Head of Communications

Job description

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS FAR.AI http://FAR.AI is seeking an experienced communications leader to develop and execute a communications strategy to inform key stakeholders on AI capabilities, risks and solutions, and advocate for responsible development and deployment. In this role, you will take full ownership of the communications function at FAR.AI http://FAR.AI, shaping our content and messaging; reaching our audience through both social and traditional media; and directly engaging key decision makers in government and industry. You’ll work cross-functionally, leveraging FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s events and research teams to capitalize on our technical credibility, depth and convening power. You’ll be instrumental in growing our existing communications work, leading a team of four communications experts, and launching a bold new communications strategy. You will start with a budget of $1mn/year for the division and we are excited to further grow the division. If you thrive on variety, love solving challenges and are excited to help shape the future of a mission driven organization, we’d love to hear from you. ABOUT US FAR.AI http://FAR.AI is the world’s largest non-profit AI research institute working to ensure advanced AI is safe and beneficial for everyone. Our mission is to facilitate breakthrough AI safety research, advance global understanding of AI risks and solutions, and foster a coordinated global response. Since our founding in July 2022, we've grown to 40+ staff https://www.far.ai/about/team, published 40+ academic papers https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FVJ24k8AAAAJ, and convened leading AI safety events https://far.ai/events/. Our work is recognized globally, with publications at premier venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR, and features in the Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/175e5314-a7f7-4741-a786-273219f433a1, Nature News https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02218-7 and MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/02/28/905615/reinforcement-learning-adversarial-attack-gaming-ai-deepmind-alphazero-selfdriving-cars/. We conduct pre-deployment testing on behalf of frontier developers such as OpenAI and independent evaluations for governments including the EU AI Office https://www.far.ai/news/far-ai-selected-to-lead-eu-ai-act-cbrn-risk-consortium. We help steer and grow the AI safety field through developing https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06624 research https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.20702 roadmaps https://www.researchgate.net/publication/396910034_Open_Technical_Problems_in_Open-Weight_AI_Model_Risk_Management with renowned researchers such as Yoshua Bengio; running FAR.Labs https://www.far.ai/programs/far-labs, an AI safety-focused co-working space in Berkeley housing 40 members; and supporting the community through targeted grants https://www.far.ai/programs/grantmaking to technical researchers. ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS AT FAR.AI http://FAR.AI We believe that AI will be the defining technology of the 21st century. These systems could bring with them unprecedented benefits, but they also pose unprecedented risks, up to human extinction. We already know that AI will fundamentally affect everyone’s lives, reshaping the nature of work and upending geopolitics. Yet few people outside of Silicon Valley appreciate what is about to happen. Key decisionmakers in governments and companies have a limited view on what is to come, while the general public are even more in the dark. Communications at FAR.AI http://FAR.AI fills this urgent gap. As a research and education non-profit, we are a trusted, independent third-party that can cut through the hype, avoid fear mongering, while delivering credible warnings when a technology truly poses a danger. Our Communications Team https://www.far.ai/about/team#toc-header-3 partners directly with FAR.AI http://FAR.AI researchers to build credibility and improve accessibility of our research – translating our work into highly visible narratives, intelligible to our target audiences, whether policymakers or the general public. The team consists of experts in design, digital media, and media relations, ensuring our research and events reach their key audiences across various channels. Communications works with key FAR.AI http://FAR.AI team members, including our CEO Adam Gleave, building and amplifying their public profiles and thought leadership. Communications is deeply embedded across FAR.AI http://FAR.AI, partnering cross-functionally to deliver strategic projects. The team develops and executes communication plans for our key initiatives, such as a forthcoming leaderboard on AI model security to enable consumers and policymakers to make informed decisions on their use and governance of this technology. ABOUT THE ROLE FAR.AI http://FAR.AI is seeking a Head of Communications to lead and scale our strategic communications efforts. You will work closely with our research and events teams to effectively communicate complex ideas about AI safety to key decisionmakers and stakeholders. As our communications leader, you’ll be pivotal in refining and executing our ambitious communications strategy, guiding our work to engage key decisionmakers in government and industry, and steering the narrative on AI safety. You will lead our experienced communications team, overseeing media relations, and ensuring FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s voice remains trusted and authoritative in the field. You will be a trusted partner to other teams across FAR.AI http://FAR.AI, identifying best strategies to amplify our efforts across research, events and grantmaking. You will own the execution of our communications strategy, from content creation and messaging; to optimizing reach through a mix of traditional and social media channels; to building relationships with key policymakers, industry leaders, and journalists. This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-growing, mission-driven organization and take FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s communications strategy to the next level. