TLDR;
We’re hiring a Program Director (PD) to lead the PIBBSS Fellowship – set strategy, run selections twice a year (summer + winter), and execute the program while supervising a global cohort of fellows and affiliates working on AI alignment research. Apply here by 31 March, 2026.
Position Details
- Location: Remote. Strong preference for candidates based in or able to spend significant time in London (UK) and/or the Bay Area (US).
- Travel / Relocation expectation: The fellowship runs primarily in London (summer) and the Bay Area (winter). You’ll be expected to be on-site for at least part of each live program and may need to temporarily relocate during fellowship periods.
- Visa / Work authorization: We can provide visa sponsorship for candidates based in (or relocating to) London (UK) and Berkeley / Bay Area (US), depending on candidate circumstances and role fit. Candidates must be willing and able to spend significant time in both locations during the relevant fellowship periods.
- Type: Full-time (core team role).
- Start date: As soon as practical after hiring (ideally in spring 2026 to support summer cycle).
- Salary range: Salary is dependent upon location and experience. Our estimated range is $90,000-$140,000 gross.
- Reporting line / collaborators: Reports to Executive Director of Operations, Dusan D. Nesic, and supports the leadership team, including Executive Director of Research, Lucas Teixeira.
- Deadline to apply: Please submit the application form by 31 March 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
- Referrals: We’re happy to receive referrals. Please submit recommended candidates via this form.
Role
We are hiring for a new core role – a Program Director for our PIBBSS Fellowship! This role joins the rest of our core team in a strategy-setting and executive capacity. You would be deciding the course for the Fellowship and running its selections for six months of the year (summer and winter) and executing the program for the other six, while managing research and supervising a diverse group of talent from all around the world. If you want a job that involves generating new fields of research, transferring experienced talent from multiple fields into AI safety, and learning something cool from different areas of science daily, this is the job for you!
Core Responsibilities:
As Program Director, you will develop and run the PIBBSS Fellowship end-to-end and provide research facilitation support to fellows and affiliates owning strategy, selection, execution, and continuous improvement across two cycles per year.
Fellowship strategy, design, and selection (summer + winter)
- Set and evolve the Fellowship’s strategy, structure, and culture in line with PrincInt’s research bets
- Own end-to-end program design: structure, milestones, evaluation criteria, reading groups, mentorship/support model
- Run the application and selection process twice per year (scoping, outreach, triage, interviews, final decisions)
- Ensure a high-integrity selection process that prioritizes research promise, epistemic fit, and mission alignment
- Build and iterate reusable systems: rubrics, templates, applicant tracking, reviewer processes, decision memos, post-mortems
Program execution, supervision, and research facilitation
- Lead the live fellowship periods, including opening/closing retreats and ongoing program cadence
- Supervise fellows/affiliates: set expectations, track progress, unblock obstacles, and uphold high quality bars
- Provide or coordinate research facilitation: feedback loops, research workflows, introductions to relevant experts, and targeted support
- Maintain a strong research culture: norms, cadence, accountability, intellectual ambition, and a great participant experience
Research management & internal coordination
- Work closely with Lucas (Research Director) to keep research direction coherent, high-quality, and strategically aligned
- Coordinate with Dušan and Ops so logistics, scheduling, and systems reliably support program goals
- Protect leadership focus by owning the fellowship “surface area”: information flow, prioritization, decision prep, and follow-through
Network strengthening & external interface
- Strengthen relationships across the PIBBSS network (fellows, affiliates, reviewers, mentors, adjacent orgs)
- Represent PIBBSS in a way that builds trust, attracts strong future cohorts, and improves long-run program outcomes
- Identify and pursue opportunities to expand impact (new pipelines, collaborations, field-building initiatives)
Additional responsibilities
- Research, writing, and distillation relevant to PIBBSS’ research mission
- Leading or supporting special projects (e.g., field-building at the intersection of economics and AI alignment)
- Developing pedagogical content on AI risk, alignment, and the PIBBSS bet (for fellows, affiliates, and potentially the public)
- Further strengthening and expanding the PIBBSS research network
What the Year Looks Like (Seasonality)
The role is intentionally “seasonal” and your time allocation shifts substantially across the year. A typical cycle looks like:
- Dec–Jan: Open applications for Summer Fellowship; run Winter Fellowship
- Jan–Mar: Process applications; wrap up Winter Fellowship
- Mar–Apr: Prepare for summer; reflect and iterate on winter program
- Apr–Jun: Pre-fellowship reading groups with summer fellows
- Jun–Aug: Summer program live (opening/closing retreats, feedback on fellow reports, research facilitation) + open Winter applications
- Sep–Oct: Evaluate program outcomes; iterate and process Winter applicants
- Nov: Prep for next summer cycle; reading group for Winter
- Because the distribution varies, success looks like: you keep the whole machine running smoothly, improve it over time, and raise the research output and culture each cycle.
