About Security Level 5
Security Level 5 is a Bay Area AI security nonprofit working with AI labs and US intelligence agencies to defend frontier models from priority nation-state-level threats. We move fast, and we're tripling headcount this year.
The Mission
We're hiring for what's plausibly the most difficult, urgent, and interesting challenge in AI security engineering this decade (for humans, at least): designing and building the first datacenter purpose-built to Security Level 5, the standard for defending frontier AI labs against attackers with the resources of a nation-state and billion-dollar budgets. We're working on the first SL5 components this year and aiming for an at-scale SL5 datacenter build in 2027.
We wrote the first version of the standard with input from CISOs and senior security staff at the frontier labs, and US security and intelligence officials. Now we're designing the SL5 architectures purpose-built for frontier AI workloads, and standing up the reference tech stack to guide labs' buildouts. This stack has to hold against nation-states, not destroy researchers' productivity, not cost more than labs can pay, and ship in 2-3 years.
What you’d work on
Tending to and growing our USG and NatSec Partnerships & Network
Creating custom whitepapers for USG partners & consulting on their specific needs
Regular trips to DC / or living in DC to meet partners in person
Running custom conference and workshops to educate & engage particular USG specialist groups, and facilitate a connection between Bay Area and DC SL5 Experts
Advise on SL5 team’s overall strategy & communications
Assist the CEO during on technical briefing trips to DC
You’d be a fit if you
Have a large pre-existing network of earned-trust relationships in DC especially among current NatSec community, WH, House & Senate Armed Forces / Select
Committee on Intelligence
Have a strong understanding of the defacto processes, staffing and structure of key USG & IC institutions, including Government Procurement Processes
Excellent written and verbal policy and technical communication skills
Have a bipartisan/neutral affiliation
Have an interest in or prior knowledge of Datacenter Security, basics of AI / ML, government Standards around Datacenter Security
Bonus
Possess an active TS or above clearance
Logistics
Washington, DC, in-person preferred or regular travel required. This role's base salary range is $180,000 - $280,000 USD per year. We may be open to paying exceptional and/or highly experienced employees more than this. We also provide full benefits, including healthcare, dental, vision, 401k match, and more.
Skills Required
- Large pre-existing network of earned-trust relationships in Washington, DC among NatSec community, White House, House & Senate Armed Forces, and Select Committee on Intelligence
- Strong understanding of processes, staffing, and structure of key USG and Intelligence Community institutions, including government procurement processes
- Excellent written and verbal policy and technical communication skills
- Bipartisan/neutral affiliation
- Willingness to live in Washington, DC or make regular travel to DC for meetings and briefings
- Interest in or prior knowledge of datacenter security and basics of AI/ML, plus familiarity with government standards around datacenter security
- Possession of an active Top Secret (TS) or higher security clearance
What We Do
Security Level 5 is a Bay Area 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on protecting frontier AI models from priority nation-state threats. It develops the technical roadmap, security standard, architectures, and reference stack for “SL5”—defenses spanning machine, physical, network, personnel, and supply-chain security. The organization convenes AI labs, national-security leaders, engineers, data-center operators, chip providers, researchers, and government participants to make high-assurance AI infrastructure deployable.
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