Head of Policy Communications
New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA
About Anthropic
Anthropic's mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.
About the Role
We are seeking an exceptional Head of Policy Communications to lead our strategic communications efforts across critical policy areas. This senior leadership role will oversee communications strategy for federal, state, and local policy, societal impacts, safeguards, responsible scaling, security, legal and regulatory issues, and more. You will be responsible for crafting and executing sophisticated communications strategies that shape public understanding of AI policy issues while navigating complex issues and stakeholder landscapes. As Head of Policy Communications, you will serve as a key strategic advisor to Anthropic's leadership team and cross‑functional partners, managing high‑stakes communications in one of the most rapidly evolving and consequential technology sectors. This role demands exceptional judgement, strategic vision, and the ability to translate complex technical and policy concepts into compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences including press, policymakers, regulators, media, policy influencers, and the general public.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute comprehensive policy communications strategies that advance Anthropic's mission and policy objectives
- Lead communications for federal, state, and local policy initiatives, ensuring cohesive messaging
- Oversee strategic narratives around societal impacts of AI, trust and safety measures, responsible scaling policies, legal and regulatory issues, and security frameworks
- Serve as senior communications counsel to C‑suite executives and cross‑functional partners including policy, legal, societal impacts, and brand marketing
- Build and maintain relationships with key policy stakeholders, including press, government officials, think tanks, and policy influencers
Crisis & Issues Management
- Lead rapid response communications during crises and for issues requiring strategic guidance on tight timelines
- Oversee comprehensive crisis communications playbooks for policy‑related scenarios
- Navigate sensitive communications around AI safety incidents, regulatory investigations, and policy debates
- Partner with legal, policy, and security teams to ensure aligned messaging during high‑stakes situations
Team & Program Management
- Build and lead a high‑performing policy communications team
- Collaborate with corporate communications, product communications, and brand marketing teams to ensure integrated messaging
Stakeholder Engagement
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with top‑tier policy and technology journalists
- Develop strategies for engaging with diverse stakeholder groups including civil society, academia, and industry partners
- Lead communications efforts for major policy announcements, regulatory submissions, and public commitments
- Represent Anthropic in policy forums, industry associations, media partnerships, and multi‑stakeholder initiatives
Must‑Have Qualifications
- 15+ years of progressive experience in policy communications, public affairs, or related fields
- Proven track record leading communications at senior levels in complex, regulated industries
- Deep expertise in federal and state government relations and policy communications
- Exceptional crisis management experience with demonstrated ability to navigate high‑stakes, time‑sensitive situations
- Strong relationships with policy media, including technology policy, AI / ML, and regulatory beat reporters
- Experience communicating about complex technical topics to non‑technical audiences
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with meticulous attention to detail
- Proven ability to build and lead high‑performing teams
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in AI, technology policy, or emerging technology sectors
- Background in national security, cybersecurity, or critical infrastructure communications
- Experience with international policy communications and global stakeholder management
- Track record of successful congressional testimony preparation and support
- Experience working with or within government agencies
- Understanding of AI ethics, safety, and governance frameworks
- Experience managing communications through regulatory investigations or enforcement actions
Compensation
Annual Salary: $400,000 – $400,000 USD
Additional Information
Education requirements: We require at least a Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
Location-based hybrid policy: Currently, we expect all staff to be in one of our offices at least 25% of the time. However, some roles may require more time in our offices.
Visa sponsorship: We sponsor visas and will make every reasonable effort to secure a visa if an offer is made.
We encourage you to apply even if you feel you may not meet every single qualification. We value diverse perspectives and aim to include a range of perspectives on our team.
How we're different: We believe that the highest‑impact AI research will be big science. Anthropic works as a single cohesive team on a few large‑scale research efforts that advance our long‑term goals of steerable, trustworthy AI.
The easiest way to understand our research directions is to read our recent research on GPT‑3, Circuit‑Based Interpretability, Multimodal Neurons, Scaling Laws, AI & Compute, Concrete Problems in AI Safety, and Learning from Human Preferences.
Anthropic is a public benefit corporation headquartered in San Francisco. We offer competitive compensation and benefits, optional equity donation matching, generous vacation and parental leave, flexible working hours, and a lovely office space to collaborate.
Guidance on Candidates' AI Usage: Learn about our policy for using AI.