Head of Emerging Technology and Security Initiative
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, seeks a Head of its newly created Emerging Technology and Security Initiative. This role is a 5-year term limited position.
About the Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation invests in creative thinkers and problem solvers working to ensure that people, communities, and the planet can flourish. The Hewlett Foundation addresses these challenges by harnessing society’s collective capacity to solve our toughest problems — from the existential threat of climate change, to persistent and pervasive inequities, to attacks on democracy itself.
As one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States, we promote constructive dialogue across difference, and we provide reliable, responsive, and strategic support to our partners. Together, we are working to build an inclusive society where all people, communities, and the planet flourish.
A nonpartisan philanthropy, the Hewlett Foundation has made grants in the U.S. and globally for nearly six decades based on an approach that emphasizes long-term support, collaboration, and trust. Globally, Hewlett makes grants to address both longstanding and emerging challenges like its efforts to advance gender equity and governance, reimagine the economy and society, and reduce the growing threat of climate change. U.S. efforts prioritize strengthening democracy, advancing education for all, and supporting community-led conservation. In the San Francisco Bay Area Hewlett calls home, it makes grants to support meaningful artistic experiences in local communities and support regional foundations working on critical issues such as housing. Hewlett’s grantmaking also invests in advancing racial justice and in strengthening the effectiveness of its grantees, and of philanthropy itself. The Hewlett Foundation’s assets are nearly $14 billion with annual awards of grants totaling more than $631 million. More information about the Hewlett Foundation is available at: www.hewlett.org
The Foundation has approximately 130 employees, in programmatic, operational, and investment roles, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Across the organization, its employees are challenged with meaningful work, have the resources for ongoing professional development and learning, and contribute to a collegial and engaging environment where they can thrive. Hewlett is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion as part of its guiding principles and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.
About the Emerging Technology and Security Initiative
The Emerging Technology and Security Initiative (ETSI) is a brand-new, five-year $100 million grant-making initiative within the Special Projects team and focuses on addressing the rapidly evolving risks posed by advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing. The initiative aims to strengthen governance, reduce systemic risks, and support resilient democratic institutions through strategic grantmaking, partnerships, and convening.
Our vision is to contribute to:
A world in which the most consequential emerging technologies of our era strengthen and secure democratic societies, enhance institutional and community resilience against inherent vulnerabilities and malicious actors, and expand conditions for future innovation in service of human thriving.
The Initiative’s work is organized into three portfolios:
- Critical Infrastructure. Protecting particularly vulnerable elements of modern societies against AI-enabled threats—especially critical physical infrastructure like power grids, water systems, and hospitals, and critical digital and information infrastructure.
- Emerging Technology Vulnerabilities. Reducing security risks from emerging technologies—beginning with biosynthesis and quantum computing—before the windows for intervention close and commercial norms harden.
- Shaping Global Governance. Advancing alternative governance mechanisms at the subnational (e.g., U.S. state) and global levels, with special attention to middle powers, informal diplomatic channels, and other actors capable of providing stabilizing checks on great-power competition.
More information about the Initiative and its strategy is available here.
About the Position
The Head of Emerging Technology and Security Initiative will play a central role in designing and executing a cutting-edge grantmaking portfolio at the intersection of emerging technology, security, and governance. This individual will translate the initiative’s strategy into action—building a high-impact portfolio, mapping the field and its most consequential players, cultivating trust-based relationships with leading experts and institutions, and helping shape the field through convening and thought leadership.
This is a role for an entrepreneurial, intellectually voracious professional who can operate with substantial independence in a fast-moving and often ambiguous environment. The successful candidate will combine deep analytical capacity with sound judgment—able to scan a complex landscape, identify where the field is heading, spot the rising experts who are not yet getting enough attention, and form a clear point of view on where philanthropic capital can have the greatest impact. We expect this person to bring roughly 10–15 years of relevant professional experience and the credibility to represent the foundation among senior leaders across government, academia, and industry.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategy Development & Portfolio Management
- Implement the initiative strategy approved by the Board in July 2026; monitor and assess the impact of the strategy, and identify and lead pivots or refinements as the landscape evolves.
- Oversee day-to-day grantmaking, including sourcing, selection, and diligence of grantee organizations and projects, recommendation, and ongoing performance monitoring.
