South America Lead, Global Affairs

About the role

OpenAI is seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial leader to head public policy and strategic engagement across South America. Reporting to the Head of LATAM Public Policy, you will shape AI governance, innovation and adoption throughout the region during a period of rapid AI development.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement OpenAI’s public policy strategy for South America, aligning global priorities with regional political and partnership opportunities.
• Build and maintain direct relationships with federal, state and city‑level policymakers, regulators, ministerial officials and civil‑society leaders.
• Anticipate and influence legislative, regulatory and political developments related to AI, safety, innovation, competition and infrastructure.
• Identify and forge partnerships across finance, academia, agriculture, industry and health to enable responsible AI deployment.
• Translate strategy into concrete implementation plans, produce insights and recommendations for internal and executive audiences, and lead meetings, events and roundtables across Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and other countries.
• Collaborate closely with research, engineering, product, legal, communications and commercial teams to ensure policy strategies align with technical roadmaps and company priorities.

Required profile

• 15+ years of experience in public policy, government relations, technology policy or economic development, with a proven record of engaging federal governments across multiple jurisdictions.
• Deep knowledge of South America’s political, regulatory and economic ecosystem, especially AI‑related issues such as copyright, safety, privacy, competition and infrastructure.
• Strong relationship‑building skills, able to earn trust with senior leaders in government, academia and industry.
• Excellent communicator who can translate complex technical and policy concepts into clear, persuasive narratives for diverse audiences.
• Ability to thrive in a high‑energy, start‑up‑style environment, working both independently and as part of a collaborative, peer‑led team.