Job Description

Job Type:

Regular

Associate General Counsel, AI, Biosecurity, & Emerging Technologies

RAND’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is seeking an attorney to serve as the legal lead for some of the most consequential work happening at the intersection of AI, biosecurity, and national security. In this role, you would be the primary legal partner for RAND’s Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) and the person our technical teams turn to as they tackle novel, fast-moving challenges where the precedent is thin and the stakes are high.

This is a hands-on role for someone with an operator’s mindset—comfortable reasoning through legal ambiguity, owning problems end to end, and building legal infrastructure from the ground up. You will report directly to RAND’s Vice President & General Counsel and have significant autonomy to shape how we approach emerging legal questions that often have no playbook.

You might be especially well suited to this role if you have advised teams inside a national security or government setting, have experience using AI tools to deliver timely and accurate legal advice, and are energized—not daunted—by work that sits at the frontier of law and technology.

About RAND OGC

We are intellectually curious, creative legal professionals who are tireless advocates for RAND and its mission. Our attorneys are highly skilled in particular legal disciplines and continuously expand their capabilities to address the novel and complex issues confronting RAND. Even as RAND researchers leverage and evaluate the most advanced frontier AI capabilities in tackling the world’s most complex public policy challenges, our team has fully adopted leading edge AI legal tools to enhance and advance our legal services – with continuous exploration of new capabilities and a willingness to challenge longstanding assumptions and practices. We combine this with high levels of engagement across the organization and collaboration within the team and with the people we support, enabling us to confidently provide thoughtful, practical, and actionable advice at the speed of a fast-moving organization.

About CAST

RAND CAST's mission is to understand and address emerging threats to global security, in particular biosecurity and AI security. We believe that biotechnology and frontier AI will be among the most powerful and transformative technologies of the coming decades, and that addressing the risks that accompany them is one of today's most pressing challenges. CAST’s work focuses on understanding these threats and developing concrete solutions to counter them, from technical analysis through to engagement with the stakeholders positioned to act.

The Role

The primary responsibilities of this role include:

• Partnering with technical teams to structure and support active programs, develop operational guidelines, and work through novel legal questions at the intersection of national security, technology, and emerging capabilities;
• Drafting and negotiating agreements with government and research partners as well as industry, including research agreements, data-sharing and data-handling arrangements, licensing agreements, NDAs, and technology contracts;
• Counseling on technology transactions and emerging technology matters, including artificial intelligence, digital assets, data acquisition, data use, and related privacy considerations;
• Supporting engagement with U.S. Government and allied government partners, including work involving sensitive and classified information;
• Advising on information security matters and supporting the implementation of security protocols;
• Navigating national security law, export controls, and cross-jurisdictional questions—including personnel and operational considerations;
• Helping teams identify and mitigate legal risk, designing internal approval processes and governance frameworks, and working with stakeholders to implement solutions;
• Directing outside counsel as required; and
• Special projects as assigned by the General Counsel.

Other responsibilities may include:

• Advising and training on export control and trade compliance matters, including ITAR, EAR, and related regulatory frameworks applicable to RAND’s domestic and international activities, including AUKUS;
• Advising on intellectual property matters, including IP strategy, protection of RAND’s IP assets, patents, and negotiation of IP-related provisions in research and commercial agreements; and
• Other areas of RAND's work aligned with your skills and interests.

Qualifications

The requirements for this role are as follows:

Required:

• At least nine (9) years of experience as a practicing attorney, with substantive experience advising on technology matters, emerging technology issues, or national security-adjacent legal questions—whether in a government, in-house, or law firm setting;
• Detail-oriented, works well under pressure, and has an affinity for RAND’s mission;
• Proven problem-solver who takes ownership of work, partners effectively with technical teams, and adapts quickly to new questions;
• Demonstrated ability to confidently provide sound judgment even in ambiguous situations;
• Collaborative, collegial, and skilled at building consensus with diverse professional groups;
• Willingness to take on novel legal issues that may be outside prior experience;
• Ability to identify priorities and adjust as necessary to meet unanticipated needs; and
• Ability to travel occasionally to other RAND offices (primarily in the U.S.).

Preferred / “Plus” Factors:

• Experience working in-house as an attorney for a technology company, research institution, or an intelligence or national security organization;
• Experience working for (or with) a non-profit organization;
• Familiarity with biosecurity, frontier AI, or related emerging technology domains;
• Substantive experience pertaining to any of the following:
• export control regulations (EAR, ITAR) or trade compliance programs;
• cybersecurity;
• federal government contracting, FAR/DFARS compliance, or government procurement matters;
• any of the “other responsibilities” described above.

RAND’s OGC roles tend to involve a unique combination of responsibilities – in our experience no candidate (even the ones we hire!) ever checks every single box. If you’re excited about this role, think you have what it takes, and are ready to learn, we encourage you to apply.

Education & Licensing

J.D. and licensed to practice law (in good standing).  If not licensed to practice law in the state of employment, must qualify under the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Rule 1A:5 or the requirements for Registered In-House Counsel for the State of California (as applicable).  Licensure in California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, D.C., or New York is a plus.

Security Clearance

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance and DHS Fitness. Accordingly, U.S. citizenship is required.

Location

This role is based in either RAND’s Arlington, VA (Washington DC area) office or Santa Monica, CA (Los Angeles area) headquarters and is eligible for RAND’s hybrid work environment. Candidates should expect to work from a RAND office about three days per week on average.

Salary Range: $205,700 - $328,900

RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate’s work experience, education/training, skills, expertise; and internal equity. The salary range includes base pay plus RAND’s sabbatic pay (which provides additional compensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more.

Equal Opportunity Employer