Application Guide

How to Apply for Expressions of Interest, Director of Operations

at Centre for the Governance of AI

🏢 About Centre for the Governance of AI

The Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI) is a unique nonprofit dedicated to shaping the trajectory of advanced AI through rigorous research and community building. Working here means contributing to one of the most pressing and consequential challenges of our time, with a global team of mission-driven researchers and operators.

About This Role

As Director of Operations, you will be the backbone of GovAI's growth, leading the operations team to support programmes, people, and scaling efforts. This role is impactful because you'll directly enable the organisation to process thousands of fellowship applications annually and build the infrastructure that allows GovAI's research to thrive.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with a stand-up with the operations team to review priorities, then move to designing a new recruitment pipeline for the upcoming fellowship cycle. Afternoon could involve a strategic planning session with the CEO to align operational goals with research directions, followed by troubleshooting a critical process issue with your team.

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🎯 Who Centre for the Governance of AI Is Looking For

  • Proven experience leading and managing an operations team, ideally in a fast-growing nonprofit or tech environment.
  • Expertise in designing and executing high-volume recruitment and selection processes (e.g., managing thousands of applications).
  • Strategic thinker who can anticipate future organisational needs and build scalable operational systems.
  • Hands-on leader who isn't afraid to step into day-to-day tasks to maintain quality and output standards.

📝 Tips for Applying to Centre for the Governance of AI

1

Highlight specific examples of managing high-volume recruitment (e.g., processing 1,000+ applications) and the systems you built.

2

Show how you've scaled operations in a previous role—mention metrics like team size growth, process improvements, or efficiency gains.

3

Demonstrate alignment with GovAI's mission by referencing their research areas or publications in your cover letter.

4

Tailor your resume to emphasize leadership of operational staff, not just individual contributions.

5

Use the expression of interest format to propose a concrete idea for improving GovAI's operations (e.g., a new recruitment workflow).

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for AI governance and why you want to contribute to GovAI's mission.", 'Specific examples of leading operations teams and scaling processes, especially in recruitment.', 'How your strategic thinking has helped an organisation prepare for future growth.', 'Your hands-on leadership style and ability to maintain high standards while managing day-to-day tasks.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read GovAI's latest research papers and blog posts to understand their current focus areas (e.g., AI governance, frontier risks).
  • → Review their website's 'About' and 'Team' pages to understand their organisational structure and values.
  • → Look into their fellowship programmes (e.g., GovAI Fellowship) to grasp the scale and nature of the recruitment challenge.
  • → Check recent news or podcasts featuring GovAI leadership to understand their strategic priorities.
Visit Centre for the Governance of AI's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a scalable selection process for thousands of fellowship applications?
2 Describe a time you led a team through a period of rapid growth—what challenges arose and how did you address them?
3 How do you balance strategic planning with day-to-day operational demands?
4 What metrics would you use to measure the success of GovAI's operations team?
5 How would you approach building a culture of high output and quality in a remote team?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic operations resume without tailoring it to the nonprofit/AI governance context.
  • Avoid focusing only on high-level strategy without showing you can handle day-to-day operations.
  • Don't neglect to mention remote team management experience—GovAI is fully remote.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Centre for the Governance of AI!

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