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OpenAI Seeks Head of Preparedness to Lead Frontier-Risk Safeguards

The move follows leadership churn, formalizing a framework for evaluating and mitigating cyber, bio, and self‑improving AI risks.

Overview

  • CEO Sam Altman announced the opening on X, calling it a stressful role where the hire will jump into the deep end immediately.
  • The executive will lead OpenAI’s Preparedness framework by building capability evaluations, threat models, and operationally scalable mitigations.
  • The position sits within the Safety Systems team, offers a $555,000 salary plus equity, and is based in San Francisco.
  • OpenAI highlights priority risk areas including cybersecurity, biosecurity, and self‑improving systems, with Altman noting models are beginning to find critical computer‑security vulnerabilities and raising mental‑health concerns.
  • The recruitment follows turnover since 2024—Aleksander Madry’s reassignment and subsequent moves by Lilian Weng and Joaquin Quinonero Candela—as external scrutiny and lawsuits over alleged mental‑health harms intensify.