Director of State Policy

About FathomFathom is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to find, build, and scale governance solutions for AI that foster public trust in AI, while unleashing the power of American innovation. We are architects of AI oversight, focused on co-designing a better AI future for all.
This requires that everyone – from businesses and NGOs to everyday people – have a say in what that world looks like. Fathom works toward this future by advancing smart policy, building robust and action-biased coalitions, and leading research and polling. Learn more: https://fathom.org/
Fathom has grown rapidly over the past two years, more than doubling its team and significantly expanding its base of support – growth driven by policymakers, industry leaders, and the public increasingly recognizing that fair, robust AI governance is what allows AI to develop and scale.
About the RoleFathom is hiring a Director of State Policy to lead our policy and advocacy work in a set of priority states.
This person will manage a portfolio of individual state campaigns end to end, with the independence to make judgment calls in the room and the discernment to know which calls to bring back to the team. They will work as part of our tight-knit and high-performing policy team, managing contract lobbyists and consultants in their states, and coordinating with Fathom’s communications and growth teams.
The pace of AI innovation – and the pace at which policymakers are responding to it – requires a team that moves quickly and adapts. Priorities shift mid-session, opportunities surface with little warning, and the highest-value work is often not the work that was on the plan in January. The ideal candidate is energized by that reality, has a demonstrated track record of moving into unfamiliar terrain, and wants a role whose scope will grow alongside the organization.
Reports to: VP of State Policy & External Affairs
Key Responsibilities
Legislative Strategy & Campaign Management

• Serve as Fathom’s lead in a defined portfolio of priority states: owning strategy, execution, and outcomes.
• Identify and develop legislative champions and executive branch allies, and maintain durable relationships with legislators, staff, and agency officials across your states.
• Represent Fathom in committee hearings, agency proceedings, and policymaker briefings.

Policy Development & Written Advocacy

• Develop state-specific policy positions, model legislation, and testimony that reflect Fathom’s mission and technical expertise while adapting to the political realities of each state.
• Translate complex AI governance concepts into clear, actionable guidance for legislators and staff.
• Track and analyze state legislative and regulatory activity relevant to Fathom’s agenda, and recommend where we engage proactively, where we respond, and where we hold back.
• Support the implementation of enacted legislation, including rulemaking, program design, and follow-through with agencies.

Relationships & Coalitions

• Engage credibly and productively with policymakers across the political spectrum.
• Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with industry and trade groups, civil society organizations, labor groups, and public-sector partners, and build them into coalitions that visibly support Fathom’s policy priorities through hearings, sign-on letters, endorsements, and joint events.

Consultant Management & Teamwork

• Manage contract lobbyists and consultants in your states, setting clear objectives and holding them to deliverables.
• Work as part of a high-trust state policy team, sharing intelligence and covering ground for one another as priorities shift.
• Contribute to resource and budget planning for the states in your portfolio.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with communications on press engagement, messaging, and packaging Fathom’s state work for broader audiences.
• Coordinate with Fathom’s federal policy and broader coalition efforts.
• Maintain disciplined tracking of bills, relationships, and commitments using CRM and project-management tools.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience (7+ years preferred) in state government affairs, legislative or executive branch staff work, state agency work, or state-focused policy and advocacy.
• Direct experience leading state legislative campaigns – you have carried a bill through a legislature, not only tracked one, and the judgment to run several at once.
• Fluency in AI and/or technology policy, or a track record of rapidly mastering complex technical subject matter.
• Demonstrated ability to engage stakeholders and build coalitions in support of legislative goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with direct experience drafting testimony, negotiating bill language, and crafting memos and talking points for legislative and stakeholder audiences.
• Proven ability to build durable relationships with policymakers on both sides of the aisle.
• Experience managing outside lobbyists, consultants, or agencies against clear deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability and appetite for adapting quickly – taking on new issues, absorbing shifting priorities, and stretching into the work the organization needs next.
• Politically savvy with an understanding of the interconnected nature of politics and policy.
• Willingness to travel to priority states, particularly during legislative session.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary: $190,000-$220,000 depending on experience.
• This is a full-time position with comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401K with match, and other employer-provided benefits.