Program Manager (Berkeley, CA)

City background

About CivAI

CivAI is a non-profit that educates policymakers and the public about AI risks using live software demonstrations. To date, CivAI has delivered 200+ briefings to influential civil society organizations, dozens of Members of Congress, and Members of Parliament around the world. These briefings cover serious risks from advanced AI, including cyber threats, economic upheaval, fraud, biosecurity, surveillance, and loss of control to AI systems.

CivAI regularly meets with policymakers, their staffs, and other high-leverage audiences to present our software demonstrations. As a 501(c)(3), CivAI does not make specific policy recommendations. Instead, CivAI acts in an educational capacity to provide a visceral understanding of AI capabilities and risks.

CivAI’s work has been featured on national television and in print by ABC News, Fox News, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, TIME, CNN, and many others.

About the role

As a Program Manager, you will work to expand CivAI’s reach and support our work providing AI education to policymakers and the public. You will research new briefings (e.g. Claude Mythos), write communications for high level decision makers, and come up with new programs to expand CivAI’s reach.

This is a broad role where your responsibilities might shift by the day. You'll move between strategy, policy, communications, writing, research, and operations. CivAI operates as a fast-paced startup, and this role requires the flexibility to contribute as needed.

We'd love to hear from you. If you have any questions about this role, please email us at [email protected].

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In this role, you will:

  • Prepare briefings and presentations for high-level decision makers, informing them of frontier AI developments and their societal impacts
  • Write memos, readouts, and other touch points for influential audiences
  • Develop creative strategies for expanding the reach of CivAI’s work by leveraging our core competencies
  • Plan and coordinate educational events designed for audiences to intuitively grasp where AI is going
  • Track and analyze outcomes, and build methods for systematizing CivAI’s efforts into a robust process
  • Collaborate with AI experts to identify worldviews and insights that CivAI should convey to the broader public
  • Network with other actors in the AI space and stay up-to-date on AI news, policy, and development

You may be a good fit if you:

  • Either (a) have a few years of work experience in areas like consulting, startups, or policy, or (b) recently graduated with some relevant projects in your portfolio.
  • Communicate with clarity and elegance across all mediums. You have written memos, articles, blog posts, or papers that you’re proud of.
  • 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.
  • Follow the AI policy discourse taking place in Washington and around the world.
  • 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 $140,000 to $175,000.
  • Health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
  • Catered lunch and dinner at our office every weekday.
  • We may be able to sponsor visas in select cases.

Application process

  • Initial application (1 hr) — Resume and short answer questions.
  • Hiring manager interview (1 hr) — We'll work through a problem together 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 be given a take-home challenge.
  • Reference checks — We'll reach out to the references you provide.
  • Final round interview (4 hrs) — You’ll meet with our team in person in Berkeley, CA.

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.