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Pour Demain Europe
Managing Director, Pour Demain Europe
Brussels (remote-friendly with regular Brussels time) · Start: ASAP or to be discussed
Frontier AI policy in Europe has risen from niche, mostly hypothetical discussions to the very top of the political agenda in recent years. The EU AI Act — the world's leading frontier model regulation — is being implemented just as serious frontier risks are beginning to emerge. Meanwhile, both European institutions and national governments are rapidly building capacity to make and act on decisions that will shape frontier AI policy for years to come. Pour Demain Europe (PDE) has built influence in this space over the past few years. We are looking for a Managing Director to help turn that influence into a scaled, resilient organisation.
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Initial deadline: 17 August 2026 · Final deadline: 31 August 2026 (23:59 CEST) · Early applications are explicitly encouraged.
The Opportunity
Pour Demain Europe (PDE) is entering its next phase: growing from 5 to 10+ staff at exactly the moment when AI policy is moving from drafting rooms into implementation and enforcement. You will lead that growth, working alongside our Director of AI Policy.
We are open to two candidate profiles for this role. The Managing Director we hire will bring familiarity with AI safety and governance in both cases; what differs between the two profiles is the depth of that expertise and, as a result, how the role splits with our Director of AI Policy.
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Profile A: Senior AI Leader
You have deep, hands-on expertise in AI safety or AI governance. You take the lead on PDE's overall direction, including our AI strategy, in close partnership with the Director of AI Policy, who leads policy execution and Brussels-based positioning.
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Profile B: Senior Manager
You are a strong organisational leader with some grounding in AI safety, but deep AI policy strategy is not your primary area of expertise. The Director of AI Policy takes the lead in shaping and driving our overall AI strategy in close partnership with you, while you focus most of your energy on leading the organisation's team, systems and operating rhythm.
In both cases, you will play an important role in deciding where the programme goes next — the relationship between Managing Director and Director of AI Policy is one of close collaboration.
What Pour Demain Europe Has Already Delivered
| •Shaped key elements of the EU Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models, including serious incident reporting, third-party evaluator access beyond black-box testing, and enforcement provisions. |
| •Coordinated AI safety civil society groups during key moments throughout the Code of Practice, including the drafting process itself at both technical and political levels, as well as enforcement. |
| •Contributed analysis on resourcing the EU AI Office, through a dedicated report on its funding and staffing needs, alongside a joint statement with civil society, industry, and expert signatories. Our research advocacy also contributed to a European Parliament statement echoing our call, and to an AI Office hiring round opening for +40 posts. |
| •Pioneered early policy work on glass-box evaluations, developing a framework for deeper, more transparent third-party access to frontier models than today's black-box testing allows. |
| •Strengthened AI safety in Switzerland through direct engagement with parliament and the federal administration, and by helping shape the agenda for the Swiss AI Summit 2027. |
What You Will Do
In both profiles
| •Build and lead the operational and organisational backbone for a team scaling past 10 staff across Brussels and Switzerland. |
| •Design the systems, hiring processes, and management structure that let a flat, agile, high-autonomy culture survive at twice the current size. |
| •Represent PDE in governance conversations with the Pour Demain Board, funders, and partners as PDE builds out its own dedicated leadership and operating structure. |
| •Help position PDE for the Swiss AI Summit 2027 and the next phases of EU frontier AI policy. |
If you are Profile A (Senior AI Leader), you will also take the lead on PDE's overall AI strategy, shaping and developing it together with the Director of AI Policy, who co-designs it with you and leads on execution.
If you are Profile B (Senior Manager), you will also stay closely involved in our AI strategy, while the Director of AI Policy takes the lead in shaping and driving it, and you will focus most of your own energy on the organisation itself.
What We Are Looking For
Essential for both profiles
| •People Leadership: Proven experience managing a team of roughly 5-10 people in an agile, high-autonomy setup, ideally through a period of active scaling |
| •AI Familiarity: Some working familiarity with AI safety or AI governance |
| •Organisational Ownership: Comfortable owning organisational infrastructure (hiring, systems, structure), not just strategy or content |
| •Location: Willing to be based in Brussels, or to spend substantial time there with a remote setup otherwise |
| •Availability: Able to start as soon as possible or within the coming months |
| •Agile Methods: Familiarity with OKRs, Asana, or similar project management systems for translating strategy into weekly execution |
| •Substance over seniority: You judge work by whether it moves the outcome, not by how senior it looks |
Additional for Profile A
| •A track record of leadership in AI safety, AI governance, or European AI policy |
What We Offer
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A Leadership Seat at a Pivotal Moment
Direct influence over how a leading AI safety think tank scales, at a decisive point for European AI governance
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Close Partnership
You will work hand in hand with our Director of AI Policy, with the split calibrated to your profile
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Flat, Fast-Moving Culture
An evidence-driven organisation that treats leadership as delivering outcomes, not holding a title
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Competitive Compensation
We are willing to explore matching or increasing your past salary, even if it goes beyond our standard salary policy
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Setup
Brussels based, or remote-friendly with regular Brussels time · Start ASAP or to be discussed
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Application
Unsure if this role is right for you? If you meet many — but not all — of the essential criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. Submit the form or reach out at info@pourdemain.ngo.
Initial deadline: 17 August 2026 · Final deadline: 31 August 2026 (23:59 CEST). We review applications as they arrive, so early applications are explicitly encouraged.
We look forward to getting to know you!