Application Guide

How to Apply for Operations Director, Talent

at Secure AI Project

🏢 About Secure AI Project

Secure AI Project is a nonprofit focused on developing and advocating for pragmatic policies to reduce severe risks from frontier AI models. As a mission-driven organization, you'll work alongside leading experts in AI safety and policy to shape the future of artificial intelligence governance. The remote-first culture and small team size (~15 people) offer significant ownership and impact.

About This Role

As Operations Director, Talent, you will build and lead the hiring function from scratch, scaling the team from ~15 to 30+ people. This role is critical to ensuring SAIP attracts top talent in AI safety and policy, directly influencing the organization's ability to achieve its mission. You'll design recruitment systems, source candidates proactively, and partner with leadership to hire world-class talent.

💡 A Day in the Life

Start by reviewing new applications and sourcing candidates for open roles (e.g., AI policy researcher or operations manager). Mid-morning, meet with hiring managers to define role requirements and design assessment criteria. Afternoon is spent conducting initial screens, refining recruitment workflows in the ATS, and reaching out to potential candidates via LinkedIn or email. You'll also analyze pipeline metrics to adjust sourcing strategies.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Secure AI Project Is Looking For

  • Experienced in full-cycle recruitment, ideally at a startup or scaling nonprofit, with a track record of sourcing hard-to-find talent (e.g., AI researchers, policy experts).
  • Proactive and creative sourcer who leverages referrals, networks, and cold outreach to build pipelines, not just post on job boards.
  • Skilled in designing structured hiring assessments and evaluation criteria, moving beyond resume screening to assess candidate fit for mission-driven roles.
  • Comfortable building and maintaining recruitment infrastructure (ATS, tracking sheets, workflows) in a resource-constrained environment.

📝 Tips for Applying to Secure AI Project

1

Tailor your resume to highlight experience scaling teams in mission-driven or technical organizations (e.g., AI, policy, nonprofit).

2

In your cover letter, mention specific methods you've used to source passive candidates (e.g., LinkedIn, conferences, academic networks).

3

Demonstrate familiarity with AI safety landscape—mention organizations like MIRI, OpenAI, or Anthropic, and show understanding of frontier AI risks.

4

Provide examples of how you've designed hiring assessments for specialized roles (e.g., technical or policy positions) to ensure cultural and mission fit.

5

Include metrics: time-to-hire, offer acceptance rates, diversity improvements, or number of sourced candidates hired.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for AI safety and alignment with SAIP's mission to reduce severe risks from frontier AI.", 'Experience building hiring processes from scratch or scaling a team in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment.', "Specific examples of sourcing strategies you've used to attract top talent in competitive fields (e.g., AI, policy).", 'Your ability to partner with senior leadership to define hiring needs and design effective assessments.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read SAIP's published policy briefs and reports to understand their stance on AI regulation and frontier risks.
  • → Study the current team composition (LinkedIn) to identify gaps and understand the talent profile they need.
  • → Familiarize yourself with key players in AI safety (e.g., CAIS, ARC, GovAI) and how SAIP differentiates itself.
  • → Review job postings for similar roles at other AI nonprofits to see common requirements and expectations.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you source candidates for a role requiring deep expertise in AI policy or technical AI safety?
2 Describe a time you built a hiring process from scratch. What systems did you implement and why?
3 How do you evaluate candidate fit for a mission-driven organization? Give a specific example.
4 How do you balance speed and quality when scaling a team rapidly (e.g., doubling headcount in a year)?
5 What metrics do you use to track recruitment effectiveness, and how do you improve them?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Failing to demonstrate genuine interest in AI safety or policy—generic nonprofit experience won't suffice.
  • Overemphasizing corporate recruiting without showing ability to source niche talent in a competitive field.
  • Ignoring the need to build systems from scratch—mentioning reliance on existing ATS or HR teams may signal lack of autonomy.

📅 Application Timeline

⏰ Deadline: July 26, 2026

We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.

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 Secure AI Project!

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