Selection process conducted by matteria

Location a Work Mode

Mexico City, Mexico. On-site. Full-time.

Who we are

Our client is an organization specializing in technology and innovation for the public sector, with a strong focus on data, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation. It is dedicated to generating evidence, developing solutions based on AI and data science, and supporting public management improvement processes, with the aim of strengthening institutions and enhancing the quality of decision-making across various levels of government.

Purpose of the position

Build and lead the AI and public policy agenda by identifying strategic opportunities, turning them into rigorous and fundable projects, building high-level partnerships, and translating evidence into actionable recommendations that strengthen institutions and improve public decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Agenda building and applied research
  Define the priorities, research questions, and roadmap for the Artificial Intelligence agenda. Identify opportunities for improvement in sectors, institutions, and public policy areas through the adoption of AI. Analyze risks, regulatory gaps, and institutional challenges associated with the adoption, governance, and use of AI in Mexico. Design and lead research, assessments, and comparative analyses, translating findings into feasible and actionable public policy recommendations. Oversee methodological quality, source traceability, and the responsible use of AI tools in research processes.
  

• 2. Project development and financial sustainability
  Translate agenda priorities into a portfolio of relevant, fundable projects. Identify calls for proposals, donors, companies, international organizations, and strategic partners. Lead the preparation and submission of technical proposals, concept notes, methodologies, timelines, and budgets. Contribute directly to resource mobilization and the sustainability of the AI workstream.
  

• 3. Translation, policy advocacy, and positioning
  Translate evidence and complex technological concepts into accessible policy briefs, narratives, presentations, and visual products. Represent the organization in technical working groups, consultations, meetings, media engagements, and specialized forums. Identify opportunities to influence public strategies, regulations, programs, and decisions. Work with the Communications team to position research findings and recommendations with technical and non-technical audiences.
  

• 4. Partnerships and institutional relations
  Build and cultivate relationships with public authorities, technology companies, academia, international organizations, foundations, and civil society. Act as a trusted counterpart and foster collaboration among stakeholders with diverse perspectives. Position the organization as an independent, rigorous, and solutions-oriented voice on AI and public policy.
  

• 5. Leadership and responsible governance
  Lead the team and coordinate internal specialists, consultants, and external partners. Coordinate work with General Management, Research, Communications, Institutional Development, and Operations. Embed transparency, privacy, security, explainability, non-discrimination, human oversight, and accountability criteria into research and proposals.

Requirements and competences to work with us

Education

• A postgraduate degree is required in Public Policy, Economics, Law, Political Science, Public Administration, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Regulation, Science and Technology, International Development, or a related field.

• Additional studies in AI governance, digital economy, digital rights, public innovation, technology ethics, or resource mobilization are preferred.

Experience

• At least 10 years of professional experience in applied research, public policy, regulation, consulting, public-sector innovation, or digital transformation.

• Recent and demonstrable experience in Artificial Intelligence, technology governance, digital regulation, digital economy, or data governance.

• A track record of leading research, publications, assessments, or projects that have resulted in recommendations and public policy influence.

• Experience translating knowledge agendas into fundable projects and building relationships with donors, partners, or institutional clients.

• Experience representing agendas before public authorities, companies, academia, international organizations, or civil society.

• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and technical specialists.

Knowledge and skills

• A solid understanding of the foundations, capabilities, and limitations of AI, including generative AI, predictive models, and automated systems.

• Knowledge of technology regulation, data governance, transparency, privacy, bias, security, and accountability.

• Proficiency in research methodologies and the ability to work with data, indicators, comparative evidence, and specialized literature.

• Advanced proficiency in AI tools applied to research, analysis, systematization, and productivity.

• Ability to oversee data analysis and visualization tools; R, Python, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent tools are valued.

• Advanced spoken and written English.

Competences

• Strategic thinking and the ability to build an agenda from the ground up.

• Analytical rigor, independent judgment, and an evidence-based approach.

• Exceptional ability to translate complexity and communicate clearly and persuasively.

• Relationship building, institutional influence, and negotiation.

• Opportunity orientation, commercial judgment, and the ability to mobilize resources without compromising technical independence.

• Autonomy, collaborative leadership, initiative, and comfort with ambiguity.

Our team profile

• Rigor and independence: We take positions based on evidence and protect technical autonomy from partisan, commercial, or short-term interests.

• Dialogue and collaboration: We build solutions by bringing together institutions, specialists, and diverse communities.

• Solutions-oriented policy advocacy: We do not stop at diagnosis; we develop concrete, feasible courses of action focused on the public interest.

• Responsible innovation: We experiment with new technologies without compromising critical thinking, human oversight, or accountability.

• Excellence and execution: We combine technical depth, energy, tenacity, and the ability to deliver timely and useful outputs.

Key interests for working with us

• The impact of AI on government, the economy, justice, healthcare, education, and other areas, as well as the development of responsible, transparent, public-interest-centered digital governance.

• Strengthening institutions and government capabilities to adopt technology based on evidence.

• Democratizing knowledge and translating it into better collective decisions.

• The opportunity to build a new workstream with national reach and influence.

Reasons to join our team

• The opportunity to build and lead a strategic AI agenda within an independent organization.

• Space to develop ideas and translate them into research, projects, partnerships, and public policy proposals.

• Engagement with public authorities, companies, academia, civil society, international organizations, and funders.

• Visibility as a subject-matter expert at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and public policy.

• Work with a technical, multidisciplinary, impact-oriented team.

• A variable growth structure linked to the projects and resources developed for the workstream, subject to final definition.

Relevant details before applying for this vacancy

• This is a strategic leadership position responsible for developing a new institutional workstream; it is not an internal IT support role.

• The role does not require developing machine learning models, but it does require understanding them, assessing their implications, and engaging with technical specialists.

• The role combines research, policy advocacy, institutional relations, and the development of fundable projects.

• The successful candidate must be able to make progress in emerging contexts, build methodologies, and work autonomously.

• The successful candidate must be based in or available to work on-site in Mexico City.

• During the process, candidates will be asked to provide examples of publications, projects, or proposals in which they played a significant role.