kairos-project - Head of SPAR
Requirements
• This could include things like: • Completing an AI safety course from BlueDot, CAIS, or AI Safety Atlas • Reading an AI safety book like The Precipice, The Alignment Problem, Uncontrollable • Engaging with projects like AI 2027, Situational Awareness, etc. • Reading/posting on LessWrong • Note that we don't require experience with AI safety. • What's something unusual you've accomplished (ideally outside of work)? • We're looking for things that don't fit the typical resume—the weirder the better. Think: starting an underground dinner series, speedrunning an obscure video game at a competitive level, building a solar-powered vehicle from scratch, whatever. Can also just be something you're proud of. • Tell us what it was, why it stands out, and what drove you to do it. • Logistical information • What is your career staage? • Undergraduate student • Master's student • 5 years of professional experience)">Mid Career (>5 years of professional experience) • When is your earliest available start date? • Start date context • Please indicate if you have any other time sensitivities we should be aware of or any more context you'd like to provide. • Where are you currently located? • Where do you anticipate working from if you were to be hired for this role? • Will you require visa sponsorship now or at any point in the future? • We might be able to sponsor O-1 US visas, but this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. • If you selected "Other" in the previous question, where do you have work authorization? • Are you interested in similar opportunities at other AI safety organizations? * • We’ll only share your details if you give us permission below. This won’t influence your application decision, and you can opt out at any time by emailing [email protected] • If you selected "Other" in the previous question, please elaborate on whether you'd like us to recommend you and share your information with similar types of AI safety orgs • How did you hear about this opportunity? • Please provide specifics for how you heard about these roles (e.g the name of the Slack workspace you saw it in, which job board you found it from, the name of the person whose LinkedIn post you saw, etc.) • Feel free to share any additional information you think might be relevant. For example, details about your availability, constraints on your potential dedications, or relevant things you left out of your LinkedIn profile. • Submit Application
Responsibilities
• Own SPAR end-to-end. You’ll set the timeline, run mentor and mentee recruiting, manage project matching, overall oversee and own the whole program. Most of the team contributes to SPAR in some capacity, but you’re the one accountable for the round. • Push SPAR to be more ambitious. There are many directions we’re considering: mentor and/or mentee stipends, a third round per year, higher-touch research management, and more. It’ll be up to you to decide and lead the vision for how SPAR will grow and change. • Hire and manage research managers. The plan for a more ambitious version of SPAR likely includes bringing on more people, notably research managers. You’ll own their hiring, onboarding, and management, and likely grow this team further as the program scales. • Maintain and grow mentor relationships. You’ll cultivate relationships with researchers at top labs and orgs, recruit new mentors, and make sure existing ones have a great experience. • Improve the program’s systems. SPAR has a lot of moving parts: applications, matching, check-ins, feedback, project grants, Demo Day. You’ll work with the team to improve and grow these systems. • Contribute to Kairos beyond SPAR. As bandwidth allows, you’ll help shape org-wide strategy, weigh in on new programs, and participate in cross-cutting work.
Benefits
• You’ll be working toward reducing risks from advanced AI, potentially the most important challenge of our time. SPAR shapes who becomes an AI safety researcher and what they work on. • You’ll have real ownership over how SPAR runs and how the program evolves. • SPAR already has a strong brand, a robust mentor and mentee pipeline, and working relationships with most of the top AI safety orgs. • We’re building a world-class team, so you’ll be in good company. Work alongside people from METR, Coefficient Giving, Rethink Priorities, and CEA who share your commitment to impact. • Collaborate regularly with leading AI safety researchers, policy professionals, funders, and organizers. • Base salary: $170,000–$260,000, depending on experience and location, with potential for additional compensation for exceptional candidates • Retirement: 10% 401(k) contribution or equivalent pension contribution • Location: Access to office space in Berkeley, London, or Cambridge, MA; optional coworking elsewhere. If you work from an AI safety office in Berkeley, London, or Boston, we cover food, lunches, and office expenses. • Benefits: Flexible working hours, competitive health insurance, dental and vision coverage, generous vacation policy, and professional development budget • Team retreats: We host all-team retreats twice a year to connect in person, collaborate, and build team culture. • Travel: Work-related travel and expenses covered. • Start date: Ideally by end of July 2026 • Remote, with expected travel a few times a year for conferences and events, predominantly in the US • We’d also be happy for you to work out of any AI safety office in Berkeley, London, Oxford, or Boston. • We prefer candidates who can be available for meetings during the ET time zone. • Visa sponsorship (particularly O-1) may be possible depending on circumstances, but we can’t guarantee it • We’re a small, high-trust team motivated by the urgent challenge of making advanced AI go well. We try hard to figure out where we’re wrong, which means we say uncomfortable things to each other and change our minds fairly often. We value scout mindset, agility, and collaboration with the broader ecosystem over territorial thinking. • We also believe meaningful work should be enjoyable. We support each other’s well-being, celebrate wins, and maintain a healthy sense of humor even when the work is hard. • APPLICATION PROCESS • 1. Application form (10–20 mins) • 2. Screening call (15 mins) • 3. Take-home assignment (1.5–3 hours, paid) • 4. Interview (45 mins) • 5. Reference checks • 6. Work trial (3–4 days, paid) • If you’re excited about this role but unsure whether you meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. • Questions? Reach out at [email protected]. • Know someone who might be a good fit? If your referral gets hired and completes 6 months with us, we’ll pay you a $5,000 referral bonus. Learn more here https://kairos-project.org/referrals.
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