Research Manager, AI Safety

Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative, Cambridge, Massachusetts

The role

We’re open to hiring for this role at different levels. For the right fit, we are open to this role being structured as a Senior Research Manager, and compensation will be commensurate with experience and expected scope, which could be above the pay rate listed here.

You'll work closely with research fellows and their mentors — renowned researchers from Cambridge and beyond — to support cutting-edge work on interpretability, AI control, formal verification for provably safe AI, evaluations, and various topics in AI governance & policy. We're interested in hiring research managers with technical research experience and governance & policy research experience.

What you need

We expect you to be characterized by most of the qualities listed below.

All jobs

Research Manager, AI Safety

Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative, Cambridge, Massachusetts

The role

What you need

We expect you to be characterized by most of the qualities listed below.

Selection process

We use a multi-stage process to find the right fit:

Application Review: We review applications on a rolling basis and invite strong candidates to phone screens. We take the hiring process seriously, and this means your application will be reviewed in detail by our recruiters.
Initial Screen (30 minutes): A conversation with a CBAI team member whose focus matches your area of interest (AI governance and policy, or technical AI safety). We’ll ask how you think about research management, your theory of change for field-building, and what draws you to CBAI and its vision. We’ll also answer your questions about the role.
Paid Test Task: Strong candidates from the initial screen will receive a written test task that mirrors actual research manager responsibilities. Examples include giving feedback on a research proposal, designing program components, creating evaluation frameworks, or suggesting a program design change based on feedback. You’ll have a fixed amount of time to complete it.
Interview: Top candidates from the test task will be invited to remote interviews and/or an interview day with our team at our office in Harvard Square, Cambridge. We will coordinate scheduling and logistics, and cover the associated travel costs. Interviews may include:
Discussion of your test task submission
Case study of fellowship program scenarios
Conversations with CBAI team members and potentially a fellow
A deep dive into your approach to research management
Reference Checks: For our top finalists, we’ll conduct reference checks and a final conversation to make sure the fit works both ways. We’ll discuss logistics, answer remaining questions, and clarify expectations.
Offer: Selected candidates will receive an offer and detailed onboarding information.

In acknowledgement of the research that suggests that women, gender minorities, and other marginalized groups may be less likely to apply for roles where they don’t meet every criterion, we especially encourage people in these categories to apply.

We may use AI to assist in the initial screening of applications, including to detect whether candidates have used AI models in drafting their application. Decisions are always made by a human on our team.

Research Manager, AI Safety

The role

What you need

Research Manager, AI Safety

The role

What you need

Nice to have

About Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative

Research management (0.7 fte)

Program management & development (0.3 fte)

Why this role may not be the right fit

Role details and benefits

We also provide

Selection process

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Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative