Technical Program Manager, AI Safety

Lila Sciences • Cambridge, MA

1d

About The Position

Lila is building a talent-dense, high-agency AI safety team that will engage all core teams within the organization (science, model training, lab integration, etc) to prepare for risks from scientific superintelligence. We are looking for a Senior or Principal Technical Program Manager to join our AI Research team and serve as a critical operational force behind our AI safety work. In this role, you will be the connective tissue between our researchers, model development teams, engineering, policy stakeholders, and leadership — translating complex, fast-moving research programs into structured, accountable execution. While not an ML researcher yourself, you must be genuinely curious about the technical substance of AI safety work, and able to clearly articulate what our efforts are trying to accomplish. The successful candidate will be someone who thrives in ambiguity, communicates exceptionally well across audiences, and knows how to build clarity and momentum in a fast paced and rapidly growing team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• 6+ years of program or project management experience in the technology or life sciences field.
• Proven experience in program management, leading cross-functional teams and driving programs to successful completion.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn technical requirements into actionable program roadmaps.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; a track record of producing executive-quality documents, roadmaps, and updates that drive decisions.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience in AI/ML research or product organizations, ideally in a program management or research operations capacity.
• Working familiarity with AI safety concepts — alignment, red-teaming, evaluations, responsible scaling — sufficient to engage credibly with researchers and ask good questions.
• Experience managing programs that span safety, compliance, or governance workstreams, particularly in the context of model development and deployment.
• Enthusiastic about emerging technologies and experienced in driving rapid experimentation and program iteration.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the key communication interface between the AI safety team and the research, science and technical teams, effectively communicating complex outcomes and securing necessary resources.
• Set up the organisational information flows that allow for this communication to happen with speed at scale.
• Drive accountability across distributed, cross-functional teams without relying on direct authority; build consensus through clear communication and sound judgment.
• Implement best practices for rapid experimentation and iteration, facilitating efficient and agile program progression.
• Develop clear documentation and reporting to communicate vision, track progress, and align initiatives with organizational priorities.
• Represent program status and risks accurately and confidently, even when the picture is uncertain or evolving.

Benefits

• medical, dental, and vision coverage
• employer-paid life and disability insurance
• flexible time off with generous company wide holidays
• paid parental leave
• an educational assistance program
• commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees
• a company subsidized lunch program

What This Job Offers

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