Program Lead, AIxBio

Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative•Cambridge, MA

9d•$110,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative (CBAI) is a nonprofit research organization focused on advancing research and education for the safe and beneficial transition to advanced AI systems. CBAI produces original research and accelerates AI safety research through fellowship programs. Following a successful 2025 launch, CBAI is scaling rapidly in 2026, expanding its fellowship cycles, cohort size, and team. The Program Lead, AIxBio will serve as the founding organizer of CBAI's new AIxBio Research Fellowship, a program at the intersection of AI and biosecurity. This role involves owning the strategic and operational direction of the AIxBio program, managing Research Managers, leading mentor recruitment and relationships, and building the fellowship into a high-impact research environment in Cambridge. The position requires close collaboration with CBAI's Director of Programs and organizational leadership to ensure coherence with CBAI's mission and infrastructure, and alignment with the broader AI safety fellowship program. The role is split between Program Strategy & Development (0.7 FTE) and Stakeholder Management (0.3 FTE).

Requirements

Deep familiarity with AI x biosecurity, with meaningful experience in or at the intersection of biosecurity and AI (research, policy, field-building, or program leadership).
Ability to engage credibly with mentors and fellows working on capability evaluations, dual-use research governance, or adjacent agendas.
A builder's orientation: excitement for launching something new, ability to operate with ambiguity, make good decisions with incomplete information, and build systems that outlast direct involvement.
Strong relationship-building skills: ability to build trust with senior researchers and institutional partners, and understanding of what makes a collaboration worthwhile for busy experts.
Strategic and operational range: ability to think at the program design and organizational strategy level while also being hands-on when needed.
Excellent communication skills: clear writing, compelling presentation, and feedback that moves things forward.
People leadership experience: experience managing or mentoring others, with satisfaction in helping a team succeed; ability to give clear direction, create psychological safety, and hold people accountable with care.
Mission-motivated: belief in the seriousness of biosecurity risks from AI and a desire to contribute to building a field of researchers and policy thinkers working on them.
Credibility to recruit and retain excellent mentors.
Judgment to shape a high-quality research environment.
Leadership capacity to manage a small team.
U.S. work authorization required (OPT accepted).

Nice To Haves

Existing relationships in the biosecurity, AI safety, or adjacent research communities.
Experience launching or directing a research program, fellowship, or academic initiative.
Published research or policy work in a relevant domain.

Responsibilities

Own the strategic vision and continuous improvement of the AIxBio Research Fellowship across cycles.
Design the program end-to-end, from the fellow selection process to incorporating stakeholder inputs.
Design program structures, including mentor matching, fellow selection criteria, research goal frameworks, and cohort programming, in collaboration with CBAI's Research Program Associate and research managers.
Develop evaluation frameworks to assess fellow outcomes and program effectiveness.
Identify and pursue opportunities to deepen CBAI's presence in the Cambridge biosecurity research ecosystem.
Collaborate with CBAI program leadership to ensure cross-program coherence and resource alignment.
Manage AIxBio Research Managers, providing guidance, feedback, and support.
Lead mentor recruitment: identify, outreach to, and onboard biosecurity and AI researchers as mentors.
Maintain strong ongoing relationships with mentors, SecureBio, Coefficient Giving, and other program partners.
Serve as the primary point of contact for mentors throughout the fellowship cycle, in coordination with research managers.