Current Job Postings From FLI and Our Partner Organizations:
Center for the Study of Existential Risk
The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk is recruiting for an Academic Project Manager. This is a particularly important role for us – it’s an opportunity to play a shaping role as CSER builds on its first year’s momentum towards becoming a permanent world-class research centre. We seek an ambitious candidate with initiative and a broad intellectual range for a postdoctoral role combining academic and project management responsibilities.
The Academic Project Manager will work with CSER’s Executive Director and research team to co-ordinate and develop CSER’s projects and overall profile, and to develop new research directions. The post-holder will also build and maintain collaborations with academic centres, industry leaders and policy makers in the UK and worldwide, and will act as an ambassador for the Centre’s research externally. Research topics will include AI safety, biorisk, extreme environmental risk, future technological advances, and cross-cutting work on governance, philosophy and foresight. Candidates will have a PhD in a relevant subject, or have equivalent experience in a relevant setting (e.g. policy, industry, think tank, NGO).
Application deadline: November 11th.
Further information
MIRI
MIRI’s mission is to ensure that the creation of smarter-than-human intelligence has a positive impact. Our strategic focus is our technical research agenda on “superintelligence alignment,” composed of numerous subproblems in AI, logic, decision theory, and other fields.
Our technical research program currently employs four full-time research fellows, fosters collaboration with our research associates and others, runs several research workshops each year, and funds independently-organized MIRIx workshops around the world.
We’re seeking multiple research fellows who can work with our other research fellows to solve open problems related to superintelligence alignment, and prepare those results for publication. For those with some graduate study or a Ph.D. in a relevant field, the salary starts at $65,000 to $75,000 per year, depending on experience. For more senior researchers, the salary may be substantially higher, depending on experience. All full-time employees are covered by our company health insurance plan. Visa assistance is available if needed.
Ours is a young field. Our current research agenda includes work on tiling agents, logical uncertainty, decision theory, corrigibility, and value learning, but those subtopics do not exhaust the field. Other research topics will be seriously considered if you can make the case for their tractability and their relevance to the design of self-modifying systems which stably pursue humane values.
This is not a limited-term position. The ideal candidate has a career interest in these research questions and aims to develop into a senior research fellow at MIRI, or aims to continue these avenues of research at another institution after completing substantial work at MIRI.
Some properties you should have
- Published research in computer science, logic, or mathematics.
- Enough background in the relevant subjects (computer science, logic, etc.) to understand MIRI’s technical publications.
- A proactive research attitude, and an ability to generate productive new research ideas.
A formal degree in mathematics or computer science is not required, but is recommended.
For more details, please visit here!
Future of Humanity Institute
The Future of Humanity Institute is a leading research centre in the University of Oxford looking at big-picture questions for human civilization. We seek to focus our work where we can make the greatest positive difference. Our researchers regularly collaborate with governments from around the world and key industry groups working on artificial intelligence. To read more about the institute’s research activities, please see http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/research/research-areas/.
Research Project Manager (Vacancy ID #124775)
FHI is accepting applications for a two-year position as a full-time Research Project Manager. Responsibilities will include coordinating, monitoring, and developing FHI’s activities, seeking funding, organizing workshops and conferences, and effectively communicating FHI’s research. The Research Program Manager will also be expected to work in collaboration with Professor Nick Bostrom, and other researchers, to advance their research agendas, and will additionally be expected to produce reports for government, industry, and other relevant organizations.
Applicants will be familiar with existing research and literature in the field and have excellent communication skills, including the ability to write for publication. He or she will have experience of independently managing a research project and of contributing to large policy-relevant reports. Previous professional experience working for non-profit organisations, experience with effective altruism, and a network in the relevant fields associated with existential risk may be an advantage, but are not essential.
To apply please go to https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk and enter vacancy #124775 (it is also possible to find the job by searching choosing “Philosophy Faculty” from the department options). The deadline is noon UK time on 29 August.
For more details, please visit http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/vacancies/
Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence
The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI) is a new, highly interdisciplinary research centre, addressing the challenges and opportunities of future development of artificial intelligence (AI), in both the short and long term. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust for 10 years, it is based in Cambridge, with partners in Oxford, Imperial College, and UC Berkeley. The Centre will have close links with industry partners in the AI field, and with policymakers, as well as with many academic disciplines. It will also work closely with a wide international network of researchers and research institutes.
