Head of Communications & PR

About the role

We are hiring our first Head of Communications & PR to drive Apollo's earned media presence and ensure Apollo's research and perspectives reach the right audiences. This is a US-first role: approximately 80% of focus is on the US media landscape, with UK and European engagement as genuinely secondary and tertiary markets. Apollo prioritises truth-seeking far above standard communications norms. We aim to be honest even when it could harm the organisation. Many traditional communications skills translate here, but the person we hire must see our existing credibility as Apollo's most valuable asset, never to be traded for short-term narrative advantage. This is a senior strategic role, and you will be Apollo's first communications hire, building the function from the ground up. That means owning both strategy and execution: identifying the research areas where Apollo has genuine expertise and ensuring that expertise is visible (e.g. Scheming, Loss of Control), and shifting from reactive, paper-by-paper media engagement to proactively highlighting important and underserved issues in AGI safety. In practice it also means establishing consistent processes across publications, blog, social channels, and podcast appearances, and replacing ad hoc engagement with reliable systems. The primary objective is to ensure Apollo is recognised as a credible, go-to source on frontier AI safety topics where it has genuine expertise, building the organisation's profile, ensuring the CEO's research perspective and expertise reach the audiences where they're most needed, and building crisis communications preparedness as Apollo's US profile grows. ABOUT APOLLO RESEARCH Apollo Research is a mission-driven AI safety organisation focused on identifying and mitigating high-impact risks from advanced AI systems, including deceptive alignment and related failure modes. We operate at the intersection of technical research, governance analysis, and real-world impact to ensure advanced models act as intended and contribute positively to society. At Apollo, we aim for a culture that emphasizes truth-seeking, being goal-oriented, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and being friendly and helpful. Apollo prioritizes getting things right over getting attention, and the communications role should reflect that. If you're interested in more details about what it's like working at Apollo, you can find more information here. EQUITY STATEMENT Apollo Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. INTERVIEW PROCESS Please complete the application form with your CV. The provision of a cover letter is optional but not necessary. Please also feel free to share links to relevant work samples. Screening interview Take-home test (approx. 2-3 hours) 3 technical interviews Final fit interviews with members of leadership team Your Privacy and Fairness in Our Recruitment Process: We are committed to protecting your data, ensuring fairness, and adhering to workplace fairness principles in our recruitment process. To enhance hiring efficiency, we use AI-powered tools to assist with tasks such as resume screening. These tools are designed and deployed in compliance with internationally recognized AI governance frameworks. Your personal data is handled securely and transparently. We adopt a human-centred approach: all resumes are screened by a human and final hiring decisions are made by our team. If you have questions about how your data is processed or wish to report concerns about fairness, please contact us at info@apolloresearch.ai.

Requirements

• 7-8+ years of senior communications experience in strategic communications, science or technology journalism, or comparable roles.
• Comfortable operating in an environment where honesty and accuracy take precedence over message control. You should be energized, not frustrated, by an organization that will sometimes say things that aren't in its short-term interest if that favors accuracy.
• Demonstrated experience building a communications function or long-term media strategy from scratch at a scaling organisation, not just executing within an existing one.
• Demonstrated track record of proactively pitching and placing stories with top-tier US outlets, not just managing inbound interest.
• Proven track record of elevating organisational brand and earned media presence, ideally in technology, research, or adjacent domains.
• Past success developing and executing thought leadership strategies that have significantly boosted executive profiles over a 6-12 month period.
• Established relationships with US journalists covering AI, technology, and/or policy.
• Candidates whose experience is primarily reactive or inbound-focused are unlikely to be the right fit.
• Strong editorial judgement and narrative instinct, including knowing when not to engage publicly.
• Experience building or owning crisis communications frameworks, with an understanding of reputational risk management.
• Ability to translate complex technical material into clear external narratives without oversimplifying.
• YOU WILL BE AN IDEAL CANDIDATE IF YOU HAVE:
• Experience building organisational brand and thought leadership programs from scratch.
• Familiarity with AI safety, advanced AI systems, or adjacent technical domains or a demonstrated ability to master a new technical domain quickly.
• A track record of proactive story placement and earned media results you can speak to specifically.

Additional Information

Applications deadline: We are conducting interviews actively and aim to fill this role as soon as we find someone suitable.

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