About Omidyar Network (ON)

Omidyar Network (ON) is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to bend the arc of the digital revolution toward shared power, prosperity, and possibility. Digital technology is a powerful and ubiquitous force that, harnessed wisely, makes wondrous things happen. We believe in working together to guide tech’s trajectory intentionally. Our vision is for our shared humanity to steer our digital future.

So far, we have committed more than $1.94 billion to initiatives that share our vision. We engage, partner with, and fund some of the world’s brightest thinkers and innovators to guide our digital future toward the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

About the Programs and Policy Team

Our Programs and Policy team focuses on the key drivers of our shared digital future: the culture, the governance, and the business of digital tech. Through grantmaking, advocacy, and funder partnership, we aim to shape more intentional societal governance and amplify our shared agency. We work with a broad range of stakeholders, including investors, tech firms, policymakers, consumers, and workers, to guide tech’s trajectory and build coalitions and counterweights to concentrated power in civil society. Our team members come from policy, advocacy, nonprofits, community organizing, technology, consulting, philanthropy, education, and the arts.

About the Role

AI and digital technology are reshaping how the economy works: who has opportunity and a voice in labor markets, capital markets, our information society, and the rules that govern them. How workers share in the gains from automation, how market structure and ownership evolve, and who has a seat at the table when rules are written are political economy questions as much as technology questions. As a Principal, Programs and Policy (Political Economy of AI/Tech & Future of Work), you will help shape a new and rapidly growing field.

This is an opportunity to help define ON’s strategy and the field’s focus on the political economy of tech. The role builds on our work reimagining capitalism (labor and jobs, market incentives, economic power) and focuses it on how AI and tech are changing work and markets, and what it will take to steer that change toward broadly shared prosperity.

The ideal candidate is creative at developing solutions and spotting emerging opportunities, and is driven to make a difference through action. Grantmaking is one of several tools in this role. You’ll help set strategy with the team and carry out parts of it directly, through advocacy, communications, coalition building, and public engagement, alongside a grantmaking portfolio that resources the partners and evidence the field needs. You’ll move easily between writing a memo that sharpens ON’s point of view, building a coalition that can advance a policy goal, and structuring a grant that seeds new research or organizing capacity.

This role reports to the Senior Director, Programs and Policy who is based in Washington, DC.

How You’ll Contribute to our Impact

Shape ON’s thinking on the political economy of AI/tech and the future of work. Develop our point of view on how AI is affecting labor markets, capital markets, market structure, and economic power, and turn it into strategy and a program of work.
Advance policy and public debate. Identify where ON can help improve outcomes for workers and the broader economy, such as policy opportunities, corporate accountability, and public conversations, and lead efforts to advance them.
Build and sustain coalitions. Bring together labor, worker organizations, economists, technologists, industry, policymakers, and civil society groups who don’t often share a room, and help them find common strategy.
Shape public narrative. Work with communications colleagues to share ON’s perspective through op-eds, events, and media, so the political economy framing of AI gains ground in public debate.
Deploy a grantmaking portfolio. In collaboration with the team, source, structure, and manage grants to civil society organizations, researchers, worker organizations, advocacy groups, and coalitions that advance ON’s strategy.