Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
Government affairs roles are increasingly central to the SaaS ecosystem as software providers face evolving state-level scrutiny on AI, data use, and technology procurement. This position stands out because it sits at the intersection of product impact and public policy, translating how an AI platform is built and deployed into credible engagement with policymakers across multiple Northeast jurisdictions. The regional remit also reflects how SaaS companies operationalize policy work beyond Washington, aligning state and local developments with broader regulatory trajectories.
For a SaaS career, the long-term value is the chance to build durable, cross-functional fluency. The work naturally requires synthesizing technical concepts, risk considerations, and stakeholder needs into practical positions that internal teams can act on. Experience coordinating with research and engineering counterparts, managing external partners, and shaping policy documents becomes portable across SaaS companies navigating compliance, trust, and market access challenges.
This role fits professionals who prefer structured relationship-building alongside high-accountability execution, and who enjoy balancing long-range strategy with near-term engagements. It will suit someone comfortable representing a technology company in public forums, maintaining judgment under ambiguity, and working across a distributed set of stakeholders where travel and preparation are part of the operating rhythm.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
About the Team
OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. Achieving that goal requires effective engagement with public policy stakeholders and the broader community impacted by AI. Our Global Affairs team builds authentic, collaborative relationships with public officials and the policymaking community to inform and support our shared work. We ensure that insights from policymakers inform our efforts and – in collaboration with colleagues and external stakeholders – advance regulation, industry standards, and the safe, beneficial development of AI tools.
About the Role
As a State Government Affairs Lead, Northeast Region, you will be part of a team leading OpenAI’s engagement with state and local governments across the Northeast, including New York, Pennsylvania, and other key states throughout the region.
Reporting to the Head of U.S. State Policy and Partnerships, you will develop and maintain relationships with elected officials, agency leaders, local government representatives, and other key stakeholders across your assigned states. You will serve as a primary representative of OpenAI’s policy interests in the Northeast and help shape regional strategies that advance OpenAI’s broader policy goals and mission.
OpenAI releases industry-leading research and tools, and you will face new challenges as the impact of cutting-edge generative AI technologies continues to be explored and as the needs of the organization evolve. Day-to-day work may include shaping strategic initiatives and policy documents, preparing OpenAI leaders for engagements with government officials, and representing OpenAI in private and public forums across the region.
You will also collaborate with civil society and industry partners, and advise internal teams on state and local-level opportunities, risks, and policy developments. Your work will span strategic advocacy, regulatory engagement, stakeholder coordination, and policy development, with a focus on building durable relationships and executing thoughtful engagement strategies across the Northeast.
We are looking for a self-directed and creative individual with significant state government advocacy experience, experience managing private sector and civil society relationships, and a sophisticated understanding of AI-related legislative and regulatory issues and processes. Technical knowledge related to generative AI models is highly desirable.
This role will require frequent travel throughout the Northeast region to participate in meetings, events, and engagements with key stakeholders. We offer relocation assistance to new employees.
You should thrive in this role if you:
Are deeply familiar with state and local government policies and processes, particularly those impacting AI, energy, infrastructure, and emerging technologies.
Are a strategic coalition builder and campaign manager who thrives on cross-functional collaboration and public-private partnerships.
Are highly organized, accountable, and capable of leading complex campaigns and initiatives across multiple stakeholders.
Are passionate about responsible AI adoption and its intersection with economic growth, energy systems, and infrastructure development.
You might thrive in this role if you:
Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the U.S. political system, institutions, and processes – particularly state governments – and the key policy issues and debates related to AI
Experience advocating at the state government level
Experience managing consultants at the state level
Strong experience in technology policy
Track record of effectively working with cross-functional teams, especially engineering and research teams, and aligning a diverse range of internal and external partners
Sound judgment and outstanding personal integrity
Ability to execute in fast and flexible environments through rapid cycles of analysis, decision, and action
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex technical and policy concepts to diverse audiences
Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and project management skills
Genuine care and knowledge about the impact of technology on society
Previous work on AI issues and technical AI development expertise a significant 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.
Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. 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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