No current job postings for CFI, but you can still get involved!
The Open Philanthropy Project
The Open Philanthropy Project is a collaboration between Good Ventures and GiveWell in which we identify outstanding giving opportunities, make grants, follow the results, and publish our findings.
Good Ventures is a philanthropic foundation whose mission is to help humanity thrive. Good Ventures was created by Dustin Moskovitz (co-founder of Facebook and Asana) and Cari Tuna, who have pledged to give the majority of their wealth to charity. GiveWell is a nonprofit that finds outstanding giving opportunities and publishes the full details of its analysis to help donors decide where to give.
We are currently hiring for the following roles:
- Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness Senior Program Officer
- Advisor — Life Sciences Funding
- Senior Advisor — Life Sciences Funding
Please email jobs@openphilanthropy.org with any inquiries. While we intend to formally incorporate the Open Philanthropy Project as an independent organization in the future, the people in these roles would start as GiveWell employees. (Read more about the relationship between GiveWell and the Open Philanthropy Project.)
Global Catastrophic Risk Institute
The Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI) is a nonprofit think tank specializing on the topic of global catastrophic risk (GCR). GCRI works with researchers from many academic disciplines and professionals from many sectors. GCRI leads research, education, and professional networking on GCR. GCRI research aims to identify and assess the most effective ways of reducing the risk of global catastrophe, as well as the issues raised by GCR. GCRI education aims to raise awareness and understanding about global catastrophic risk among students, professionals, and most of all by the general public.
Volunteer/Intern Position: Media Engagement on Global Catastrophic Risk
The Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI) seeks a volunteer/intern to contribute on the topic of media engagement on global catastrophic risk, which is the risk of events that could harm or destroy global human civilization. The work would include two parts: (1) analysis of existing media coverage of global catastrophic risk and (2) formulation of strategy for media engagement by GCRI and our colleagues. The intern may also have opportunities to get involved in other aspects of GCRI.
All aspects of global catastrophic risk would be covered. Emphasis would be placed on GCRI’s areas of focus, including nuclear war and artificial intelligence. Additional emphasis could be placed on topics of personal interest to the intern, potentially including (but not limited to) climate change, other global environmental threats, pandemics, biotechnology risks, asteroid collision, etc.
The ideal candidate is a student or early-career professional seeking a career at the intersection of global catastrophic risk and the media. Career directions could include journalism, public relations, advertising, or academic research in related social science disciplines. Candidates seeking other career directions would also be considered, especially if they see value in media experience. However, we have a strong preference for candidates intending a career on global catastrophic risk.
The position is unpaid. The intern would receive opportunities for professional development, networking, and publication. GCRI is keen to see the intern benefit professionally from this position and will work with the intern to ensure that this happens. This is not a menial labor activity, but instead is one that offers many opportunities for enrichment.
A commitment of at least 10 hours per month is expected. Preference will be given to candidates able to make a larger time commitment. The position will begin during August-September 2016. The position will run for three months and may be extended pending satisfactory performance.
The position has no geographic constraint. The intern can work from anywhere in the world. GCRI has some preference for candidates from American time zones, but we regularly work with people from around the world. GCRI cannot provide any relocation assistance.
Candidates from underrepresented demographic groups are especially encouraged to apply.
Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis until 30 September, 2016.
To apply, please send the following to Robert de Neufville (robert [at] gcrinstitute.org):
* A cover letter introducing yourself and explaining your interest in the position. Please include a description of your intended career direction and how it would benefit from media experience on global catastrophic risk. Please also describe the time commitment you would be able to make.
* A resume or curriculum vitae.
* A writing sample (optional).
For more details, please visit here!
80,000 Hours
80,000 Hours is an Oxford, UK-based organization that conducts research on the careers with positive social impact and provides career advice. It provides this advice online, through one-on-one advice sessions and through a community of like-minded individuals.
We’re hiring a Web Product Engineer to lead on building our interactive career guide. Find out about the role.
Otherwise, we’re not currently focused on hiring, though we’re always interesting in hearing from people dedicated to our mission who’d like to join the team full time. If you’d like to express interest in joining, fill out this short form.
Unfortunately we don’t offer internships or part-time volunteer positions.
Center for Effective Altruism
No current job postings for CEA, but you can still get involved!
