How to apply for Communications Director and Staff Director

About Future of Life Institute

The Future of Life Institute is a nonprofit focused on reducing global catastrophic and existential risks, especially from advanced artificial intelligence. CARMA, its Center for AI Risk Management & Alignment, works to lower risks to humanity and the biosphere from transformative AI. The team is lean, remote, and focused on AI safety and governance.

About the role

This is a combined Communications Director and Staff Director role in one person. You will lead communications strategy and also handle hands-on execution, while providing high-level organizational support to keep CARMA operating effectively. The role is fully remote with occasional reimbursed travel for team meetings and events.

A typical day

A typical day might include drafting or editing communications materials about AI risk and alignment, coordinating with team members on organizational priorities, and handling staff director tasks such as scheduling, internal documentation, or supporting hiring and operations. Because the team is lean and remote, you would likely switch between strategic writing and hands-on administrative work throughout the day. Occasional travel for team meetings or events would be part of the role.

Who Future of Life Institute is looking for

• Has direct experience in AI safety, AI governance, or existential risk, since understanding the space is a prerequisite for doing well in this role.
• Can both set communications strategy and execute it hands-on, including writing, editing, and managing channels.
• Has experience supporting organizational operations in a lean team, such as scheduling, internal coordination, or staff support.
• Is comfortable working remotely and traveling occasionally for team meetings and events.

Tips for this application

• Show that you understand CARMA's specific mission: lowering risks to humanity and the biosphere from transformative AI. Use their language, not generic AI safety phrases.
• Address the dual nature of the role directly. Explain how you have both led communications strategy and handled operational or staff director duties in the same position or across roles.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the Future of Life Institute and CARMA as separate but related entities. Note CARMA's focus on AI risk management and alignment.
• Provide concrete examples of communications work in a technical or policy field, such as writing about AI risk, governance, or safety for expert and public audiences.
• Acknowledge the lean team structure. Describe how you have taken on complementary responsibilities and worked without heavy support staff.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your specific knowledge of AI safety, governance, or existential risk, and why that knowledge matters for communicating CARMA's work.", 'How you have combined strategic communications leadership with hands-on execution in a previous role.', 'Your experience providing high-level organizational or staff support in a lean, remote team.', 'Why you want to work on AI risk management and alignment at CARMA specifically, not just at any AI safety organization.']

Research before applying

• Read the Future of Life Institute website, especially its work on AI existential risk, to understand the parent organization's priorities.
• Research CARMA specifically: its mission, its focus on AI risk management and alignment, and any public reports, blog posts, or papers it has released.
• Look into current AI governance and AI safety debates so you can speak concretely about the communications challenges in this field.
• Check if CARMA or the Future of Life Institute have published communications materials, newsletters, or social media, and note their tone and audience.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would communicate complex AI risk and alignment concepts to different audiences, including policymakers, researchers, and the public.
• A time you both set a communications strategy and executed it yourself, including writing, editing, or managing distribution.
• How you have supported organizational operations or staff functions in a lean team, and what systems you used.
• Your understanding of CARMA's mission to lower risks to humanity and the biosphere from transformative AI, and how you would measure communications impact.
• How you handle remote work and occasional travel for team meetings and events, including examples of staying coordinated across time zones.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without showing any familiarity with AI safety, AI governance, or existential risk. The job description states this understanding is a prerequisite.
• Treating the role as only communications or only operations. The position is explicitly one person doing both, so ignoring either half is a mistake.
• Using generic nonprofit communications language without connecting it to CARMA's specific mission of lowering risks from transformative AI.