Office Manager

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

6d • $40 - $50 • Onsite

About The Position

The Center for AI Safety (CAIS), a research and advocacy organization focused on mitigating societal-scale risks from AI, is hiring an Office Manager for its San Francisco office. This is a full-time, on-site role for local candidates. The Office Manager reports to the Senior Manager of Operations and owns day-to-day office operations for a growing team of about 30 people, with plans to grow to about 50. The role is hands-on and includes responsibility for maintaining a functional, welcoming workspace, coordinating operational requests, improving processes, and supporting the People Operations, IT, and Finance functions.

The Office Manager manages meals and snacks, vendors, facilities, building access, visitor logistics, onboarding and offboarding setup, and in-office events. The role also supports remote employees, contractors, and guests visiting the office; coordinates recruiting logistics; maintains operational documentation and trackers; and helps with projects such as an office move or build-out. Some event setup may occur after hours or on weekends, though this is seldom. Building maintenance and related matters may require after-hours coverage when needed.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of experience in office management, workplace operations, administrative operations, or a similar hands-on role, including experience owning an office or operations function with minimal oversight.
• Experience managing vendors and tracking a budget.
• Strong organization and follow-through, with the ability to manage many small tasks and context-switch without losing track of them.
• Friendly, professional presence and sound judgment about priorities.
• Clear, friendly written and verbal communication, including the ability to share updates and process changes with the whole team.
• High agency, low ego, proactive problem-solving, reliable follow-through, and willingness to handle any task.
• Discretion when handling sensitive information, including personnel matters, access lists, and vendor relationships.
• Comfort with physical, on-your-feet work such as receiving deliveries and rearranging spaces, and lifting up to 30 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Genuine interest in AI safety and CAIS’s mission.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a startup, research organization, or nonprofit.
• Experience supporting a team through rapid growth, an office move, or a build-out.
• Experience planning internal events.
• Experience with recruiting coordination or basic finance administration, such as invoices and expenses.
• Familiarity with workplace and vendor tools such as Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, DoorDash for Business, and Forkable.
• Comfort using AI tools to work faster.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day office operations and keep the workspace functional and welcoming.
• Manage the office meal and snack program, including vendors, pantry stock, and gathering feedback about team preferences and dietary needs.
• Serve as the primary contact with building management and oversee maintenance, security, janitorial services, repairs, space requests, and small improvement projects, including after-hours coverage when needed.
• Manage building access and visitor logistics, including key card requests and access records.
• Coordinate office vendors, including cleaning, supplies, and maintenance, and hold them to clear expectations.
• Work with the managed IT provider on in-office equipment, setup, and access for new and departing staff.
• Prepare office onboarding and offboarding, including welcome kits, workspace setup, access, and first-day orientation in partnership with People Operations.
• Set up all-hands meetings, celebrations, and in-office events, and partner with the external events team on larger events.
• Support remote employees, contractors, and guests when they visit the office.
• Identify office processes that are broken or missing and propose improvements.
• Keep standard operating procedures current and identify gaps before they become problems.
• Find opportunities to automate recurring work using AI tools and other software while keeping a person involved where appropriate.
• Support operational projects as needed, including an office move or build-out.
• Act as the first point of contact for staff questions and operations requests, tracking them through resolution.
• Handle ad hoc requests from CAIS leadership, Operations, and other teams, including logistics, scheduling, and light research; share updates with the organization as needed.
• Coordinate recruiting logistics, including interview scheduling, candidate communication, and hiring trackers.
• Support People Operations, IT, and Finance with day-to-day tasks such as account setup, tool access, People programs, invoices, and receipts.
• Keep Operations documentation and trackers current.

Benefits

• Health insurance for the employee and dependents.
• 401K plan with 4% matching.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Lunch and dinner at the office.
• Annual Professional Development Stipend.
• Access to some of the top talent working on technical and conceptual research in AI safety.
• Eligible for overtime.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed