Application Guide

How to Apply for Head of Engineering, Red Team

at FAR.AI

🏢 About FAR.AI

FAR.AI is a nonprofit AI safety research organization dedicated to reducing risks from advanced AI systems, with a focus on frontier red-teaming and pre-deployment testing. Unlike many AI safety groups, FAR.AI works directly with frontier labs and governments, translating research into practical safeguards that shape global standards. This is a chance to work at the intersection of cutting-edge AI and high-stakes safety, with a mission-driven team.

About This Role

As Head of Engineering for Red Team, you'll lead the technical vision and execution of FAR.AI's frontier AI red-teaming program, building scalable tools, agentic systems, and evaluation infrastructure to uncover vulnerabilities in advanced AI models. You'll also manage and grow an elite engineering team, set priorities, mentor ICs, and hire managers to support high-velocity engagements. This role is pivotal in partnering with frontier AI labs and governments to improve AI safety before deployment, directly impacting global safety standards.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve leading a stand-up with your engineering team, reviewing progress on red-teaming tools, and diving into code or architecture discussions. You could also meet with external partners from AI labs or government agencies to align on testing protocols, and spend time mentoring team members or interviewing candidates. The pace is fast, and priorities can shift as new vulnerabilities or collaboration opportunities arise.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for FAR.AI

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who FAR.AI Is Looking For

  • Proven track record of building and leading high-performing software engineering teams in fast-moving, high-stakes environments (e.g., startups, AI labs, or security firms).
  • Strong software engineering background with hands-on experience in Python, LLM APIs, coding agents, cloud infrastructure, and/or AI security.
  • Deep commitment to AI safety and mission alignment, with a desire to work on pre-deployment testing and red-teaming of frontier models.
  • Experience collaborating with external partners (e.g., AI labs, government agencies) and translating technical findings into products and research.

📝 Tips for Applying to FAR.AI

1

Highlight any experience you have with red-teaming, adversarial testing, or security research—especially if it involves LLMs or agentic systems.

2

Emphasize your ability to scale engineering teams and infrastructure in fast-paced environments; quantify team sizes, growth, and impact.

3

Showcase familiarity with AI safety concepts and FAR.AI's mission; mention specific papers or projects from FAR.AI or similar organizations.

4

Demonstrate experience working with frontier AI labs or government bodies, as this role involves external partnerships.

5

Include links to open-source contributions, tools, or publications related to AI security, red-teaming, or evaluation infrastructure.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

In your cover letter, focus on: (1) your hands-on technical experience with LLMs, agentic systems, or red-teaming tools; (2) your leadership philosophy and examples of building and mentoring elite engineering teams; (3) your alignment with FAR.AI's mission and specific interest in frontier AI safety; (4) any experience partnering with external stakeholders like AI labs or governments.

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read FAR.AI's published research and blog posts to understand their red-teaming methodologies and recent findings.
  • → Investigate the landscape of AI safety organizations and how FAR.AI differentiates itself, especially in frontier red-teaming.
  • → Learn about existing red-teaming tools and frameworks (e.g., Microsoft's Counterfit, IBM's Adversarial Robustness Toolbox) to speak intelligently about the domain.
  • → Follow recent news about AI safety regulations and government initiatives (e.g., NIST AI RMF, EU AI Act) to understand the policy context.
Visit FAR.AI's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a scalable red-teaming infrastructure to test frontier AI models for vulnerabilities?
2 Describe your approach to hiring and mentoring engineers in a high-velocity, mission-driven environment.
3 What are the key challenges in pre-deployment testing of advanced AI systems, and how would you address them?
4 How do you prioritize between building internal tools and partnering with external labs on red-teaming engagements?
5 Can you walk us through a time you identified a critical vulnerability in an AI system and how you handled it?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Avoid generic statements about AI safety without demonstrating specific knowledge of frontier red-teaming challenges.
  • Don't overemphasize management experience at the expense of technical depth; this role requires both.
  • Avoid showing lack of familiarity with FAR.AI's work or mission—it's essential to convey genuine alignment.

📅 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 FAR.AI!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →