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Research Management Associate 

GovAI was founded to help humanity navigate the transition to a world with advanced AI. One way we accomplish that mission is by supporting the professional development of promising AI governance researchers and practitioners. We are looking for a Research Management Associate to support those efforts.

As Research Management Associate, you will work closely with GovAI’s Research Manager, Emma Bluemke. Initially, you will learn from and help our Research Manager organise and execute on GovAI’s talent development programmes, with the aim of you taking primary responsibility for the Winter Fellowship in Q1 2025. 

In the longer term, about one year in, we expect you to take on a broader set of research management responsibilities in support of, or in collaboration with, our Research Manager. In addition to talent development, these responsibilities could encompass providing feedback to GovAI’s researchers, collaborating with them on some types of research projects, and building systems to help them select research topics; find collaborators, assistants, and contractors; elicit useful feedback; and disseminate their research effectively. Your exact responsibilities will depend on your relative strengths and GovAI’s needs.

Applications for this position are now open. The deadline for applications is 10 March 2024 at 23:59 GMT.

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About the Team

GovAI was founded to help humanity navigate the transition to a world with advanced AI. Our first research agenda, published in 2018, helped define and shape the nascent field of AI governance. Our team and affiliate community possess expertise in a wide variety of domains, including AI regulation, responsible development practices, compute governance, AI company corporate governance, US-China relations, and AI progress forecasting.

GovAI researchers have closely advised decision makers in government, industry, and civil society. Our researchers have also published in top peer-reviewed journals and conferences, including International Organization, NeurIPS, and Science. Our alumni have gone on to roles in government, in both the US and UK; top AI companies, including DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic; top think tanks, including the Centre for Security and Emerging Technology and RAND; and top universities, including the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

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Role Description 

As Research Management Associate, you will work closely with GovAI’s Research Manager on our key talent programmes. Initial responsibilities will include:

• Support our Research Manager with the execution of the Summer Fellowship 2024. This includes setting up events for the Fellows, providing feedback on their work, and sometimes leading on check-ins with the Fellows.
• Take point on preparing the Winter Fellowship 2025. This includes facilitating Fellow-Supervisor pairing and topic selection, as well as engaging with potential guest speakers and arranging events with them. 
• Take ownership of executing the Winter Fellowship 2025. This includes being primarily responsible for the experience of the Fellows while at GovAI, setting up and facilitating events, and regularly meeting with them to help them overcome challenges in their research or other aspects of the Fellowship. 
• Take on various administrative tasks currently done by the Research Manager. This includes scheduling and managing internal research events; assembling GovAI’s quarterly newsletter; being responsible for liaising with contractors for copy-editing, LaTeX conversions, designing figures, etc.; and being the point person for short-term visitors to GovAI.

Depending on your interests and skills, there is room for the role to develop further into several directions after the Winter Fellowship 2025. Options include:

• Design and implement processes for selecting research topics, finding collaborators, and disseminating research effectively.
• Contribute substantially to the screening and selection of new research staff at GovAI.
• Provide feedback on research and write or edit relevant research summaries.
• Build, oversee, and refine systems that improve GovAI’s intellectual environment, e.g. source speakers for internal events, provide other platforms for intellectual exchange, or implement research feedback systems.
• Take responsibility for running impact evaluations and assessing the current state of our talent programmes, recommending pathways for improvement, and executing on those pathways.

Selection Criteria

We’re selecting for candidates who are:

• Excited by the opportunity to use their careers to positively influence the lasting impact of artificial intelligence, in line with our organisation’s mission

• Highly organised and competent at project management. This role will require the ability to manage complicated and concurrent work streams and we need someone who can demonstrate highly structured work habits, confidence in prioritising between tasks, and a conscientious approach to organisation.
• Able to support our Summer/Winter Research Fellows in overcoming challenges in their work and to hold them accountable for their projects. Experience with research or research management is a strong plus here.
• Highly professional, can communicate clearly and concisely with a wide range of stakeholders, and are able to competently act as GovAI’s representative towards the Fellows and Fellowship guests.
• Motivated by a drive to excellence, want to produce valuable results, and seek out feedback and opportunities to improve their skills.
• Good at working as part of a team and able to take high-level directions from our Research Manager in a collaborative working relationship.
• At least somewhat knowledgeable about the field of AI governance.

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Salary and Location

This position is full-time. Our offices are located in Oxford, UK, and we strongly prefer team members to be based here, although we are open to hiring individuals who require short periods of remote work. We are able to sponsor visas. 

The Research Management Associate will be compensated in line with our salary principles. As such, the salary for this role will depend on the successful applicant’s experience, but we expect the range to be between £50,000 (~$63,000) and £65,000 (~$82,000). In rare cases where salary considerations would prevent a candidate from accepting an offer, there may also be some flexibility in compensation. 

Benefits associated with the role include health, dental, and vision insurance, a £5,000 annual wellbeing budget, an annual commuting budget, flexible work hours, extended parental leave, ergonomic equipment, a 10% pension contribution, and 33 days of paid vacation (including Bank Holidays). 

How to Apply‍ and What to Expect

Applications for this position are now closed. The application process consists of a written submission in the first round, a paid remote work test in the second round, and an interview in the final round. We also conduct reference checks for all candidates we interview.

GovAI is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and we encourage individuals with underrepresented perspectives and backgrounds to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, gender minorities, people of colour, and people from regions other than North America and Western Europe who are excited about contributing to our mission. We are an equal opportunity employer and want to make it as easy as possible for everyone who joins our team to thrive in our workplace. 

Please feel free to reach out to recruitment@governance.ai if you would need a decision communicated by a particular date, if you need assistance with the application due to a disability, or if you have questions about the application process

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