SPAR Research Manager

The role

You will mentor SPAR mentors to help them become effective research leads. You will support a portfolio of mentors by helping them scope projects, manage teams, and handle sensitive situations.

What you will do

• Support mentors across the round as the main point of contact for a portfolio
• Check in with mentors to help them scope projects and set expectations
• Coach first-time mentors on running meetings, giving feedback, and managing mentees
• Handle sensitive team situations including conflict and mentor relationship breakdowns
• Advise on research outputs and where to share work
• Contribute to how SPAR recruits, onboards, and supports mentors

Required qualifications

• Solid research experience such as a PhD, a research role, or several completed projects
• Strong interpersonal judgment
• Clear communicator
• Organized
• Familiarity with the AI safety ecosystem and its major research agendas
• Mission-aligned

Nice to have

• Experience mentoring or managing junior researchers
• Publications at ML conferences or in AI policy venues
• Research experience in AI safety or AI governance

Benefits

• Flexible working hours
• Highly competitive health insurance
• Dental and vision coverage
• Generous vacation policy
• Professional development budget
• All-team retreats three times a year
• Work-related travel and expenses covered
• Food, lunches, and office expenses if working from an AI safety office in specific cities
• Home office expenses if working from home

Before you apply

• Reviewing applications on a rolling basis
• AI tools help review applications
• Visa sponsorship for US (typically H-1Bs or O-1As) and likely UK visas in the coming months

About the company

Kairos is a nonprofit accelerating talent into AI safety and policy. They manage a portfolio of impactful projects including SPAR, Generator Residency, Global Challenges Project, and Pathfinder Fellowship.