Executive Director - Youth AI Safety Institute

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Youth AI Safety Institute

ABOUT COMMON SENSE MEDIA

Common Sense Media is the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families. With a 23-year track record of protecting and preparing families for the digital age, it provides research-backed information, education, and an independent voice to help families thrive in the age of apps, algorithms, and AI. Its resources reach more than 150 million users globally, 1.5 million educators, and 100,000+ schools each year.

Launched in May 2026, the Youth AI Safety Institute is the first-of-its-kind independent AI safety lab focused exclusively on children. Modeled on crash-test ratings, the Institute establishes youth AI safety standards, builds open-source evaluations, independently tests consumer AI products, and publishes results for public accountability. Philanthropic funders include Lee Ainslie, Jim Coulter, John H.N. Fisher, Paul Tudor Jones, Gene Sykes, and the Walton Family Foundation; industry funders include Anthropic, the OpenAI Foundation, and Pinterest.

The Institute maintains full editorial independence over all standards, research, and published results.

LEARN MORE

Launch Press Release: commonsensemedia.org/press-releases/common-sense-media-launches-youth-ai-safety-institute
Youth AI Safety Institute: commonsense.org/ai

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Executive Director is the founding leader of the Youth AI Safety Institute-a mission-driven institution-builder who will launch a technically credible global institute and scale it into a trusted, field-level standard setter. This is a role for a leader already accomplished in their own right: deeply steeped in AI, possessed of genuine gravitas, and fully committed to protecting the next generation in the AI era. Managing a $20-25M annual operating budget, the Executive Director reports to the CEO of Common Sense Media and serves as a primary public face of the Institute alongside Common Sense Media's senior leadership. The ideal candidate brings two equally strong capabilities: (1) deep technical fluency to engage as a peer with frontier AI companies, tooling and evaluation providers, and leading researchers; and (2) exceptional convening ability to drive consensus on youth AI safety standards and hold industry accountable. This leader is a confident relationship-builder equally comfortable making tough calls, navigating conflicts of interest, and engaging the Board with candor.

POSITION DETAILS

Location: San Francisco, CA (Common Sense Media headquarters) Travel: Estimated 25-35% domestic and international
Reports To: CEO, Common Sense Media. Leads senior team across research, standards, evaluations, publishing, and public engagement; works closely with the Board of Advisors (liaison: Dr. Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General).
Compensation: Competitive compensation package between $250,000-$300,000 depending on experience.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Vision & Strategic Leadership. Own the Institute's multi-year strategy; make disciplined decisions on scope, cadence, and publication under sustained public and industry scrutiny.
• Research, Testing & Standards. Direct product testing, benchmarking, and research; oversee rigorous, reproducible AI safety standards and evaluation frameworks; publish findings-including uncomfortable ones-with full transparency.
• Public Leadership & Awareness. Serve as a primary public face of the Institute; drive industry accountability and translate findings for broad audiences through media, campaigns, and global convenings.
• Fundraising & Development. Lead closing of major philanthropic commitments; manage multi-year fund structures, funder governance, and supporter relationships.
• Talent, Team & Vendor Management. Recruit and retain exceptional staff; build a culture blending startup speed with standards-body rigor; manage vendors and make disciplined build-vs.-partner decisions.
• Industry & Stakeholder Engagement. Engage credibly at the highest levels with frontier AI labs, policymakers, and global regulatory bodies; drive consensus on and commitment to youth AI safety standards.
• Operational Oversight. Manage the $20-25M annual budget; oversee external research partners and technical evaluators with rigor and accountability.
• Board & Governance. Engage Board of Directors and Advisors effectively; uphold conflict-of-interest protocols and editorial independence; maintain durable public trust.

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

Required

• An accomplished, recognized leader in AI, technology, or public policy who brings existing credibility, gravitas, and a strong professional network.
• Deep, current fluency in AI-including large language models, evaluation methodologies, and AI safety frameworks- sufficient to engage as a peer with frontier AI labs.
• Demonstrated success building or scaling a research, standards, or advocacy organization; proven ability to recruit senior talent and manage a growing team and vendor ecosystem.
• Strong fundraising track record, including direct responsibility for closing major philanthropic commitments and managing multi-year funder relationships.
• Exceptional public communication skills; experience as a credible spokesperson with media, policymakers, the AI industry, and broad audiences.
• Comfortable making difficult calls, navigating conflicts of interest, and operating with transparency under scrutiny, including through credibility-testing events.
• Experience managing significant operating budgets, vendor ecosystems, and organizational operations.

Preferred

• Background in or engagement with children's health, youth development, education, or digital well-being.
• Experience with AI safety evaluation, red-teaming, adversarial testing, or benchmark development.
• Understanding of child safety standards and AI governance across international markets; experience with global regulatory bodies.
• Advanced degree (Ph.D., J.D., M.D., or equivalent) in computer science, public policy, public health, psychology, or a related discipline.

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS

1. Influencing & Collaboration

Builds trust and drives alignment across a complex, fragmented ecosystem of frontier AI companies, policymakers, researchers, funders, and civil society. Influences without direct authority, securing industry commitment to youth AI safety standards through credibility, relationship depth, and persuasive communication-not mandate.

2. Results Orientation

Sets ambitious, measurable goals and holds the Institute-and the industry-accountable to them. Publishes findings with rigor and transparency even when outcomes are inconvenient for powerful stakeholders. Makes hard calls on scope and cadence to reach milestones without sacrificing methodological integrity.

3. Strategic Planning & Vision

Manages a big-picture vision while translating it into concrete institutional priorities, operational plans, and funding strategies. Anticipates how the AI landscape will evolve and positions the Institute as a proactive, agenda-setting force-not a reactive one-in the global conversation on youth AI safety.

4. Institutional Credibility & Executive Presence

Arrives with a reputation that opens doors at the highest levels-frontier AI labs, government bodies, major philanthropies, and global media. Commands rooms and earns trust quickly, representing the Institute as a principled and authoritative voice in a space that is politically charged, technically complex, and deeply consequential for children.

5. Mission Alignment & Judgment Under Pressure

Demonstrates genuine belief in the mission-not as a career stop, but as a calling. Exercises sound judgment when navigating conflicts of interest, managing funder relationships, and making publication decisions that may invite pushback from industry or government. Stays anchored to the Institute's independence and public trust above all else.

Common Sense Media provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected classification or characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.