AI Strategist

AIR seeks an AI Strategist to join its AI initiatives team. This mid-level role is designed for someone with a track record of building partnerships, developing external communications, and contributing to strategy in an applied or mission-driven setting-and who brings substantive knowledge of AI's implications across sectors. The primary focus of this role is building and sustaining relationships, developing thought leadership, and supporting the growth of AIR's AI portfolio.

The ideal candidate is a strong communicator and relationship-builder who can translate complex AI-related developments into strategic insights and compelling materials. This role requires both strategic thinking and execution-someone equally comfortable developing a concept note and managing the logistics of an expert convening.

This is a time-limited position expected to last 24 months. The selected candidate will work full-time on AIR's AI initiatives, supporting partnership development, market intelligence, and business development efforts, with potential for extension at AIR's discretion and continued business need.

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

Partnership Development and External Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with practitioners, researchers, funders, government agencies, and technology organizations aligned with AIR's AI priorities.
• Lead or co-lead outreach to potential partners, collaborators, and sector experts across multiple domains with the goal of advancing relationships toward defined collaboration or funding opportunities.
• Develop and deliver materials for partnership meetings and external engagements that reflect partner needs, market context, and potential pathways to collaboration or funding, including concept notes, briefings, and proposals.
• Represent AIR at conferences, convenings, and other external engagements related to AI, human development, and public systems to build relationships, gather market intelligence, and identify follow-on opportunities.
• Contribute to the development and execution of sector-tailored outreach and engagement strategies.

Communications and Thought Leadership

• Draft and develop high-quality external communications, including white papers, blog posts, research briefs, and presentations tied to AIR's AI work.
• Support AIR's AI communications plan, including conference preparation, publications pipeline, and social media engagement.
• Contribute to early-stage concept design and proposal shaping, helping position AIR for mission-aligned funding opportunities based on partner needs, market signals, and competitive context.

Market Analysis and Strategy

• Monitor the AI landscape across social sectors, and translate insights into strategic recommendations that inform AIR's external positioning and engagement priorities.
• Identify emerging opportunities, risks, and market signals, including opportunities for partnership development, funding, and strategic collaboration.
• Conduct partner profiling and competitive intelligence to inform AIR's approach to sector engagement and positioning and support opportunity prioritization and capture planning.

Network and Operations Support

• Contribute to the launch and ongoing operation of sector-specific AI evidence generation networks, including coordinating expert convenings, communities of practice, and cross-network learning activities.
• Support operational systems that enable the team to track partners, manage business development opportunities, and maintain proposal materials.
• Help identify and track AI-related business development opportunities, including supporting opportunity qualification, prioritization, and coordination of inputs for proposal development.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree with a minimum of 4 years; or Ph.D. with a minimum of 3 years of experience in social sciences, public policy, education, technology, communications, or a related field.
• Substantive knowledge of AI and its implications across sectors.
• Experience contributing to partnership development, external engagement, or strategy initiatives in a nonprofit, government, academic, or philanthropic setting.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with partners, clients, or stakeholders across sectors.
• Experience supporting or contributing to proposals, funding applications, or business development efforts, including early-stage opportunity shaping, partner engagement, or positioning activities.
• Experience conducting market analysis, partner landscape assessment, or competitive intelligence activities to inform strategy or external engagement.

Skills

• Strong ability to translate data, research, and technical AI concepts into actionable guidance that informs external positioning, partner engagement, or business development efforts.
• Ability to identify and interpret market signals, partner needs, and competitive dynamics, and translate insights into actionable engagement or proposal strategies.
• Effective communication skills, with experience developing high-quality external materials.
• Proficiency using AI tools to synthesize information, draft content, analyze data, or improve efficiency in day-to-day work.
• Ability to apply sound judgment when interpreting AI-generated outputs. * Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams in an evolving environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating closely with team leadership.
• Commitment to AIR's mission of generating evidence and applying data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locks, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender,gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at View email address on click.appcast.io or call View phone number on click.appcast.io.

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AIR's Total Rewards Program, is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

Anticipated Annual Salary Range $115,000—$140,000 USD