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. The Special Projects Associate partners closely with the Executive Director and Managing Director to identify, evaluate, and launch new initiatives at the earliest stages of CAIS’s project pipeline. You’ll lead the full lifecycle—investigating new opportunities, drafting clear project briefs, building timelines and budgets, and driving delivery through our project-management system. Along the way, you’ll coordinate researchers, vendors, and other stakeholders, monitor risks, and keep leadership informed with crisp documentation and reporting. This hands-on role sits at CAIS’s “discovery” frontier, turning ambitious AI-safety concepts into concrete results with speed, rigor, and constant attention to mission alignment. AI-safety communication is at a genuine inflection point. AI safety videos, articles, and social posts are now reaching millions, and public curiosity is compounding by the week. CAIS aims to harness this surge by spinning up several high-leverage projects on an accelerated timeline.
Key Functions & Responsibilities:
Partner with the Executive Director to generate and rapidly evaluate new project ideas.
Conduct preliminary research—interviews, literature reviews, competitive scans—to define clear goals, scope, and success metrics.
Work with the Managing Director to build detailed project plans (objectives, deliverables, timelines, resources, budgets).
Independently ramp up in new domains by consulting experts and synthesizing available research and data.
Own day-to-day execution, ensuring projects stay on scope, on time, and on budget.
Monitor risks and obstacles; escalate critical issues to the Managing Director with recommended solutions.
Maintain up-to-date project records in our project-management system, producing concise status reports for leadership.
Stay agile when requirements change—re-prioritizing tasks and adjusting timelines as needed.
Coordinate smoothly with researchers, vendors, and other external partners to secure inputs and approvals.
Track budgets and resource utilization, flagging variances early and aligning spending with CAIS’s financial goals.
Draft or review key communications (updates, launch materials, partner announcements) to ensure messaging is clear and mission-aligned.
Required Knowledge and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (public policy, international relations, computer science, or similar) ; an advanced degree is a plus but not required.
1–2 years in startups, business operations, program/project management, consulting, or a closely related area.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment.
Proven ability to scope and understand new subject areas quickly.
Strong analytical skills for evaluating project feasibility, impact, and risk.
Excellent written and verbal skills; able to present complex ideas clearly to diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated success managing multiple workstreams, deadlines, and stakeholder communications simultaneously.
Experience coordinating events, processes, or other operational logistics.
Self-motivated and comfortable working independently to drive projects forward.
Proficiency with project-management platforms, spreadsheets, and basic financial/budget tracking.
Strong interest in AI safety, emerging technologies, and mitigating catastrophic risks.
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 contact@safe.ai. We value diversity and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.
