Application Guide

How to Apply for Head of People

at FAR AI

🏢 About FAR AI

FAR AI is a unique nonprofit bridging the gap between academia and industry in AI safety research. They incubate high-impact projects that are too resource-intensive for universities but not yet commercially viable, making them a critical player in ensuring AI systems are trustworthy and beneficial. Working here means contributing to mission-driven work with a lean, high-agency team.

About This Role

As Head of People, you'll build the People function from the ground up, scaling the organization from 40 to 75 staff across multiple geographies. This role is highly impactful because you'll shape the culture, talent strategy, and operational backbone that enables FAR AI to execute its mission. You'll own everything from recruitment to performance management, directly influencing the organization's growth trajectory.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start with a check-in with the CEO on hiring priorities and culture initiatives, followed by reviewing candidate pipelines for a senior research role. Afternoon could involve designing a new performance review process for the growing team, then a call with an immigration lawyer about visa options for a new hire in Europe. The day ends with a 1:1 with a team lead to discuss a personnel challenge.

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🎯 Who FAR AI Is Looking For

  • Proven experience scaling People operations in a fast-growing tech or research organization (ideally from ~40 to 75+ employees).
  • Deep expertise in talent acquisition for specialized roles (e.g., AI researchers, engineers) and familiarity with global hiring, including immigration and remote work setups.
  • Strong organizational design skills to build scalable processes (HRIS, payroll, benefits) while maintaining a lean, agile culture.
  • A strategic advisor who can partner with leadership on culture, compensation, and personnel decisions, with a high degree of empathy and discretion.

📝 Tips for Applying to FAR AI

1

Tailor your resume to highlight specific scaling achievements: e.g., 'Built HRIS from scratch for a 40-person org, enabling growth to 75+ across 5 countries.'

2

In your cover letter, explicitly connect your experience with FAR AI's mission of AI safety and your interest in nonprofit/impact-driven work.

3

Showcase your ability to handle ambiguity: describe a time you created processes where none existed in a fast-paced environment.

4

Demonstrate knowledge of remote/distributed team management, as FAR AI is fully remote with staff in multiple time zones.

5

Include metrics: e.g., reduced time-to-hire by X%, improved employee retention by Y%, or managed a budget for benefits across Z countries.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for AI safety and how your People expertise can directly support FAR AI's mission.", 'Specific examples of scaling People operations in a similar-sized org, emphasizing measurable outcomes.', 'Your approach to building inclusive, high-trust culture in a remote, geographically distributed team.', 'How you advise leadership on sensitive personnel matters and align HR strategy with organizational goals.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read FAR AI's research projects and publications to understand their technical focus areas (e.g., interpretability, robustness).
  • → Review their blog and team page to get a sense of their culture and values (e.g., high agency, intellectual honesty).
  • → Look into the broader AI safety ecosystem (e.g., MIRI, Anthropic, OpenAI) to understand where FAR AI fits.
  • → Check their job openings and LinkedIn to see current team composition and growth trajectory.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design the talent acquisition strategy to attract top AI researchers and engineers to a nonprofit?
2 Describe your experience setting up HRIS and payroll for a multi-country remote team. What challenges did you face?
3 How do you balance maintaining a strong culture with rapid growth? Give an example of a culture initiative you led.
4 What compensation and benefits frameworks have you built for a global team? How do you ensure equity across geographies?
5 Walk me through how you would advise a founder on a difficult personnel issue, such as performance improvement or termination.
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't focus solely on corporate HR experience; emphasize adaptability to a nonprofit/research environment with limited resources.
  • Avoid generic statements about 'passion for AI' without connecting it to FAR AI's specific mission of AI safety.
  • Don't overlook the global/remote aspect; failing to address multi-country compliance and cultural nuances is a major oversight.

📅 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!

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