Director of Operations

We're offering a $10,000 referral bonus for this role. If you have a referral, please submit them using this link.

METR assesses AI capabilities, risks and mitigations, with a specific focus on threats related to autonomy, AI R&D automation, and alignment. This primarily means advancing the science of AI measurement, with a particular focus on understanding frontier AI systems’ ability to complete complex tasks without human input. It also involves executing those measurements, directly assessing the capability of frontier AI systems, to inform risk assessments and consensus within the AI industry, among policymakers, and the public.

Our work has been cited by NIST, a US President, the UK Government, Nature News, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and others. We’re sufficiently connected to relevant parties (labs, governments, and academia) that any good work we do or insights we uncover can quickly be leveraged.

We encourage you to apply even if your background may not seem like the perfect fit! We would rather review a larger pool of applications than risk missing out on a promising candidate for the position.

We are committed to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of our hiring process. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We welcome and encourage all qualified candidates to apply for our open positions.

• Strategic Leadership:
  Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to CEO Beth Barnes on both high-level organizational strategy and day-to-day operational decisions
• Operations Management:
  Oversee and manage operations staff (~5 team members) across legal, finance, IT, people operations, business operations, and recruiting
• People & Performance:
  Own and improve performance management processes, policies, and mentorship programs across the organization
• Culture Making:
  Improve and maintain METR's high cultural standards, ensuring it remains an exciting and impactful place to work!
• Organizational Excellence:
  Drive operational discipline, efficiency, and smooth organizational functioning while supporting METR's growth
• Nice to have: be in charge of fundraising and research communications (depending on appetite and fit)

• People Management Expertise:
  We particularly need someone with experience managing teams. METR currently has a significant gap in this area, and we're excited to find someone who can help managers effectively lead their teams, address performance issues constructively, and provide coaching and support to both managers and individual contributors who are struggling
• Operational Excellence:
  Proven ability to make things happen reliably, follow through consistently, and keep systems running smoothly. Ideally having done this (not necessarily as Director of Operations, but potentially as an operations leader) at a smaller or similar sized organization for >2 years.
• Strategic Partnership:
  Excellent judgment and ability to act as a trusted partner for executive decision-making
• Mission Alignment:
  Deep understanding of and excitement for METR's AI safety work and theory of change
• Adaptability:
  Ability to handle diverse responsibilities and be accountable for areas outside your expertise, knowing when to leverage others’ expertise
• Culture Fit:
  Ability to maintain METR's scrappy-but-professional culture while implementing necessary organizational structure

$296,464 - $340,934 a year