Director of Operations

Constellation is a nonprofit research center whose mission is to help the world navigate the development of transformative AI. We host and support researchers from nonprofit organizations, universities, companies, think tanks, and government. Our programs accelerate research and develop talent across the AI safety field.

We’re seeking a Director of Operations to help grow and run Constellation’s operations.  Reporting to the COO, this person will be responsible for managing and scaling many of Constellation’s core operational functions. The exact scope will depend on a variety of factors, including the candidate’s preferences and experience, but will include our program operations team and possibly business and recruiting operations as well.

We’re a small, fast-paced, and flexible team (as of writing, the Constellation team is ~15 people). Candidates should be excited about working entrepreneurially in an ambiguous, rapidly changing environment while helping the organization develop an appropriate degree of operational rigor.

Example Responsibilities

• ‍Oversee critical ongoing operational functions, including:
  • Site operations: Facilities, security, space setup & maintenance, basic IT, supplies
  • Event operations: Setup & teardown, registration, security, food, A/V
  • Network operations: Support logistics for researchers and other program participants hosted at Constellation; on/offboarding, travel & lodging logistics, and qualitatively tracking user experience
  • Catering operations: Overseeing our in-house catering operation
  • Possibly recruiting operations: Overseeing an efficient recruiting pipeline that provides excellent hires for managers and great experiences for candidates
  • Possibly business operations: Finance, legal, HR, and some additional functions

• Oversee the execution of complex programs, such as facilities renovations or security upgrades
• Guide the development of processes and systems that increase efficiency and scale
• Contribute to strategic planning and translate company strategy into plans for operations teams
• Assess and make large-scale decisions such as major vendor partnerships
• Manage strategic relationships (e.g. key vendor partners, property management, etc.)

Requirements

• Reliable tracking, prioritization, and management of a high volume of projects, threads, and deadlines
• Stakeholder management and buy-in, inside and outside the organization
• Complex modeling and analysis, both quantitative and qualitative
• Low-friction, appropriately robust process design
• Excellent at distilling complex, ambiguous information to their core insights
• Strong interpersonal skills that can build relationships and skillfully navigate conversations at all levels of an organization
• Recruiting, managing, motivating, developing, and retaining exceptional team members to develop a  cohesive team that works effectively together

Compensation and Logistics

$165,000 - $235,000 a year

This is a full time, on-site role. We may be willing to sponsor visas for this role, though our ability to do so may depend on the circumstances. We would like the candidate to start as soon as possible after receiving an offer, though there is some flexibility. We offer catered lunches and dinners, 401(k) and cover PPO health, dental, and vision insurance.

Our office is in downtown Berkeley, CA, thirteen seconds from the nearest BART (metro) stop.

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.