Requirements:
We care most about whether you can run a high-performance research program and improve it over time. We expect strong candidates to have many of the following:
Must-haves
- Strong “program ownership” ability: you can design, run, and iterate complex programs with many moving parts
- Excellent judgment and communication: you can write clearly, coordinate diverse stakeholders, and make hard calls
- Comfort operating in ambiguity: you create structure where none exists and keep momentum
- High agency: you spot what’s missing and fix it without waiting for permission
Substantive familiarity with AI risk / AI alignment, and motivation to contribute to the space (not necessarily a full-time researcher, but you understand the landscape and can engage seriously with research)
Strong pluses
- You “grok” the PIBBSS Fellowship and PrincInt’s epistemic/research bet and are excited to make it succeed
- Research judgment across a broad portfolio of alignment approaches and threat models, and desire to keep learning new directions
- Familiarity with fields studying intelligent behavior in natural systems (e.g., evolutionary biology, neuroscience, complexity science, social/economic theory)
- Experience creating or sustaining a thriving intellectual culture (seminars, reading groups, feedback norms, accountability systems)
- Strong meta-judgment: you know when to seek advice, how to incorporate feedback, and how to make decisions under uncertainty
Benefits and Salary
Your starting salary range is $90,000-$140,000 depending on prior experience and location. We can support visa arrangements for London and Berkeley to enable in-person participation during the live fellowship periods.
Our benefits include:
- Time off: 4 weeks of paid holiday per year, plus additional personal time off.
- Flexible working hours: Flexible working hours with an emphasis on outcomes and reliable coordination with teammates.
- High ownership & autonomy: A high-trust environment where you’ll own your work end-to-end, with meaningful responsibility and room to improve systems.
- Employment type: We’re open to either full employment or a contractor arrangement, depending on location and candidate preference.
- Team meetups: We get together in person 2-4 times a year for focused work time, great conversations, and the kind of momentum you only get when the whole team is in the same room.
Application Process
- Application: Submit an application by March 31, 2026.
- Screening call: Attend a brief screening call, where you’ll have the chance to ask questions about the role.
- Interview: Attend a remote interview to assess strategic thinking and team fit.
- Work trial: Attend a paid, remote work trial where you’ll spend the day meeting the team and completing strategic assessments.
- Team interviews: Attend one/two additional interviews with the team.
- References: Share references who can comment on your aptitudes. Good references can notably strengthen your application.
Diversity and Inclusion
We’re aware that factors like gender, race, and socioeconomic background can affect people’s willingness to apply for roles for which they meet some but not all the suggested attributes. We’d especially like to encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to express interest.
There’s no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. If you’re on the fence about applying because you’re unsure whether you’re qualified, we’d encourage you to apply.
If you require any adjustments to the application process, such as accessibility accommodations, additional preparation time, or other, please contact [email protected]. We’re happy to support your needs and adjust the application process.
