Research Manager

About the Team

Our researchers have published in top venues, including Science and Nature, and work closely with decision-makers across government, industry, and civil society. Our alumni have gone on to influential roles in government (US, UK, EU), leading AI companies (e.g. DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic), top think tanks (e.g. CSET, RAND), and leading universities (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge).

Our team and affiliate community possess expertise across risk management, threat modelling, frontier AI regulation, technical governance, agent governance, AI economics, international cooperation, US-China relations, and AI forecasting. Since publishing our first research agenda in 2018, we have helped define and shape the field of AI governance. 

Although most of our staff are based in the United Kingdom, we also have team members in the United States and European Union.

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Why You Might Be Interested In This Role

• You'll directly enable research that shapes the future of AI. Every researcher you support will work on informing critical AI governance decisions. Your operational excellence will translate directly into higher-quality research that reaches the policymakers, industry leaders, and academics who determine how AI will impact the world.

• You'll build systems that scale one of the world's leading AI governance organisations. As GovAI grows from c.15 full-time researchers to 25+ over the next year or two, you'll design and implement the infrastructure that enables this expansion while maintaining our culture of excellence and intellectual rigor.

• You'll develop and mentor the next generation of AI governance leaders. Through your work with Research Scholars and potentially seasonal fellows, you'll help shape researchers who will go on to leadership roles in government, industry, and academia. GovAI alumni have taken senior positions at major AI companies, led key workstreams at top policy research institutions, founded influential organisations, advised government AI initiatives, and held leadership roles in international AI governance efforts.

• You'll work at the intersection of cutting-edge research and operational excellence. You'll gain expertise across the full spectrum of AI governance while developing world-class skills in research management, talent development, and organisational design.

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Role Description

GovAI was founded to help humanity navigate the transition to a world with advanced AI. To achieve this mission, it is critical that our researchers have the support they need to produce exceptional work and thrive professionally. We are looking for a Research Manager to lead this effort as we scale our research team.

As Research Manager, you will ensure that GovAI's researchers have the support, systems, and environment they need to produce exceptional research, inform the most relevant stakeholders, and advance professionally.

Core responsibilities will include:

Researcher Development and Support:

• Managing onboarding processes for new researchers, overseeing mentor allocation, and ensuring that researchers have the support network necessary to succeed
• Conducting regular 1-on-1 meetings with our 1-year Research Scholars and potentially other researchers to provide professional development support, guidance, and accountability
• Ensuring researchers receive thoughtful feedback on project selection and seek input from appropriate sources
• Coordinating career reflections, development tracking systems, and applications from our Research Scholars for our permanent research positions

Research Operations and Quality:

• Collaborating with the Research Editor and Director of Policy and Research to ensure systems are in place to enable the efficient quality control and publication of research outputs
• Supporting the goal setting for researchers and research streams, and tracking progress towards them
• Providing operational support for research projects, including facilitating selection of research assistants and managing external support services

Intellectual Culture and Community:

• Organising internal events, work-in-progress sessions, seminars, and retreats that foster collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Creating and maintaining systems that support a thriving intellectual environment

Hiring and Talent Development:

• Supporting researcher hiring rounds and ideally providing input on candidate evaluation
• Identifying promising researchers to invite to our hiring rounds in collaboration with the Director of Policy and Research
• Managing and supporting our researchers on secondments with external organisations

Depending on the successful candidate’s skillset, interests, and capacity, additional responsibilities may also include:

• Supporting researchers in adapting their work for different audiences and publication venues
• Coordinating external communication efforts to ensure research reaches target audiences
• Supervising seasonal fellows and supporting their professional development
• Assisting with special projects in the Director of Policy and Research’s portfolio 
• Supporting the establishment of new research teams

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Selection Criteria

We're selecting 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.

• Organised and competent at coordinating complex, concurrent workstreams. This role requires exceptional organisational skills and the ability to maintain high standards across a wide range of projects.
  

• Able to support our researchers in overcoming challenges in their work and to hold them accountable for their projects. Experience with research or research management is a strong plus.

• Driven by a desire to produce excellent work and achieve valuable results. Successful candidates will actively seek out feedback and opportunities to improve their skills.

• Highly autonomous and proactive in identifying problems and implementing solutions. Successful candidates will take initiative to improve research support systems and processes without extensive oversight.

• Ideally, knowledgeable about the field of AI governance and GovAI’s work. While not a mandatory requirement, a solid understanding of some or all of our focus areas will be a strong plus.

• Able to engage effectively with researchers, external stakeholders, and various audiences through both written and verbal communication.

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Salary and Location

This position is full-time. Our offices are located in London, UK, and we would prefer the Research Manager is based here. We are, however, also open to individuals who would like to work remotely, especially from the US. We are able to sponsor visas.

The Research Manager 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 £71,000 (~$95,000) and £93,000 (~$125,000) if based in London. In rare cases where salary considerations would prevent a candidate from accepting an offer, there may also be some flexibility in compensation.

We also offer competitive benefits, including a 10% pension/401k contribution and private medical cover.

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How to Apply and What to Expect

Application Process

The selection process has three stages:

• Written application

• An interview and reference checks

• A paid remote work test

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Special Circumstances

Please contact recruitment@governance.ai if you:

• Need a decision communicated by a particular date

• Require assistance with the application due to a disability

• Have questions about the application process

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Addressing complex AI governance challenges requires many different skillsets and perspectives. We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. If our mission excites you, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification listed. Your unique combination of experience and motivation might be exactly what we're looking for.

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