Governance Researcher (Expression of Interest)

ABOUT APOLLO RESEARCH

Apollo Research is a mission-driven startup committed to reducing the threats from scheming frontier AI systems. We work with and are trusted by every frontier AI lab. We do fundamental research, test their models before deployment, and collaborate with them on scheming mitigations.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Governance team conducts research and provides advice on the institutional, legal and strategic implications of AI scheming and loss of control threats, working closely alongside our Science of Scheming, Evaluations, and Monitoring teams. The Governance team works on a bet: that the governance, risk management and legal frameworks developed and implemented within and outside frontier labs in the next two years will contribute to determining our collective ability to stay in control of increasingly advanced AI systems. That means we focus on researching some of the hardest open problems in the field: scheming, loss of control, the governance of models deployed internally by frontier labs, and the imminent handoff of AI research and development to AIs themselves.

Our outputs include the loss of control chapter of the International AI Safety Report 2026, the landmark report AI Behind Closed Doors: A Primer on the Governance of Internal Deployment, The Loss of Control Playbook: Degrees, Dynamics, and Preparedness, a TIME op-ed with Yoshua Bengio, peer-reviewed work on precursory capabilities, AI incident regimes and National Security Benchmarks for Loss of Control presented at ICML, IASEAI and the UK AISI’s Conference on Frontier AI Safety Frameworks. We are routinely requested to brief members of governments on both sides of the Atlantic, including members of Congressional committees, the intelligence community and offices of Members of Congress. A portion of our work is non-public, written for decision makers across key nodes.

THE WORK

Our research team is empowered to conduct independent, high-quality research on the most consequential open questions raised by advanced AI and associated threats, shaping the conversation rather than executing against existing presets. Our current research priorities are threat modelling and mitigations for loss of control, the governance of internal deployment, and developing safe step changes towards automated AI R&D (with a particular interest in AI handoff).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to our research agenda within or adjacent to our priority areas, identifying neglected questions and developing them into rigorous outputs.
• Contribute to and support existing research streams, led by colleagues.
• Produce research across formats appropriate to the questions, including peer-reviewed papers, in-depth reports, technical memos, and legal analyses, with a high bar for both intellectual rigour and real-world relevance while maintaining speed.
• Engage seriously with the technical literature on AI safety and with our colleagues' empirical work, translating it into governance-relevant research and claims.
• Identify, explore and draw on work from adjacent safety-critical domains (nuclear, aviation, biosecurity, financial regulation, pharmaceuticals) where useful.
• Collaborate with researchers at other organisations, provide feedback on their work, and represent Apollo's positions in the wider research community.
• Where appropriate, mentor more junior researchers and contribute to team strategy.

REQUIREMENTS

We're deliberately open on background. Strong candidates may come from academia, industry, or private practice and have a minimum of 6 years work experience. Common features at this level are:

• A track record of substantive research outputs that shifted thinking in their field, for example, peer-reviewed publications, high-impact reports, a relevant PhD thesis, or comparable work.
• Demonstrated ability to scope and deliver an end-to-end research project, from problem identification through to a published artefact.
• Willingness to sail uncharted territory and be comfortable with ambitious projects and questions that are hard to tackle.
• Strong judgement on which questions matter and the willingness to pursue them rigorously even when answers are uncertain.
• Excellent written communication, including the ability to write for both expert and decision-maker audiences.

We're a multi-disciplinary team and don't expect candidates to tick every box. We'll assess fit on individual merit and can tailor scope and title for the right person.

BENEFITS

• Market competitive salary, equity, and competitive benefits.
• Flexible work hours and schedule.
• Unlimited vacation.
• Unlimited sick leave.
• Up to 6 months of paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings with competitive employer matching (e.g. 401(k) for US employees).
• Lunch, dinner, and snacks are provided for all employees on workdays.
• Paid work trips, including staff retreats, business trips, and relevant conferences.
• A yearly $1,000 (USD) professional development budget.

LOGISTICS

Start date: This is a rolling expression of interest posting. We don't always have a live vacancy, but we review submissions on an ongoing basis and reach out when a strong fit emerges. We expect dedicated hiring rounds throughout 2026.

Time Allocation: Full-time.

Location: This is an in-person role in our London or SF office.

Visa sponsorship: We sponsor visas in the UK and US. Sponsorship isn't guaranteed for every role or candidate, but if we make you an offer, we'll work with you to find the right visa route.

How to apply: Submit your CV and relevant work samples or links. A cover letter is optional but welcome, particularly if it sketches the research direction you'd want to pursue with us. We review on a rolling basis.

Equality Statement: Apollo Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.