Program Manager

San Francisco, CA March 29, 2026 Full Time Workday

The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) is a leading research and advocacy organization focused on mitigating societal-scale risks from AI. We address AI’s toughest challenges through technical research, field-building initiatives, and policy engagement, along with our other organization, Center for AI Safety Action Fund.

We're seeking a highly skilled Program Manager who is excited by our mission to develop and promote the field of AI safety. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of project management techniques, such as stakeholder management and project planning, and the ability to adapt to a diverse range of projects. In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead important and impactful projects that are critical to the growth and improvement of the AI safety community, including but not limited to fellowships, workshops, publications, convenings, and policy initiatives.

We pride ourselves as being interdisciplinary, and we think this is a unique and exciting opportunity to be on the forefront of this quickly evolving technical field, regardless of previous technical training.

Know someone who could be a great fit for this role? Submit their details through our Referral Form. If we end up hiring your referral, you’ll receive a $1,500 bonus once they’ve been with CAIS for 90 days.

The Center for AI Safety is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. In alignment with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.

If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact [email protected].

We value diversity and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

Conduct preliminary research and exploration for new projects to establish clear goals, scope, and requirements.

Collaborate with the Program Director (PD) to define project plans including objectives, deliverables, timelines, and resources.

Independently gather context in new domains by consulting experts, reviewing research, and using available resources.

Take ownership of project implementation and ensure the project is delivered in line with the agreed scope, timeline, and quality expectations.

Identify, assess, and mitigate risks to ensure successful project execution, address challenges proactively and escalate critical issues to the PD for resolution as needed.

Ensure accurate and comprehensive project documentation and reporting, including setting up maintaining project details in the Project Management Software (PMS)

Demonstrate the ability to push through obstacles and remain agile in the face of changing requirements, adjusting course to ensure milestones and goals are met.

Manage relationships with external partners, vendors or other stakeholders to ensure project requirements are met.

Manage project budgets and resource utilization, including tracking expenses and ensuring alignment with financial goals.

Lead cross-functional teams under PD’s supervision and collaborate effectively with team members and with external stakeholders

Where appropriate, delegates tasks to team members or partners and provides required guidance and supervision

We're looking for someone who is great at:

Taking an idea and shaping it into a program or project, using good judgement to think critically and strategically about the right approach, the right stakeholders, the right scope, etc.

Developing and managing project plans including timelines, budgets, and milestones.

Managing a diverse set of stakeholders and keeping everyone on track to the project goals.

Being agile with adjusting course when internal or external factors shift.

Independently getting context in new domains/project areas from experts, papers, or other channels.

Identifying and managing project risks; escalating effectively when necessary.

Working autonomously, owning projects, and thriving in a small and growing organization.

You might thrive in this role if you:

Have 3+ years of experience.

Are motivated by work that is focused on AI safety and risk.

Are conscientious and produce high quality work.

Are adaptive, able to rapidly transfer to new domains while staying organized.

Are excited by the idea of joining a small and growing team; that kind of collaboration and problem solving drives you.

Are open to new ideas and feedback, honest with yourself and others; at CAIS, even when it’s slightly uncomfortable, we prioritize getting to the best answer.

Are energized to fully own a project; managing the details without losing sight of the bigger picture.

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Program Manager

Key Responsibilities:

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You might thrive in this role if you:

How to Get Hired at Aisafety

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