD, or International Labor Organization is a plus.

PREFERRED LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

• Champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion both internally and externally.
• Selflessly models the ethical values of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work across sectors, including in industry, civil society and labor groups, advocacy, and academia
• Relationship and consensus-building skills, including experience managing coalitions and diverse communities
• Comfortable operating at (and pivoting between) high-level strategic vision and detailed, tactical execution

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Based in the US. 
• Willing and able to travel and work remotely.
• Comfortable working across time zones, including at times with international partners.

QUALITIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US

• Justice: Notices and addresses inequities, includes diverse perspectives, and acts fairly in decisions and collaboration.
• Trust: Communicates openly, follows through on commitments, and demonstrates reliability and integrity.
• Respect: Listens fully, values others’ time and contributions, and collaborates thoughtfully.
• Compassion: Shows empathy, patience, and care, especially when supporting colleagues or navigating challenges.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't meet every qualification listed. What matters most is your commitment to PAI’s mission and the potential you bring. We are actively interested in building a diverse pool of candidates and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

Compensation 

• PAI's compensation philosophy reflects our commitment to fairness and equity across our distributed team. Compensation is based on role level, experience, skills, geographic location, and internal equity considerations.
• This is a full-time, fixed-term employee position with an anticipated end date of December 15, 2027. Compensation is annualized, with actual earnings based on the employee's period of employment.

Benefits 

• PAI offers a generous paid leave and benefits package, currently including:
• • Twenty vacation days, three personal reflection days annually, along with sick and family leave above industry standards
  • High-quality PPO and HMO health insurance plans, many 100% covered by PAI
  • Dental and vision insurance, 100% covered by PAI
  • Up to a 7% 401(k) match, vested immediately
  • Automatic cell phone reimbursement ($75/month)
  • Regular team lunches and focused work days
  • Opportunities to attend AI-related conferences and to collaborate with our partners across industry, academia, and civil society

Location and Work Authorization

• PAI is a remote-first organization with a global membership base and scope. This role is eligible for remote work within the United States.
• Unless this job description names other eligible locations, this role is based in the United States, and candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor visas at this time.

PAI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  We celebrate diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment in all aspects of employment, including recruiting, hiring, promoting, training, professional development, social and recreational programs, compensation, benefits, transfers, discipline, and all privileges and conditions of employment.  Employment decisions at PAI are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.

PAI will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local fair chance hiring laws.

The Partnership on AI may become subject to certain governmental record keeping and reporting requirements for the administration of civil rights laws and regulations. We also track diversity in our workforce for the purpose of improving over time. In order to comply with these goals, the Partnership on AI invites employees to voluntarily self-identify their gender and race/ethnicity. Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not jeopardize or adversely affect employment or any consideration you may receive for employment or advancement. The information obtained will be kept confidential.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume.

Only complete applications will be reviewed.

The annualized compensation range for this role is $112,000 – $150,000 USD. 

PAI uses a geographic compensation structure with three U.S. pay zones. The posted range reflects compensation across all three zones, and an individual candidate's salary range will depend on their geographic location. Final compensation is determined based on role level, experience, skills, and internal equity considerations.