Research Program Coordinator

About Constellation

Constellation is an independent research center that brings together people throughout the AI safety ecosystem to accelerate insight, research, and talent through better cooperation. Unlike a conference or summit, Constellation operates continuously, in the form of a physical workspace as well as conference-style talks, workshops, and training bootcamps. Continuous operation allows for relationships and conversations to develop over time, meaningfully fostering trust, collaboration, and shared insight. It also makes Constellation a natural field-building hub by rapidly inspiring, orienting, and connecting people who are newer to the field.

Based in Berkeley, CA, our shared workspace hosts over 200 people per week across dozens of AI safety organizations in nonprofits, academia, industry, and government. Hundreds of other researchers spend time at Constellation for shorter visits each year. We believe this is the strongest and highest-output network of AI safety researchers in the world; dozens of participants in past Constellation programs have gone on to safety-focused roles at companies such as METR, Redwood Research, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and the US and UK Safety Institutes.

About the Role

As a Program Coordinator on the Research Programs Team, you will play a critical role in the research programs that are building the AI safety field’s talent pipeline - owning the operations and systems that make them work. This is a hands-on operations role, but it’s not just about keeping things running. You’ll manage internal communications, maintain key documentation, and drive event programming, while also designing and improving systems, workflows, and structures that shape how the team operates. You'll report to the Manager of Research Programs and work closely with RPMs across the team, owning the operational systems that keep research programs on track.

This role is perfect for someone who cares deeply about our building infrastructure to grow the AI Safety field, thrives on bringing order to complexity, and brings strong operational instincts to a fast-moving team. This is also a meaningful step into research program management, and depending on interest and aptitude, you can grow into research management and program management responsibilities. You don't need to be a researcher yourself; what matters is sharp judgment, curiosity about the work, and a willingness to learn.

Key Responsibilities

Team Operations and Coordination

• Maintain project plans, documentation and sources of truth, ensuring they stay current and accessible
• Prioritise and execute rapidly on iterative improvements to the team’s programs and systems.
• Serve as a reliable point of coordination across the team, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks

Program Operations

• Maintain roadmaps, manage project tools, and track progress across research fellowships run by the Research Programs team.
• Design and improve team structures and systems, including workflows for incorporating feedback into program improvements
• Build communication platforms to support collaboration between groups of research fellows, their mentors, and help them connect to the wider AI Safety network.
• Identify process bottlenecks and recommend solutions that make the team more effective
• Track learnings and feedback to inform ongoing program development

Events Design and Execution

• Partner with the primary RPM on events programming, with the goal of becoming the long-term owner of events over time
• Contribute to event design and execution, including technical workshops for AI researchers and educational sessions for policymakers
• Coordinate event strategy, communications, and logistics
• Ensure excellent attendee experience before, during, and after events

Skills & Experience

You might be a good fit for this role if you:

• You think AI might have transformative effects in the coming years, and want to support the people working to ensure it goes well
• You're highly organized and energized by keeping systems, documentation, and communications running smoothly
• You have strong project management instincts—you naturally track tasks, follow up on loose ends, and keep things moving
• You enjoy designing better processes and systems, not just executing existing ones
• You're comfortable talking with researchers, executives, and policymakers, and can build trust across different audiences
• You have strong communication skills (written and verbal)
• You can manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously without losing the thread
• You're thoughtful and strategic, but also practical about implementation
• You demonstrate initiative and creativity in problem-solving
• You're comfortable with ambiguity and enjoy working in a dynamic, evolving environment
• You're a quick learner who can engage with complex topics
  

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation will depend on experience, but will likely be $114,000 to $137,000 per year.

Our benefits are hard to beat! They include:

• Healthy lunches and dinners catered by our amazing kitchen team
• Unlimited snacks & drinks
• Generous vacation policy
• 401(k) with employer match
• Employer-paid commuter benefits
• High-quality health, dental, and vision insurance
• Friendly and supportive team
• Regular interaction with AI safety researchers and thought leaders

Additional Details 

This is a full time, on-site role. Our Berkeley office is a few steps from the nearest BART (metro) and bus stop. On-site parking is also available.

The ideal candidate for this role will have some combination of the skills and experiences described above. If you are not sure if you are qualified, we strongly encourage you to apply anyway.  Beyond the qualifications outlined, our priority is building a team that will help humanity safely navigate the development of transformative AI.  If you would be excited to do this work, we’d love to consider you.

We value diversity in all respects and base our hiring decisions on the needs of the organization and individual qualifications.  We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age or disability.