Member of Technical Staff (AI Policy and Strategic Initiatives)
At a glance
Senior Software Engineering role at Perplexity. San Francisco · full-time · $220,000–$405,000 base.
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Use AI agents to investigate consequential policy and regulatory questions affecting Perplexity
- Build tools to capture, rank and patent inventions alongside AI researchers and intellectual property lawyers
- Support high-tech federal litigation with the legal team and external counsel
- Develop privacy and compliance systems, and software for recruiting, labor compliance and performance management
- Prepare regulatory submissions and explain AI systems in discussions with government and civil society representatives
What you bring
- Strong software engineering ability that meets the company’s bar for engineering hires
- Fluency using advanced AI tools, such as Perplexity Computer
- Clear writing and communication, supported ideally by examples of your past work
- Sound judgment, discretion and a willingness to learn unfamiliar areas quickly
Who this fits
This role suits engineers interested in law, policy or economics, as well as lawyers or economists with current engineering skills. You’ll work closely with senior leaders across technical and nontechnical initiatives. If you plan to pursue law school or a PhD, the role requires at least a two-year commitment.
From the employer
Perplexity is seeking an intrepid Member of Technical Staff to take on one of the AI industry's most unique engineering roles. You'll work directly with Perplexity's senior leadership to spearhead a broad portfolio of strategic technology initiatives across policy, law, operations, and corporate affairs.
As a Member of Technical Staff in the Policy & Strategic Initiatives group, you'll occupy a front-row seat to the foremost policy issues animating the AI ecosystem. You'll also get a panoptic view of how leading AI companies operate, make decisions, and engage with broader society.
Those seeking to marry technical expertise and broader interests in law, policy, and corporate affairs will find a home in this role. You'll make contributions to Perplexity that defy traditional boundaries, with a bench of mentors who will push you to learn and grow day after day.
What you'll do:
Your work will be both highly interdisciplinary and firmly grounded in engineering rigor. On any given day, you might:
Harness AI agents to research high-stakes policy and regulatory issues pertaining to Perplexity.
Build automated platforms for harvesting, prioritizing, and patenting Perplexity's inventions, in collaboration with our AI researchers and intellectual property attorneys.
Work hands-on with our Legal team and outside counsel in support of high-tech litigation matters in U.S. federal court.
Engineer privacy and compliance systems that efficiently scale with our growing portfolio of frontier AI products (such as Comet and Computer).
Contribute to regulatory filings and responses that require impeccable command of AI technology, Perplexity's own systems, and the broader policy landscape.
Embed with our People team to implement first-party software solutions for recruiting, labor compliance, and performance management.
Participate in meetings with Capitol Hill, executive branch officials, international partners, and civil society as a subject-matter expert on both AI technology and policy.
The above is a small sampling of activities; no two days will be the same, and your work will take you to all corners of our company. You'll interact each day with Perplexity's senior leaders, who will come to rely on you as a creative problem solver for simple and complex matters alike.
Who we're looking for:
No single profile defines our ideal candidate for this role. Here are some examples of people who might thrive here:
Exceptionally talented early-career engineers (new grads welcome) who are (1) well-read in law, tech policy, or economics, and (2) wish to grow in both technical and non-technical disciplines.
We welcome candidates who plan to attend law school or PhD programs in the future; we ask for a minimum 2-year commitment (i.e., you would apply for the entering class of 2028 or later).
Experienced engineers at top tech companies who wish to develop policy, business, and operations chops.
Lawyers or economists (new JD or PhD grads welcome) who've kept their engineering skills sharp and are excited to reimagine their fields in the age of AI.
This is a non-exhaustive list; other profiles may also be great fits.
No matter which profile describes you, we'll also be looking for:
Evidence of exceptional ability and 99th-percentile work ethic.
Strong technical skills at or above Perplexity's hiring bar for software engineers.
Fluency with frontier intelligence tools (such as Perplexity Computer).
High intrinsically-enforced standards for the craft and quality of your work.
Strong communication and writing skills, ideally demonstrated via samples of past written work product.
Curiosity and excitement about new and unfamiliar fields; eagerness to redefine your job every 3-6 months.
Ability to quickly dive deep in any given field and develop mastery rivaling that of domain experts.
Unimpeachable judgment, integrity, and discretion to be entrusted with the company's most important matters.
A service-oriented attitude that continually questions how company systems and processes might better serve stakeholders.
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