Chief Operating Officer

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 Chief Operating Officer to grow Constellation’s operations while working with the President and CEO to help direct Constellation’s strategy.  This role reports to the President and would initially manage a team of 10.  Constellation is a small, fast-paced, and flexible team, so 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 key operational functions, including:Network operations: Network membership application and curation/selection processes
• Program operations: Support logistics for researchers and other program participants hosted at Constellation; on/offboarding, travel & lodging logistics, and qualitatively tracking user experience
• Event operations: Setup & teardown, registration, security, food, A/V for events ranging from 1 hour to 1 month in length
• Site operations: Facilities, security, space setup & maintenance, basic IT, supplies, and our in-house catering team
• Recruiting operations: Overseeing an efficient recruiting pipeline that provides excellent hires for managers and great experiences for candidates
• Business operations: Finance, legal, HR, and some additional functions
• IT: Product/platform selection, administration, and information security
• 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
• Support or lead strategic planning processes that translate company strategy and into operational plans
• Assess and make large-scale decisions such as major vendor partnerships
• Manage strategic relationships with key partners

Skills Needed:

• Reliable execution of complex programs on several-month timescales
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with external partners
• Complex modeling and analysis, both quantitative and qualitative
• Low-friction, appropriately robust process design
• Excellent at distilling complex, ambiguous information to their core insights
• Strategic thinking and insight
• 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
• Developing a cohesive team that works effectively together