How to apply for Organisation Builders Program

About Successif

Successif helps mid-career and senior professionals move into high-impact work, with a focus on AI safety. It runs a matching program that connects experienced organization builders with AI safety organizations that need senior operations and leadership roles. This is a fit for people who want to reduce existential risks from advanced AI using their existing operations and leadership skills.

About the role

The Organisation Builders Program places senior operators and leaders into AI safety organizations that need help building or scaling. Accepted candidates enter a vetted pool, and matching with organizations begins in November 2026. You can choose a paid three-month project at 5+ hours per week alongside your current role, or go through direct assessment and hire.

A typical day

If you choose the paid three-month project, you would spend 5+ hours per week alongside your current role on a specific building need for an AI safety organization. If you go through direct assessment and hire, you would take on a senior operations or leadership role inside an AI safety organization after matching. The exact daily work depends on the organization, so ask during matching what systems, hiring, or leadership tasks the role covers.

Who Successif is looking for

• Has proven experience building or scaling organizations, including hiring teams and working closely with senior leadership.
• Can show specific results from past operations or leadership roles, such as growing headcount, setting up systems, or running a function.
• Is genuinely interested in reducing existential risks from advanced AI, even without prior AI safety experience.
• Can commit to a paid three-month project at 5+ hours per week alongside a current role, or is ready for direct assessment and hire.

Tips for this application

• Apply through the Successif screening process, then complete the case exercise and provide references.
• In your application, name the organizations or teams you built or scaled and the exact operations or leadership work you did.
• Show how your operations and leadership experience maps to what an AI safety organization would need, such as hiring, systems, or senior leadership support.
• State clearly whether you want the paid three-month project at 5+ hours per week or direct assessment and hire.
• Explain your interest in reducing existential risks from advanced AI without claiming prior AI safety experience.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Concrete examples of building or scaling an organization, including team growth and work with senior leadership.', 'The specific operations or leadership roles you want to take on in an AI safety organization.', 'Your reason for wanting to reduce existential risks from advanced AI and why you are applying through Successif.', 'Which track you prefer: the paid three-month project at 5+ hours per week alongside your current role, or direct assessment and hire.']

Research before applying

• Read the Successif website at successif.org to understand its focus on mid-career and senior professionals moving into AI safety.
• Find AI safety organizations that need senior operations and leadership roles and note the specific building needs they mention.
• Check the timeline: matching begins in November 2026, so plan your application and references around that date.
• Look into the paid three-month project format and the direct assessment and hire option to decide which fits your current role.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a time you built or scaled an organization, including how you hired and managed a team.
• How do you work with senior leadership when an organization is growing quickly?
• What operations or leadership needs do you think AI safety organizations have, and how would you address them?
• Why do you want to work on reducing existential risks from advanced AI, and why now?
• Which track do you want, the paid three-month project at 5+ hours per week or direct assessment and hire, and how would you manage the time commitment?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without concrete examples of building or scaling an organization, hiring teams, or working with senior leadership.
• Treating this as a standard job application instead of a matching program that requires screening, a case exercise, and references.
• Claiming prior AI safety experience when the program says no prior AI safety experience is needed, instead of showing genuine interest in reducing existential risks from advanced AI.