Application Guide

How to Apply for Technical Program Manager, Research

at FAR AI

🏢 About FAR AI

FAR AI is a nonprofit that bridges the gap between academic research and industry by incubating high-risk, high-impact AI safety projects. They focus on ensuring AI systems are trustworthy and beneficial, making them a unique destination for mission-driven technical program managers who want to directly contribute to AI alignment.

About This Role

As a Technical Program Manager for Research, you'll own end-to-end delivery of research and infrastructure programs, working closely with cross-functional teams to scope milestones, manage resources, and accelerate progress. Your work directly enables researchers to focus on high-impact AI safety work without being bogged down by operational bottlenecks.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start with a stand-up with research teams to check progress on compute utilization, then a deep-dive with engineering to resolve a resource bottleneck. Afternoon could involve updating program roadmaps, reviewing milestone deliverables, and a cross-team prioritization meeting to align on next quarter's goals.

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🎯 Who FAR AI Is Looking For

  • Proven experience managing technical programs in a research or engineering environment, ideally with exposure to AI/ML workflows.
  • Strong ability to break down ambiguous research goals into clear milestones and coordinate multi-team execution.
  • Comfortable making prioritization trade-offs in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment.
  • Familiarity with AI safety concepts (e.g., alignment, interpretability) is a strong plus, but not mandatory if you demonstrate technical curiosity.

📝 Tips for Applying to FAR AI

1

Tailor your resume to highlight program management in research or R&D settings, not just software delivery.

2

In your cover letter, explicitly connect your past experience to FAR AI's mission of accelerating AI safety research.

3

Quantify your impact: e.g., 'Reduced compute bottlenecks by 30%' or 'Delivered 3 research projects on time despite shifting priorities.'

4

Show you understand the unique challenges of managing research programs (e.g., unpredictable timelines, experimental nature).

5

If you have any exposure to AI safety literature (e.g., papers from DeepMind, OpenAI, or MIRI), mention it briefly.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your motivation for working in AI safety and why FAR AI specifically aligns with your values.', 'Specific examples of managing cross-functional research or engineering programs with clear milestones.', "How you've handled competing priorities and resource constraints in a technical environment.", "Your ability to learn new technical domains quickly (e.g., AI/ML concepts) even if your background isn't in AI."]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read FAR AI's published research and blog posts to understand their focus areas (e.g., mechanistic interpretability, scalable oversight).
  • → Familiarize yourself with the broader AI safety landscape and key organizations (e.g., MIRI, ARC, Anthropic).
  • → Check out their team page to understand the mix of researchers and engineers you'd be supporting.
  • → Review their job postings for other roles to get a sense of their organizational structure and culture.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you scope a 6-month research program with uncertain outcomes? Walk us through your approach.
2 Describe a time you had to reprioritize a project due to resource constraints. How did you communicate the change?
3 What metrics would you use to track progress on a research infrastructure project like compute provisioning?
4 How do you handle disagreements between research teams about project priorities?
5 What do you know about FAR AI's current projects (e.g., interpretability, adversarial robustness)? How would you contribute?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Treating this like a standard tech PM role without acknowledging the research context and uncertainty.
  • Not demonstrating genuine interest in AI safety or the company's mission (generic 'I love AI' is not enough).
  • Overpromising on technical expertise; instead, show you can quickly learn and bridge communication between researchers and engineers.

📅 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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