Deputy Director for Technology and Geopolitics in Asia
Institute for Security and Technology
Posted
Feb 25, 2026
Location
Remote (US)
Type
Full-time
Mission
What you will drive
**
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Deputy Director (or Senior Associate) for Technology and Geopolitics in Asia
IST is launching a new initiative on Technology and Geopolitics in Asia, and we’re looking for someone to build it from the ground up.
The race to lead in AI, semiconductors, and other emerging technologies is increasingly defining the future of global stability, and that competition is playing out most intensely across the Asia-Pacific region. From advanced chip fabrication to frontier AI development, the choices made in a handful of capitals and corporate boardrooms will shape the security landscape for decades. The Institute for Security and Technology (IST) — the 501(c)(3) critical action think tank uniting technology and policy leaders to solve emerging security challenges — is expanding into one of the most consequential arenas in global competition, and we need someone ready to help lead the charge. We’re a passionate, close-knit team of 30+ staff and 15+ adjunct experts, backed by an annual budget exceeding $6M. Our work spans ransomware and critical infrastructure resilience to AI governance and nuclear risk reduction. We work at the seams between government, industry, and civil society, turning hard problems into actionable solutions.
Position
IST is launching a new initiative on Technology and Geopolitics in Asia, and we’re looking for someone to build it from the ground up. This is a rare opportunity to design and lead a program that puts U.S. leaders — from technologists and policymakers to business executives and civil society voices — face to face with the people, places, and dynamics shaping Asia’s tech landscape. Think strategic delegations to the Asia-Pacific region, high-level policy dialogues, and original research that directly informs how the U.S. engages on AI, semiconductors, and emerging technology competition. If you thrive on building new things, navigating complex geopolitics, and connecting people across sectors and borders, this role was made for you.
This position will collaborate with other IST team members, adjuncts/fellows, and partners working on related topics of AI risk, emerging technologies’ impact on strategic stability, and U.S.-PRC techno-industrial competition. The position level may be adjusted to account for the chosen candidate’s qualifications, but we anticipate it will fall within the Senior Associate or Deputy Director roles.
Key Responsibilities
Program Design & Execution**
- Design, plan, and manage program activities including leading high-level multistakeholder delegations to the Asia-Pacific region, policy workshops, and convenings that connect U.S. public and private leaders with regional counterparts. This will involve significant logistics work, including coordinating venues, travel, activities, and participants, as well as substantive technical and market research and analysis.
- Translate program insights into actionable policy products — briefings, memos, reports — for diverse audiences across government, industry, and civil society.
- Seek and develop future options for new Track II and Track 1.5 dialogues on the governance and security implications of emerging technologies, building durable channels for bilateral and multilateral engagement.
Coordination & Liaison
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region, including government officials, technologists, researchers, and civil society leaders.
- Serve as IST’s primary point of contact for regional partners and coordinate with funders, institutional collaborators, and internal teams to ensure program coherence and impact.
- Represent IST at external convenings, conferences, and briefings related to technology and security policy.
Research & Analysis
- Produce high-quality research and policy analysis on the intersection of emerging technologies — particularly AI and semiconductors — and Asia-Pacific geopolitics, with a focus on U.S. strategic interests in the region.
- Monitor and synthesize regional developments in technology ecosystems, supply chains, and security dynamics to inform the program’s direction.
Qualifications
Required
- Minimum three (3) to six (6) years of work experience in East Asian affairs, with a demonstrated understanding of U.S.-PRC techno-industrial competition and Cross-Strait policy dynamics.
- Demonstrated ability to engage in and facilitate multistakeholder fora, to include government officials, industry representatives, civil society actors, and academics.
- The energy, drive, and attention to detail necessary to plan and facilitate multistakeholder convenings, special events, and travel delegations.
- Outstanding writing skills, including the ability to produce high-quality, insightful papers on relatively short timelines.
- Outstanding communication, interpersonal, and liaison skills; willingness and ability to engage effectively and respectfully across a spectrum from staffers to senior officials.
- A demonstrated grasp of diplomatic protocol, particularly with regard to East Asia.
- Must be legally able to work in the United States without sponsorship. As required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), IST only employs persons legally eligible to work in the United States. New employees must complete an I-9 Form and provide actual documents verifying their identity and eligibility to work in the US within three (3) business days of the date of hire. IST participates in the E-Verify program to electronically verify employment eligibility.
- This position is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.
Preferred
- Master’s degree relevant to the topic at hand.
- Mandarin language professional proficiency.
- Strong preference for candidates in the San Francisco Bay Area, followed by the Washington, DC area.
Compensation and benefits
The expected annual base salary range for this role is $71,960.00 to $102,800.00 depending on skills and experience.
IST’s generous compensation package consists of three core elements: base salary, benefits, and the potential for bonuses. We are committed to pay fairness and aim for these three elements collectively to be highly competitive with market rates in the nonprofit sector. Benefits we offer include:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and all your dependents.
- 401(k) plan with up to 4% matching.
- 12 weeks paid parental leave.
- Unlimited PTO after the introductory period. Most staff take between 3-4 weeks each year, sometimes more!
- An extensive calendar of IST-wide holidays, including all federal holidays and regular office closures at significant times of the year (e.g., two-week winter/holiday closure, one-week summer closure, mental health days).
- Potential stipends for education, home office, commuting, and wellness.
- Potential for partial relocation support for those moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Opportunity to shape the trajectory of a growing, high-impact nonprofit at the forefront of security and technology policy.
- Collaborative, mission-driven colleagues and culture.
- Flexible and hybrid work environment.
Compensation is dependent on experience and is based on IST’s good faith estimate for this position, as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. The level of pay, exact job title and role will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including where you place on our internal performance ladders, which is based on factors including past work experience, relevant education, and performance on our interviews or in a work trial.
Location
IST operates as a hybrid-work organization, offering both remote and in-person opportunities. We maintain physical offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, DC, and employees based in those regions are expected to work in the office at least two days per week.
How to apply
Kindly utilize this l...
Profile
What makes you a great fit
**
Skip to content
Deputy Director (or Senior Associate) for Technology and Geopolitics in Asia
IST is launching a new initiative on Technology and Geopolitics in Asia, and we’re looking for someone to build it from the ground up.
The race to lead in AI, semiconductors, and other emerging technologies is increasingly defining the future of global stability, and that competition is playing out most intensely across the Asia-Pacific region. From advanced chip fabrication to frontier AI development, the choices made in a handful of capitals and corporate boardrooms will shape the security landscape for decades. The Institute for Security and Technology (IST) — the 501(c)(3) critical action think tank uniting technology and policy leaders to solve emerging security challenges — is expanding into one of the most consequential arenas in global competition, and we need someone ready to help lead the charge. We’re a passionate, close-knit team of 30+ staff and 15+ adjunct experts, backed by an annual budget exceeding $6M. Our work spans ransomware and critical infrastructure resilience to AI governance and nuclear risk reduction. We work at the seams between government, industry, and civil society, turning hard problems into actionable solutions.
Position
IST is launching a new initiative on Technology and Geopolitics in Asia, and we’re looking for someone to build it from the ground up. This is a rare opportunity to design and lead a program that puts U.S. leaders — from technologists and policymakers to business executives and civil society voices — face to face with the people, places, and dynamics shaping Asia’s tech landscape. Think strategic delegations to the Asia-Pacific region, high-level policy dialogues, and original research that directly informs how the U.S. engages on AI, semiconductors, and emerging technology competition. If you thrive on building new things, navigating complex geopolitics, and connecting people across sectors and borders, this role was made for you.
This position will collaborate with other IST team members, adjuncts/fellows, and partners working on related topics of AI risk, emerging technologies’ impact on strategic stability, and U.S.-PRC techno-industrial competition. The position level may be adjusted to account for the chosen candidate’s qualifications, but we anticipate it will fall within the Senior Associate or Deputy Director roles.
