Head of Generator

Take our in-person residency for AI safety generalists from a successful first cohort to an established more ambitious program.

Note: This role description is a first draft. Scope salary and responsibilities may evolve and well keep you in the loop about any changes if you apply.

Applications are due by September 25 2026. Well review applications after the deadline and get back to everyone shortly after.

Kairos is a nonprofit accelerating talent into AI safety and just over two years weve trained 1200 people through our flagship programs:

• SPAR: The largest AI safety research fellowship with 400 mentees per round mentored by researchers from Anthropic Redwood Research RAND MIT the UK AI Security Institute and others.

• Generator Residency: In partnership with Constellation a platform for generalist talent to pitch build and ship projects that build capacity and infrastructure across the AI safety ecosystem with advisors from OpenAI AI Futures Project METR and more.

• Global Challenges Project: A workshop series introducing promising students to careers in AI safety and biosecurity run several times a year across Oxford Boston and Berkeley.

• Pathfinder Fellowship: Helping grow the global network of AI safety university groups from a few dozen to nearly 100 with $9.5M in funding over the next two years to support their work.

We see ourselves as a portfolio of highly impactful projects in a fast-evolving field. Over the next six months we expect to double in size and launch several new initiatives addressing critical gaps in the ecosystem.

Were looking for a Head of Generator to own and grow the Generator Residency our in-person program for AI safety generalists run jointly with Constellation. Generator brings a cohort of builders operators and organizers to Constellations Berkeley office for three months to pitch build and ship projects that add capacity and infrastructure across the AI safety ecosystem. Each cohort is guided by 25 advisors from organizations like METR Redwood Research RAND and Coefficient Giving.

The first cohort run in summer 2026 recently wrapped up and we want to turn a successful first round into an established more ambitious program. You can read about what the cohort worked on here. Where Kairos Labs our upcoming incubator supports founders setting out to start new organizations Generator gives generalists a platform to build projects within the ecosystem.

• Own Generator end-to-end. Youll set the timeline run resident and advisor recruiting drive project sourcing and matching and oversee the residency itself from onboarding through final presentations and placement. Others at Kairos and Constellation contribute but youre the one accountable for the round.

• Own Generators strategic direction. The first cohort is a starting point and there are many directions the program could go. Itll be up to you to decide and lead the vision for how Generator will grow and change.

• Own the Constellation partnership. Generator is run jointly with Constellation and youll be Kaiross lead on the relationship coordinating closely with their team and shaping how the collaboration evolves as the program grows.

• Recruit residents and advisors. Youll build the pipelines that find exceptional generalist talent cultivate relationships with experienced advisors across top AI safety orgs and make sure both have a great experience.

• Improve the programs systems. Generator has a lot of moving parts including applications project sourcing advisor matching onboarding project funding and placement support. Youll work with the team to improve and grow these systems.

• Contribute to Kairos beyond Generator. As bandwidth allows youll help shape org-wide strategy weigh in on new programs and participate in cross-cutting work.

• Experience running fellowships or residencies. We want someone who can take ownership quickly so experience running a comparable residency fellowship or accelerator program is a strong signal.

• AI safety context. Generators theory of change depends on a clear picture of what the ecosystem is missing. You should know which projects are worth building which gaps generalists can fill and where residents can land after the program.

• Strong judgment about projects and people. Youll be making calls about which residents to admit which projects are promising and which resident-advisor pairings will work.

• Mission-aligned. You care deeply about making advanced AI go well and you think Generator is one of the most promising ways to get the ecosystem the people and infrastructure it needs.

• Ambitious and high-agency. Youre excited to push Generator well beyond its current form. We want someone wholl make strategic calls about the programs direction improve it proactively and take full ownership over it.

• Highly organized. An in-person residency with dozens of residents advisors and projects plus a partner organization is operationally complex with many overlapping workstreams hard deadlines and lots of stakeholder communication.

• Comfortable managing a small team. Within a year youll likely begin managing 2 or more people. Prior experience managing operational or programmatic teams is a strong plus.

• Youll be working toward reducing risks from advanced AI potentially the most important challenge of our time. Generator shapes who builds the infrastructure the AI safety ecosystem runs on.

• Youll own how Generator runs and how the program evolves.

• Generator already has a strong foundation with a successful first cohort an advisor network and a close partnership with Constellation.

• Were building a world-class team so youll be in good company. Work alongside people whove come to Kairos from METR Coefficient Giving Rethink Priorities the UK AI Security Institute and CEA who share your commitment to impact.

• Collaborate regularly with leading AI safety researchers policy professionals funders and organizers.

• Salary: $140000$195000 (baseline) $175000$245000 (supported hubs like London DC Boston and NYC) or $195000$270000 (San Francisco Bay Area) depending on experience with potential for additional compensation for exceptional candidates

• Location: Youll work in person from the Constellation office in Berkeley and we cover food lunches and office expenses.

• Benefits: Flexible working hours highly competitive health insurance dental and vision coverage generous vacation policy and professional development budget

• Team retreats: We host all-team retreats three times a year to connect in person collaborate and build team culture.

• Travel: Work-related travel and expenses covered.

• Start date: Ideally by October or early November 2026 ahead of the next Generator cohort

• This role is in person at the Constellation office in Berkeley where the residency is hosted.

• Kairos is happy to sponsor visas to the US (typically H-1Bs or O-1As) and will likely be able to sponsor UK visas in the coming months. We cant guarantee visa approvals however.

Were a small high-trust team motivated by the urgent challenge of making advanced AI go well. We try hard to figure out where were wrong which means we say uncomfortable things to each other and change our minds fairly often. We value collaborative truth-seeking a scout mindset agility and an alliance mindset with the broader ecosystem.

We also believe meaningful work should be enjoyable. We support each others well-being celebrate wins and maintain a healthy sense of humor even when the work is hard.

Applications are due by September 25 2026. Well review applications after the deadline and get back to everyone shortly after.

1. Application form (1020 mins)

2. Screening call (15 mins)

3. Take-home assignment (1.53 hours paid)

4. Interview (45 mins)

5. Reference checks

6. Work trial (3 days paid)

7. Offer

If youre excited about this role but unsure whether you meet every qualification we encourage you to apply anyway. If youre interested in multiple roles apply to the one that best fits your skills and interests and note in your application the other roles that youd like to be considered for.

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Director