Senior Research Manager

Tais 2026; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Meals provided Monday-Friday

Funding for professional development

Job summary

Tais 2026 is looking for a Senior Research Manager in Berkeley, California, to lead a sub-team of Research Managers. The role involves managing the professional growth of research managers, owning sub-team metrics, and facilitating mentoring in AI safety research. Ideal candidates will have experience in technical research or managerial roles. The position offers annual compensation between $160,000 and $200,000, private medical insurance, and opportunities for professional development and skill enhancement.

Qualifications

• Experience in technical research or research management.
• Proven track record of managing teams and supporting research.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and coaching.

Responsibilities

• Manage, guide, and develop Research Managers.
• Own sub-team metrics and present findings.
• Support team hiring and performance management processes.

Skills

Technical research management

Team leadership

Coaching and mentoring skills

Policy and governance understanding

Job description

Manage, guide, and develop Research Managers

Hold weekly 1-1s with allocated Research Managers to track fellow progress, provide actionable feedback and/or guidance to research managers, and drive their professional growth

Contribute to the development of Research Management processes and research excellence; work with the team to pilot and document new processes and resources that can later be rolled out program-wide

Own sub-team metrics (fellow feedback, milestone completion, mentor feedback) and present findings in cohort retrospective

Ensure fellows managed by your sub-team complete essential milestones, meet mentor goals, and are connected to appropriate resources

Sync weekly with the Research Director and/or London Director to keep overall research-support strategy coherent, request resources, and surface fellows and projects at risk

Support team hiring and performance management processes

Flag researcher conflicts and/or community-health concerns promptly to the Community Lead

Direct Research Management

Partner with mentors to clarify research goals and help accelerate their mentorship process

Research manage fellows: conduct regular 1-1 coaching, troubleshoot blockers, and uphold high standards on research outputs

Strategic Development

Spearhead internal projects; past projects have included the development of new fellow milestones and piloting new support initiatives

Build, improve, and maintain the systems and infrastructure that MATS requires to run efficiently

Provide input into strategy discussions

The MATS Research Management team supports the development of AI safety researchers through personalized support, strategic, structured guidance, and iterative feedback. Research Managers play a pivotal role in accelerating fellow growth, facilitating high-quality research, and guiding participants toward impactful AI safety careers.

Senior Research Managers multiply that impact even further: as they transition from direct research management with fellows and mentors to leading teams, they initially manage 3-4 Research Managers, helping the program scale while furthering research quality.

As a Senior Research Manager, you will lead a sub-team of Research Managers, ensuring that fellows and mentors achieve program milestones while scaling RM capacity. The exact balance of the role (including team size and whether you'll have direct fellow responsibilities) will be tailored based on organizational priorities and your experience.

This structure enables each Research Management sub-team to support roughly 20-64 fellows depending on mentor and fellow needs. The role offers a unique opportunity to shape the next generation of AI safety researchers while developing advanced leadership capabilities in a high-impact field.

Who We're Looking For

We welcome applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and strongly encourage you to apply if you fit into at least one of these profiles:

Experienced professionals in the fields of technical research, governance research, and/or research management

Experienced team managers, especially those with technical or governance backgrounds

AI safety & security professionals looking to apply and further develop their management skills, diversify their experience, and/or broaden their impact across a spectrum of projects

Coaching and/or managing people in a supportive way, especially in the context of supporting technical researchers and/or scientists

Engineering product/project managers from tech-focused organizations or a STEM industry

If you do not fit into one of these profiles but think you could be a good fit, we are still excited for you to apply! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Opportunity to help accelerate and launch the careers of highly talented early-career AI Safety researchers

Opportunity to accelerate a large portfolio of impactful research projects: many of our projects have received oral and spotlight recognition at major academic conferences

Chance to work with and learn from top researchers in the field

Professional development and skill enhancement opportunities, e.g. deep-dives into bleeding-edge AI tools for research acceleration

Funding and support for professional development, including attending industry and professionally relevant conferences

Collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment

Access to our office spaces in Berkeley, London, and other partnered office spaces

Private medical insurance, including dental and vision

Meals provided Monday-Friday

Visa sponsorship may be possible but is not guaranteed; we encourage all interested candidates to apply.

Compensation

Compensation will be $160,000-$200,000 annually for Berkeley roles and £105,000-£130,000 for London roles, depending on experience.

Working Hours and Location

40 hours per week. Successful candidates can expect to spend most of their time working in-person from our main offices. Senior Research Managers will be based either in person at our office in Berkeley, California, or in person at our office in Old Street, London. Senior Research Managers with a strong background in policy or governance are welcome to join our team in Washington, DC for hybrid co-working. We are open to other hybrid working arrangements for exceptional candidates.