Arena Careers

Position Summary

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that exists to make California’s policies stronger with science and technology. As part of its program portfolio, CCST offers science residency opportunities placing technical experts in state government.

CCST is advertising for a Science Advisor to be placed in the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). This position will support evidence-based decision-making at the highest levels of California’s AI governance efforts and establish a new partnership for improving AI safety with the best available science and technology. A Science Advisor is the most senior level of embedded technical expert in state government. More junior roles in the AI Science Residency Program will be advertised shortly.

Modeled after the position of Science Advisor to the President via the White House Office of Science Technology Policy (OSTP), the Science Advisor will support and advise CalOES on AI policy, safety, governance, and adoption issues. The Science Advisor will work with science and technology leads from within and beyond the State government. This position builds upon the depth and breadth of science and technology expertise within the placement office. The Science Advisor also helps to support executive-level efforts on cross-cutting issues by drawing upon an independent science perspective from external expertise when appropriate.

This position will be formally employed by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) – a non-partisan, nonprofit organization established by the Legislature in 1988 with the goal of connecting leading experts in science and technology with California state policymakers – and placed in CalOES on a full-time basis via a formal memorandum of understanding between CCST and the placement office. The Science Advisor will be part of the placement office’s senior staff and participate in senior staff meetings.

Description of Responsibilities

The Science Advisor to CalOES will serve as technical advisor on state-level AI policy and governance issues, in particular, recent legislation relating to AI safety, transparency, catastrophic risk management, critical safety incidents, and other AI policy issues. It is critical that the Science Advisor be highly regarded and trusted as an honest broker by leaders from industry, academia, communities, and the public sector.

This position requires an ability to exercise a broad range of knowledge on technical, executive management, political, and governmental issues. The Science Advisor must also be adept at communicating complex ideas in a clear and concise manner and be well-versed in diplomacy. Success in this position will depend greatly on the Science Advisor’s ability to build and maintain partnerships across the breadth of disciplines and communities represented by CalOES.

See the full job description here: https://ccst.us/ai-advisor-caloes/

Apply for this position by submitting a cover letter and CV through our online portal, including names and contact information of 3 professional references.

URL: https://www.tfaforms.com/5217955

The cover letter should explain:

Interest in the position and placement office

Degree and years of experience in relevant fields and positions

Fit between the candidate’s skills and the desired qualifications (including examples from prior experience)

Please consider answering the voluntary questions on demographic data and where you learned about this position – this information helps us understand how we can continue to improve our recruitment processes to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workforce.

The California Council on Science and Technology is an equal opportunity employer. We make hiring decisions based on qualifications, merit, and our organization’s business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran status, pregnancy, or any such status protected under federal, state, or local law.