Chief Operating Officer
The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) is a leading research and field-building organization on a mission to reduce societal-scale risks from AI. Alongside our sister organization, the CAIS Action Fund, we tackle the toughest AI issues with a mix of technical, societal and policy solutions. Our work includes publishing a global statement on AI Risk signed by Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio and CEOs from the major AI labs and running a large compute cluster for global academic researchers working on AI safety research.
CAIS is seeking a strategic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to partner with the Director, Dan Hendrycks, to establish and drive strategic initiatives that will shape the future of AI safety, ensuring that our research translates into real-world impact and influences global policy on AI. As COO of CAIS, you’ll have a broad scope of responsibility that includes strategic planning through execution and improvement. You and your teams will oversee internal operations, such as staffing, program management, finance, compliance, and legal as well as external work, such as communications, partnership development and fundraising.
The ideal candidate will have experience working in small organizations (<100 people) and leading multiple teams. They should possess strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills, along with a familiarity of and commitment to AI safety and risk.
In this role, you will provide:
Team Management: Manage and develop staff by recruiting, training, and mentoring employees, fostering a positive work environment, providing feedback through performance reviews, and overseeing hiring and resource planning.Operations Management: Oversee project lifecycles and organizational operations by setting and tracking key goals, optimizing productivity and cost-efficiency, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance and managing financesProgram and Partnership Development: Lead strategic program and partnership efforts by aligning development activities with program goals, strengthening existing and potential partnerships, identifying new collaborative opportunities, and working with leadership to implement innovative initiatives.Organizational Strategy: Assist executive leadership with strategic planning, provide regular reports and updates on development activities, and drive organizational growth initiatives.Fundraising: Develop fundraising strategies and oversee execution; cultivate and maintain relationships with stakeholders, and support marketing and communications in partnership with the Director of Communications. We're looking for someone who is great at:
Operations and Compliance: You bring demonstrable experience in managing organizational operations, from project oversight and goal-setting to ensuring legal compliance, financial reporting, and cost-effective practices.Program and Partnership Development: You have a strong track record in leading strategic program initiatives, identifying collaborative opportunities, and fostering partnerships that drive organizational impact.Fundraising. You bring a proven track record of successful development or fundraising experience within the nonprofit sector.Communication and Networking: You have exceptional communication, interpersonal, and networking abilities, essential for building relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders.Strategic Thinking and Problem-Solving: You’re a creative, strategic thinker who can develop programmatic goals and apply a proactive approach to problem-solving.Leadership and Collaboration: You demonstrate excellent leadership and teamwork skills, excelling in collaboration with program and executive teams to drive impactful initiatives.Attention to Detail and High Standards: You’re conscientious, detail-oriented, and able to maintain a high standard of quality, even when juggling multiple priorities. You might thrive in this for this role if you:
Are passionate about CAIS’s mission and are motivated by work that focuses on AI safety and societal impact.Enjoy developing big-picture strategic goals while driving execution forwardProvide strong leadership skills, leading by example and mentorshipHave proven success in developing effective and strong teamsAre able to work independently while contributing to a team-oriented environment.Thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments and adjust strategies as new information arises.Manage all project details with a strong sense of ownership, balancing short-term tasks with long-term goals, and you’re comfortable working independently while welcoming feedback. The Center of AI Safety is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
The Center for AI Safety values candidates of all backgrounds. If you find yourself excited by the position but you don't check every box in the description, we encourage you to apply anyway!
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