- Build, manage, and evolve a high-impact grants portfolio aligned to strategic priorities, adapting approaches to maximize impact in a dynamic field.
Field Building & External Engagement
- Develop a granular understanding of the emerging technology and security field, and build a robust network across its major nodes, experts, and stakeholder groups.
- Map the field: know who the leading experts are, identify the up-and-coming stars who are not yet getting enough airtime, and understand where new opportunities and gaps are emerging.
- Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with grantees, experts, policymakers, and cross-sector leaders across government, the private sector, and academia.
- Identify and pursue opportunities to partner and co-fund, building relationships with other funders (philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual).
- Design and help organize impact-oriented convenings that strengthen collaboration and leverage the foundation’s unique role as a convener for grantees and others.
- Represent the foundation externally by attending key events and producing and sharing thought leadership through writing and speaking.
Insight Generation & Risk Management
- Continuously analyze large and complex volumes of evolving information to identify strategic opportunities, risks, and implications—and translate those insights into concrete follow-up actions.
- Routinely exercise sound judgment in a shifting external landscape, including calibrating risk, spotting and mitigating potential risks, and identifying inflection points.
- Contribute to shaping the initiative’s learning agenda and adapt strategy based on evidence and insight.
Internal Collaboration
- Work closely and collaboratively within the Special Projects team and with cross-functional partners across the foundation.
- Contribute to a collaborative team environment grounded in humility, collegiality, and shared accountability.
Qualifications
- Subject-matter expertise in one or more relevant domains:
- Artificial intelligence and security;
- Cybersecurity;
- Quantum technologies and/or biotechnology and biosecurity; and/or
- Geopolitics or global governance, and/or other emerging technology and security topics.
- Knowledge of the emerging technology and security ecosystem, especially key nonprofit organizations, academic research centers, government decision-makers, and corporate leaders.
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience. Experience at a national think tank, federal agency, leading research center, technology company, or comparable technical or policy institution is highly valued.
- Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into execution and manage complex projects through to successful completion.
Core Capabilities:
- Intellectual horsepower: the analytical ability to absorb and assess large, complex volumes of information quickly, connect the dots, identify key insights and implications, and think ahead.
- Sound judgment in the face of an ever-shifting external landscape, with the ability to calibrate on risk and operate well under uncertainty.
- An entrepreneurial orientation to deftly build out the Initiative and get things done with limited direction.
- Creativity, curiosity, and a penchant for proactive problem-solving.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to influence and engage diverse, senior audiences and to represent the foundation credibly in external settings.
- A demonstrated ability to develop trust-based relationships and work constructively with a diverse range of stakeholder organizations and individuals.
Personal Attributes:
- Curiosity and genuine hunger to learn about philanthropy, emerging technologies, and their security implications for society.
- Modesty, humility, collegiality, and strong collaboration skills—a low-ego approach paired with high professionalism and integrity.
- Comfort operating in ambiguity and navigating rapidly changing environments.
- Relationship-builder and strategic thinker.
Other Requirements:
- Ability to work from the Hewlett Foundation’s Menlo Park, CA office; role carries a five-year term limit
- This role will require up to 25% domestic and international travel to attend key events and discussions.
The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods of time and to travel via various modes of transportation for extended periods of time. This role is based in Menlo Park, California and has a hybrid work environment with the current expectation of two to three days in the office per week.
Compensation and Benefits
The Hewlett Foundation is committed to providing compensation that is competitive within the philanthropic sector. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits. The targeted compensation for this role is between $360,000 - $400,000 and has an additional housing stipend of $3,125 per month, a 7% 403b contribution plus an additional 2:1 match of up to 8% (total of 15%). Offers are based on the candidate's years of experience and our practice of maintaining salary equity within the foundation. This position has a 5-year term limit.
To Apply
Interested candidates are invited to visit the Russell Reynolds platform to express interest at Engage.RussellReynolds.com where candidates will be asked to register and create a profile. From the home page, navigate to “Job Post”, click “Apply for Position”, and enter career code: 2608-011NA. Nominations are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Ideas or inquiries can be sent to the Russell Reynolds team at [email protected]
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation embraces the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, both internally in our hiring process and organizational culture, and externally, in our grantmaking and related practices. We are an equal opportunity employer, and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
