Manager, Programs

Center for AI Safety (CAIS) • San Francisco, CA

5d • $110,000 - $150,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) is hiring a Manager, Programs to run programs that bring together researchers, students, policymakers, and professionals working to advance AI safety. Programs include fellowships, workshops, convenings, speaker series, and educational courses. The manager owns programs from planning through delivery and evaluation, while helping make them repeatable and better over time. The role reports to the Senior Manager, Programs and works closely with the Programs team. The Senior Manager sets portfolio direction and priorities; the Manager develops and executes program plans, recruits participants and speakers, manages partners and budgets, oversees delivery, and captures lessons learned. Program assignments may include running a fellowship cohort, developing a workshop from an initial brief, coordinating a researcher and policymaker convening, or documenting an established program so it can be repeated. A technical AI background is not required, but candidates should understand why AI safety matters and be able to discuss it credibly. The position is based in San Francisco, California, and requires working on-site five days per week; local candidates only.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of experience running programs that convene people, such as fellowships, workshops, conferences, speaker series, or community or educational programs, including end-to-end delivery ownership.
• Experience managing multiple programs or workstreams simultaneously and prioritizing effectively across them.
• Strong project planning skills, including timelines, budgets, milestones, and follow-through.
• Experience managing diverse stakeholders, including external partners and vendors.
• Ability to learn quickly in unfamiliar domains by consulting experts, reading papers, and using other sources.
• Agility when internal or external factors change, with good judgment about when to adjust course and when to escalate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Conscientiousness and a high standard for quality; openness to feedback and honest communication, including in uncomfortable situations.
• Genuine understanding of why AI safety matters and ability to explain it in one's own words.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• This is not a technical project management, product management, or software delivery role; it requires experience owning programs rather than only supporting them.
• Must be a local candidate able to work on-site in San Francisco five days per week.

Nice To Haves

• Existing relationships in the AI safety, AI research, or AI policy community.
• Experience in a research organization, AI or technology company, or policy or field-building organization.
• Experience at an early-stage or fast-growing mission-driven organization.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Senior Manager, Programs to turn program goals into plans covering audience, format, participants, timeline, and budget.
• Conduct preliminary research to clarify the goals and requirements of new programs.
• Recruit and select participants, speakers, and facilitators, and develop agendas and formats that foster productive conversations and lasting connections.
• Gather context in unfamiliar domains by consulting experts, reviewing research, and using available resources.
• Own program delivery end to end and ensure programs meet agreed scope, timeline, and quality expectations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks, address challenges proactively, and escalate critical issues to the Senior Manager when needed.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive program documentation and reporting, including program details in project management software.
• Manage relationships with external partners, vendors, and other stakeholders to meet program requirements.
• Track program budgets and expenses and align spending with financial goals.
• Coordinate cross-functional teammates and external partners to deliver programs.
• Delegate tasks to contractors, partners, or program support staff as appropriate, providing clear guidance and follow-through.
• Evaluate programs after delivery and document lessons to support repetition and improvement.

Benefits

• Health insurance for the employee and dependents.
• 401(k) plan with 4% matching.
• Unlimited paid time off.
• Lunch and dinner at the office.
• Annual professional development stipend.
• Access to talent working on technical and conceptual research in AI safety.
• Referral program with a $1,500 bonus if a referred candidate is hired and remains at CAIS for 90 days.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level