Research Project Manager, Executive Operations

RAND Corporation; United States; Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Paid time-off

Job summary

RAND Corporation seeks an Executive Operations Manager for its CAST center in San Francisco. This high-ownership role supports the Director, Sella Nevo, by managing complex agendas, travel logistics, and major internal processes.

You will cultivate cross-organizational collaboration, maintain a robust network, and drive high-priority initiatives to successful completion. You will work hybrid in SF, coordinating with leadership and technical teams while handling confidential information with

Qualifications

• 2+ years of relevant professional experience in research organizations, philanthropy, government, frontier labs, or related programs.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Operational management capabilities and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work with large, diverse teams including junior and senior staff.
• Discretion handling confidential information with sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Own the Director’s complex agenda and daily flow with support.
• Manage travel flow for roughly two trips per month with logistics support.
• Conduct quarterly calendar reviews to optimize priorities.
• Support the Director’s participation in RAND-wide processes and reporting.
• Build and maintain a CRM of key contacts across government, industry, and AI security ecosystem.
• Support senior technical leads on special projects as needed.
• Draft communications and meeting materials.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of CAST's San Francisco office.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

multitask and prioritize

Discrete handling of confidential info

Communication with stakeholders

Proactive execution

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Job Type:

Term (Fixed Term)

About RAND

RAND is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution founded in 1948 to advise the U.S. government on matters of national security. For over 75 years, RAND has been a trusted source of objective, rigorous analysis for policymakers across administrations and agencies.

About CAST

CAST is an 80+ person center at the forefront of transformative AI and biotechnology policy and their implications for global competition and security. Our teams work on verification frameworks for international agreements on AI, creating AI data centers that are secure, unlocking energy for AI production, developing models for public-private partnerships between frontier labs and government, and conducting AIxBio evaluations and mitigations, among other initiatives.

Position Description

RAND Center on AI, Security, and Technology (CAST) is seeking an Executive Operations Manager to support the Center's leadership operations. This is a high-ownership role on a fast-moving team supporting one of RAND's highest-priority research centers.

In this position, you will play a vital connective role across the organization. You will serve as a force multiplier to RAND CAST's Director, Sella Nevo. Sella leads one of the most consequential centers working at the intersection of AI and national security, and represents CAST across the White House, frontier labs, Congress, and international governance forums.

Responsibilities include:

• Own the Director's complex agenda and daily flow (with Administrative Support), ensuring he moves seamlessly from activity to activity with the right context, materials, and buffer at each step.
• Manage travel flow for roughly two trips per month with support from an Administrative Assistant who executes bookings and expense reports.
• Conduct quarterly calendar reviews, surfacing meetings that could be delegated and time that could be reinvested in the Director's highest-leverage priorities.
• Support and manage the Director's participation in the execution of RAND-wide processes, including review cycles, quarterly reporting, and board meeting prep.
• Build and maintain a working CRM of the people the Director has met across a network that spans government, industry, and the AI security ecosystem.
• Support the Director and/or senior technical leads on select special projects.
• Handle ad hoc requests that arise in the course of high-stakes work.
• Draft communications and support meeting prep as needed.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of CAST's San Francisco office.

Qualifications

Required:

• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience, which may include work at research organizations, philanthropy, government, frontier labs, or fieldbuilding programs.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills, with the ability to multitask, prioritize independently, and perform under pressure.
• Operational management capabilities and strong problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with large and diverse teams including both junior and senior members.
• Exceptional reliability and attention to detail in demanding environments.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Discretion and sound judgment handling confidential information, including personal information, internal deliberations, and details from sensitive meetings.
• A support-minded orientation and real enthusiasm for amplifying CAST's work.
• Proactive execution across a high volume of small and time-sensitive tasks, with the reliability to maintain high throughput with near-zero errors.

Preferred:

• Experience supporting organizations during rapid growth
• Experience in government, think tanks, or industry-leading organizations
• Experience with research on AI, biology, or information security

Education Requirements

A minimum requirement of a Bachelor's degree. A Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification can substitute for a Bachelor's degree.

Experience

4 years minimum experience.

Security Clearance

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government clearance is preferred but not required.

Location

San Francisco, CA. This opportunity offers a hybrid work arrangement, combining work from home and on-site options in this location.

Term

This position is a 3-year term appointment with a possibility of renewal, alongside options for longer term employment. We are seeking full-time candidates.

Salary Range

ResearchProject Manager I $75,700-$124,600

Research Project Manager II $88,000-$145,200

RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate's work experience, education/training, skills, expertise; and internal equity. Successful candidates will be offered employment in a specific title, as determined by the candidate's education and experience. The salary range includes base pay plus RAND's sabbatic pay (which provides additional compensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more.

Equal Opportunity Employer