Operations - Program Management, People and Organization Infrastructure, Systems Development

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply  here for consideration.  

About The Organization

MATS Research aims to find and train talented individuals for what we see as the world's most urgent and talent-constrained problem: reducing risks from advanced artificial intelligence. Our mission is to maximize the impact and development of emerging researchers through mentorship, guidance, and resources. We believe that ambitious researchers from a variety of backgrounds have the potential to contribute to the fields of AI alignment, control, security, and governance research. Through our research fellowship, we aim to provide the mentorship, financial support, and community necessary to aid this transition. Please see  the MATS website for more details.  

We are generally looking for candidates who:  

• Are excited to work in a fast-paced environment and are comfortable switching responsibilities and projects as the needs of MATS change;  
• Are self-motivated and can take on new responsibilities within MATS over time.  

The operations team at MATS supports a wide variety of organizational functions, from bookkeeping and digital infrastructure to facilities maintenance and human resources. We strive for continuous improvement in the tools and processes we build, as well as attentive and responsive support for the teams and people we are helping.  

About the role

We're looking for proactive and dedicated operations professionals to enable the MATS program in Berkeley, California to scale and provide the best-possible experience to our scholars. As an Operations Generalist at MATS, you'll support scholars, mentors, and team members to enable them to better focus on object-level work. We are looking to fill roles in program and office management, organization and people infrastructure, and technical systems development.  

The specific mix of responsibilities will be shaped by your skills and interests as well as the evolving needs of the organization. You might focus on scholar onboarding and visa processes, coordinating events and visitors, maintaining vendor relationships and office facilities, or building and refining internal systems and workflows. You may also contribute to admissions, hiring, budgeting, alumni engagement, and special projects that strengthen our programs and infrastructure. Ideal candidates are detail-oriented, service-minded, technically adept, and adaptable to the changing needs of a dynamic research program.  

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) role based in Berkeley, California during our Berkeley program, with possible flexibility for hybrid or remote work in between cohorts.  

Who We're Looking For

MATS is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming work environment. We welcome applications from individuals with varied backgrounds, and we strongly encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every qualification listed. If one or more of the following profiles resonates with you, we'd love to hear from you:  

• Operations or project managers  
• Office managers  
• Human Resources / People Operations professionals  
• Bookkeeping and accounting professionals  
• Community builders, especially in the AI alignment, control, security, and governance research space  
• Generalists in small or growing organizations  
• Those with experience in start-ups, tech, and/or non-profits  
• Builders of digital infrastructure systems and automations to support scaling  
• People who love bringing order to chaos and naturally create repeatable systems and processes  

We know that resumes and careers don't always fit a particular mold; if you believe that something in your background or skillset makes you a good match for this role, we encourage you to apply even if your background does not match those listed above.  

Job responsibilities

An Operations Generalist's primary role is to ensure the smooth functioning of the organization and program activities, while also being responsive to emerging needs and special projects.  The exact responsibilities of the role will vary depending on the successful candidate's skills and interests and on MATS' priorities over time, but may include work across the following areas:  

Program and Office Management, and Events  

• Support scholar needs and requests, helping create a comfortable and productive environment  
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding, including visa administration, documentation, scheduling, and communication  
• Manage relationships with vendors and visitors, and oversee office facilities and basic maintenance  
• Support program admissions and address requests for equipment, supplies, and resources  
• Plan and run events such as speaker lectures, lightning talks, and the scholar symposium  

People and Organization Infrastructure  

• Contribute to HR, hiring, recruiting, budgeting, and financial management  
• Maintain and update policies and documentation  
• Drive process improvements and support diverse projects across MATS  
• Strengthen scholar alumni engagement and community-building initiatives  
• Collaborate with Research, Community, and Program teams to align support for scholars  
• Own and support special projects, such as exploring new initiatives  

Systems and Technical Tools Development  

• Design, build, and maintain the organization's centralized database in Airtable and the internal knowledge and project tracking database in Notion, or propose better systems we can use, in ways that ensure consistent data integrity and user access  
• Increase organizational efficiency by automating workflows and refining internal digital tools  
• Conduct data analysis to inform organization-wide performance metrics, technology investments, support scaling  
• Own and support special projects, such as improving, redesigning, and proposing new digital infrastructure  

Essential Qualifications

To succeed in this role, candidates should bring:  

• 2+ years of relevant professional experience  
• Strong organization, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills  
• Sound judgment and decision-making ability  
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills  
• Service mindset and proactive work ethic; able to identify improvements and take initiative  
• Alignment with MATS' mission  

Desired Qualifications

We expect the most competitive applicants to have one or more of the following:  

General

• Adaptability and willingness to take on varied responsibilities  
• Strong attention to detail  
• Experience leveraging AI tools for productivity  
• Knowledge of visa processes and international program administration  
• Capacity to manage a high volume of concurrent tasks and requests  
• Customer service orientation and interest in helping others succeed  
• Familiarity with the core ideas of AI alignment and security  

Technical

• Strong competence with Airtable, Google Suite, Slack, and Notion  
• Experience with  
  • technical support  
  • ticketing systems,  
  • customer relation databases, applicant tracking systems software  
  • graphic design, video editing, web design, branding  
  • data analysis  
• Ability to design, automate, and troubleshoot workflows and web-based platforms  

Experience

• Work in educational programs such as study abroad, fellowship programs, or university education or summer camps  
• Experience with AI research training initiatives similar to MATS  
• Financial administration (budget tracking, expense monitoring, reporting)  
• Community-building and alumni engagement  
• Event coordination, including A/V for conferences or seminars  
• Education or certification in project or operations management  

What We Offer

• Opportunity to help accelerate and launch the careers of talented AI alignment, control, security, and governance researchers  
• Professional development and skill enhancement opportunities  
• Flexibility for remote work between cohorts  
• Collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment  
• Access to AI safety-focused office spaces in Berkeley  
• Medical insurance, including dental and vision, and life insurance  
• Traditional and Roth 401(k) options  
• Meals provided Monday-Friday  

Visa sponsorship may be possible but is not guaranteed; we encourage all interested candidates to apply!  

Compensation

Compensation for this role is $85,000 - $155,000 per year.  

How to apply

Please fill out the form  here. If you use an LLM chatbot or other AI tools in this application, please follow  these norms. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to candidates that apply by October 19th. The anticipated start date for this role is December 1st.  

MATS is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment at the forefront of our field. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.  

Join us in shaping the future of AI alignment, control, security, and governance research!