The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) is a leading research and advocacy organization focused on mitigating societal-scale risks from AI. We address AI’s toughest challenges through technical research, field-building initiatives, and policy engagement, along with our sister organization, Center for AI Safety Action Fund.
The Operations Associate helps keep CAIS running smoothly day to day by owning core operational workflows across the office, systems, and people operations. Reporting to the Operations Manager, this role manages office and facilities logistics, supports IT and tools administration, coordinates onboarding and offboarding, and provides responsive team support across all departments. We're looking for someone who is highly organized, warm, and proactive. The kind of person who is dependable, takes ownership, and follows through with a high bar in a fast-moving environment.
Key Functions and Responsibilities:
Office and Facilities Management (25%)
Own day-to-day office operations to keep the workspace functional, stocked, and welcoming.Serve as the primary point of contact with building management for facilities requests.Manage building access logistics, including key card requests, visitor access processes, and maintaining up-to-date access documentation.Manage office set-ups for all-hands meetings and team events.Track and execute small office improvement projects.
IT & Systems Administration (20%)
Triage and fulfill access requests for approved tools, provision accounts and maintain clean tracking. Support basic IT operations and vendor coordination.Manage software and device onboarding/offboardings.Maintain a current software/tools inventory and deliver periodic audits.
People Operations (25%)
Help foster a positive, connected team environment by coordinating team events, offsites, and moments of recognition (birthdays, milestones, celebrations).Coordinate onboarding and offboarding logistics and serve as the primary point of contact for new joiners.Partner with Ops leadership to keep policies and procedures running smoothly day to day, ensuring consistent execution across teams.
Admin Ops (15%)
Provide administrative support to Operations leadership (tracking systems, documentation upkeep, assisting with inbound requests, maintaining internal reference guides).
Team Support (15%)
Serve as a reliable first-line point of contact for staff questions; route issues to the correct owner and follow through to resolution.Provide operational support to other teams as needed (Field Building, Research, Public Engagement).Monitor shared channels/inboxes used for operational requests and ensure requests are acknowledged, tracked, and closed out.
Required Knowledge and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree.1-3 years of relevant experience (operations/office management/program management, ideally in a fast-moving environment).Strong organizational and prioritization skills; comfortable managing multiple workstreams with shifting urgency.Strong judgment + critical thinking: can assess incomplete info, ask the right questions, and choose a sensible path forward; escalates appropriately.Strong communication: clear written updates, professional stakeholder management, and calm day-to-day support to staff.Ability to learn and operate within new systems quickly (Google Workspace, Slack, Administering Tools)High attention to detail.Demonstrated ability to own recurring workflows end-to-end (not just execute tasks): anticipate needs, document processes, spot failure points, and improve the system.Comfort working autonomously (with check-ins), taking feedback well, and iterating quickly.Thrives in ambiguity; can “bring order to chaos” without over-engineering.Collaborative, service-minded, and discreet with sensitive information.
Know someone who could be a great fit for this role? Submit their details through our
Referral Form. If we end up hiring your referral, you’ll receive a $1,500 bonus once they’ve been with CAIS for 90 days.
The Center for AI Safety is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. In alignment with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.
If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact contact@safe.ai.
We value diversity and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.
