Program Associate (Berkeley, CA)

About CivAI

CivAI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that informs diverse audiences about AI capabilities and dangers in a unique way. Instead of research or whitepapers, we build interactive software demonstrations that provide a deep, intuitive sense of where AI is and where it’s going. We present these demos to targeted audiences—policymakers, interest groups, conferences—and make scalable versions available to the public.

In the past year, we have delivered 60+ briefings to government offices at the federal and state levels, civil society organizations, labor unions, and major media outlets. Our work has been featured nationally on TV with Scripps News and ABC, and in print with CNN, NPR, WaPo, and many others.

CivAI is aiming for a world where people deeply grasp AI capabilities and make better decisions because of it. This is a world that holds AI developers responsible for the externalities they are producing, while also finding use cases that transform lives for the better. CivAI’s work brings a new kind of evidence to the discourse—simple, intuitive, and incontrovertible because users can interact with it firsthand.

If you have any questions about this role, please email [email protected].

About the role

The key responsibility for this role will be to find high-impact audiences for CivAI’s work. This will involve identifying important groups across government and civil society, building relationships with them, and delivering some of CivAI’s evidence-based briefings on AI.

If we think of CivAI as a startup, we can divide the organization into R&D and GTM (go-to-market). While R&D produces concrete evidence (e.g. these public demos), GTM ensures that the work achieves maximum impact with the right audiences. As Program Associate, your role will be to help drive our GTM efforts.

Please note:

• This is not a policy or lobbying role. CivAI is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses solely on education regarding the many impacts of AI.
• We are hiring for this role in either Berkeley or DC. For Berkeley, we welcome applications at all levels (more senior candidates may be hired at the Program Manager level), but for DC only mid-level and above.

Key responsibilities

• Identifying and building relationships with high-impact organizations across government and civil society.
• Developing creative strategies for reaching new audiences and continuing to engage our existing ones, e.g. via our recently-launched quarterly briefings program.
• Creating briefing materials and presentation content tailored to specific audiences.
• Tracking partnership outcomes, and systematizing outreach into a robust process.
• Networking with other actors in the AI space and staying apprised of the overall landscape.

Also, depending on fit:

• Delivering briefing presentations to our audiences.
• Representing CivAI at conferences and events.
• Writing articles and social media posts as part of our public-facing work.
• Contributing to our other work as a non-technical generalist.

You might be a good fit if you:

• Either (a) have a few years of work experience in roles like consulting, partnerships, or policy, or (b) recently graduated with some relevant projects in your portfolio. (More senior candidates may be hired at the Program Manager level.)
• Communicate with clarity and elegance across all mediums. You have written memos, articles, blog posts, or emails that you’re proud of. You’ve also given engaging presentations and run productive meetings with multiple stakeholders.
• Thrive on building and maintaining relationships. You enjoy getting to know people and can build authentic connections with diverse stakeholders.
• Operate with strong personal agency. You proactively initiate new projects and persevere in bringing them to life. You keep projects moving despite multiple workstreams and stakeholders.
• Feel comfortable wearing multiple hats beyond your core responsibilities. We operate as a startup and consider any task within scope.
• Are deeply aligned with CivAI’s mission of helping the world better understand the implications and risks of advanced AI.

Salary and benefits

• The role is full-time and on-site at our office in Berkeley.
• The salary range is $100,000 - $130,000.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• We provide catered lunch and dinner at our office every weekday.
• We may be able to sponsor visas in select cases.

Application process

• Initial application (1.5 hrs) — Resume, links to past work, and short answer questions.
• Hiring manager interview (1 hr) — We’ll work through a case problem and discuss current priorities at CivAI.
• Team interview (45 min) — You'll have a conversation with another member of our team.
• Written take-home test (3 hrs) — You'll come up with a partnership strategy and communicate it to stakeholders.
• Final round interview (4 hrs) — You’ll work through a case problem, give a presentation on your past work, and speak with both founders.
• Reference checks — We'll reach out to the references you provide.

CivAI is an equal opportunity workplace, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, socioeconomic status, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.