Application Guide

How to Apply for Head of People

at FAR AI

🏢 About FAR AI

FAR AI is a unique nonprofit that bridges the gap between academia and industry in AI safety research. By incubating ambitious projects too resource-heavy for universities but not yet market-ready, they directly tackle the challenge of making AI trustworthy and beneficial. For mission-driven professionals, this is a chance to shape the infrastructure of an organization at the forefront of AI alignment.

About This Role

As Head of People, you'll build the entire people function from scratch for a globally distributed team, scaling from 40 to 75. You'll own talent acquisition, employer branding, HRIS implementation, compliance, and performance frameworks, directly enabling FAR AI to attract and retain the world's best AI safety researchers. This role offers immense impact and autonomy in a high-growth, mission-critical environment.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start with a video call with an engineering lead to discuss a new sourcing strategy for a hard-to-fill research role. Mid-morning, you'd review payroll and compliance updates for a new hire in a different country. After lunch, you could be designing a performance review cycle or meeting with the CEO to align on compensation philosophy for the next quarter.

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🎯 Who FAR AI Is Looking For

  • Has built or scaled a people function in a fast-growing, remote-first organization, ideally from ~40 to 75+ employees.
  • Possesses deep expertise in talent acquisition for technical roles, including sourcing passive candidates and building an employer brand in a niche field (e.g., AI, research).
  • Is experienced with international employment, compliance, and payroll across multiple countries, since FAR AI operates globally.
  • Can design performance management and compensation frameworks that balance mission alignment with competitive compensation to attract top talent.

📝 Tips for Applying to FAR AI

1

Tailor your resume to highlight specific metrics from scaling a people function (e.g., time-to-hire, retention rates, number of hires) rather than just listing responsibilities.

2

In your cover letter, explicitly mention your familiarity with AI safety or alignment research, or explain why you're passionate about the mission.

3

Show concrete examples of how you've built or improved HRIS, payroll, or compliance systems for a remote, international team.

4

Demonstrate your ability to attract top technical talent by describing a creative sourcing strategy or employer branding campaign you led.

5

Address the unique challenge of hiring for a nonprofit that competes with industry salaries—mention any experience with total rewards strategies in mission-driven orgs.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for AI safety and how your work directly enables FAR AI's mission.", 'Specific examples of building people systems from scratch or scaling a team rapidly.', 'Your expertise in international employment and remote team management.', 'How you would approach developing a compensation framework that is both competitive and aligned with nonprofit values.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read FAR AI's research focus areas and recent blog posts to understand their technical work and culture.
  • → Research the AI safety landscape, including other organizations like MIRI, Anthropic, and OpenAI, to see how FAR AI differentiates itself.
  • → Learn about their current team structure and leadership on their website or LinkedIn to understand reporting lines and team dynamics.
  • → Review any public information on their funding model and how it impacts compensation and benefits.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you prioritize building the people function when starting from scratch with a team of 40?
2 Describe a time you implemented an HRIS or payroll system for a global team. What challenges did you face?
3 How do you attract top AI researchers who could earn higher salaries in industry?
4 Walk us through your approach to designing a performance management system for a remote research organization.
5 What metrics would you use to measure the success of the people function in the first year?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't focus solely on HR administration without tying it to strategic impact on mission and growth.
  • Avoid generic statements about 'passion for AI' without showing specific knowledge of AI safety or alignment.
  • Don't overlook the nonprofit aspect—treating this as a standard startup people role may miss the unique compensation and motivation challenges.

📅 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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