Key Responsibilities
Program Design & Execution**
- Design, plan, and manage program activities including leading high-level multistakeholder delegations to the Asia-Pacific region, policy workshops, and convenings that connect U.S. public and private leaders with regional counterparts. This will involve significant logistics work, including coordinating venues, travel, activities, and participants, as well as substantive technical and market research and analysis.
- Translate program insights into actionable policy products — briefings, memos, reports — for diverse audiences across government, industry, and civil society.
- Seek and develop future options for new Track II and Track 1.5 dialogues on the governance and security implications of emerging technologies, building durable channels for bilateral and multilateral engagement.
Coordination & Liaison
- Cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region, including government officials, technologists, researchers, and civil society leaders.
- Serve as IST’s primary point of contact for regional partners and coordinate with funders, institutional collaborators, and internal teams to ensure program coherence and impact.
- Represent IST at external convenings, conferences, and briefings related to technology and security policy.
Research & Analysis
- Produce high-quality research and policy analysis on the intersection of emerging technologies — particularly AI and semiconductors — and Asia-Pacific geopolitics, with a focus on U.S. strategic interests in the region.
- Monitor and synthesize regional developments in technology ecosystems, supply chains, and security dynamics to inform the program’s direction.
Qualifications
Required
- Minimum three (3) to six (6) years of work experience in East Asian affairs, with a demonstrated understanding of U.S.-PRC techno-industrial competition and Cross-Strait policy dynamics.
- Demonstrated ability to engage in and facilitate multistakeholder fora, to include government officials, industry representatives, civil society actors, and academics.
- The energy, drive, and attention to detail necessary to plan and facilitate multistakeholder convenings, special events, and travel delegations.
- Outstanding writing skills, including the ability to produce high-quality, insightful papers on relatively short timelines.
- Outstanding communication, interpersonal, and liaison skills; willingness and ability to engage effectively and respectfully across a spectrum from staffers to senior officials.
- A demonstrated grasp of diplomatic protocol, particularly with regard to East Asia.
- Must be legally able to work in the United States without sponsorship. As required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), IST only employs persons legally eligible to work in the United States. New employees must complete an I-9 Form and provide actual documents verifying their identity and eligibility to work in the US within three (3) business days of the date of hire. IST participates in the E-Verify program to electronically verify employment eligibility.
- This position is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.
Preferred
- Master’s degree relevant to the topic at hand.
- Mandarin language professional proficiency.
- Strong preference for candidates in the San Francisco Bay Area, followed by the Washington, DC area.
Compensation and benefits
The expected annual base salary range for this role is $71,960.00 to $102,800.00 depending on skills and experience.
IST’s generous compensation package consists of three core elements: base salary, benefits, and the potential for bonuses. We are committed to pay fairness and aim for these three elements collectively to be highly competitive with market rates in the nonprofit sector. Benefits we offer include:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and all your dependents.
- 401(k) plan with up to 4% matching.
- 12 weeks paid parental leave.
- Unlimited PTO after the introductory period. Most staff take between 3-4 weeks each year, sometimes more!
- An extensive calendar of IST-wide holidays, including all federal holidays and regular office closures at significant times of the year (e.g., two-week winter/holiday closure, one-week summer closure, mental health days).
- Potential stipends for education, home office, commuting, and wellness.
- Potential for partial relocation support for those moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Opportunity to shape the trajectory of a growing, high-impact nonprofit at the forefront of security and technology policy.
- Collaborative, mission-driven colleagues and culture.
- Flexible and hybrid work environment.
Compensation is dependent on experience and is based on IST’s good faith estimate for this position, as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. The level of pay, exact job title and role will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including where you place on our internal performance ladders, which is based on factors including past work experience, relevant education, and performance on our interviews or in a work trial.
Location
IST operates as a hybrid-work organization, offering both remote and in-person opportunities. We maintain physical offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, DC, and employees based in those regions are expected to work in the office at least two days per week.
How to apply
Kindly utilize this l...