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Develop & Lead Communications Strategy - Create and implement a comprehensive communications strategy aimed at engaging key decisionmakers (policymakers, AI researchers, & industry leaders) and shaping public understanding of AI safety. - Ensure messaging is clear, impactful, and consistent across all channels and initiatives. - Oversee the development of content, including policy-focused technical content and social media strategies. - Media Relations & Public Engagement - Leverage your relationships with key journalists and media outlets to secure high-impact coverage, op-eds, and expert commentary in influential policy and technical outlets (e.g. New York Times, Financial Times, MIT Technology Review, Foreign Affairs).. - Lead rapid response communications to address misconceptions surrounding AI safety and ensure the organization's narrative remains accurate and credible. - Partner with internal leaders and subject-matter experts to sharpen their public profiles, media and speaking skills, and platform presence as credible external voices for FAR.AI http://FAR.AI. - Own the media kit and the interview-readiness that keeps FAR.AI http://FAR.AI top-of-mind for journalists covering the space. - Team Leadership & Coordination - Lead, mentor, and expand the communications team, including content specialists and social media experts. - Coordinate with internal teams, including research, events and policy, to ensure messaging aligns with FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s mission and research focus. - Oversee external agencies’ relationships (e.g. PR, social) to grow reach and visibility. - Content Strategy & Execution - Own the cross-channel editorial calendar, aligning content to organizational priorities and key moments. - Own FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s website as its primary brand surface, shaping content, structure, and presentation so it clearly communicates who we are and what we stand for. - Ensure content resonates with diverse audiences, including technical researchers, policymakers, and the general public. - Lead the social media strategy, including organic posts and paid campaigns, to grow FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s reach and influence. - Oversee the newsletter, setting its editorial direction, voice, and growth strategy, to make it a flagship channel for reaching key audiences and reinforcing the brand narrative. - Stakeholder Engagement & Brand Building - Oversee FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s brand, protecting our reputation as a trusted neutral source on AI and strengthening our attractiveness as an employer and partner - Represent FAR.AI http://FAR.AI at industry events and conferences, building our reputation as a trusted AI safety authority. - Establish and steward a consistent organizational voice, equipping staff across all teams with the messaging, framing, and confidence to represent and amplify FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s narrative in their own work and channels. - Collaborate with other AI safety organizations to amplify our collective impact and drive key AI safety initiatives forward. ABOUT YOU You are an experienced leader with a deep interest in informing the world about AI safety. You combine strategic vision with hands-on execution, and thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. You are someone who can manage both long-term strategy and day-to-day operations, leading a team, collaborating with key stakeholders, and ensuring FAR.AI http://FAR.AI’s messaging is always clear, persuasive, and credible. As a leader for a team of communications specialists you’ll have broad fluency across the craft, real skill at earning trust and elevating people who know their domains deeply. We welcome applications from both traditional communications backgrounds, as well as people who have led comms-adjacent work at significant scale in other roles (e.g. starting an org, a strategy or Chief of Staff role, leading a product or policy team. We expect candidates to have: - 5+ years of professional experience in a communications role (e.g. public relations, science journalism, policy communication) or an operational role with significant communication elements (e.g., product launches, entrepreneurial ventures). - 2+ years of experience managing people and specialized teams (preferred); or a proven ability to lead complex initiatives, manage dependencies, and align teams to deliver strong results without formal authority. - Track record of setting strategy and vision in comms, brand, or an adjacent domain, defining direction and priorities. - Experience leading initiatives (preferably comms) end to end, from goals and strategy setting through team and cross-functional delivery. - Demonstrated use of measurement and feedback to evaluate impact and improve the work. - Hands-on fluency across earned media, brand, and content to make sound calls and give credible feedback in each, even where you're not the deepest expert. - An interest in AI safety and our mission, and a willingness to learn. - Excellent strategic judgment and ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously. - Ability to build alignment across diverse perspectives and steer them toward a coherent strategic direction. We expect strong candidates to have some, but not all, of the following: - Proven experience in crafting clear, concise, and impactful content for a range of audiences (e.g., researchers, policymakers, the public). - Ability to synthesize complex technical topics into easily digestible content for non-technical audiences. - Familiarity with the AI landscape and experience engaging with key stakeholders (governments, AI companies, policy think tanks). - Track record of driving earned media, from strategy through placement, built on strong journalist relationships. - Entrepreneurial experience with a proven ability to launch new initiatives, develop innovative strategies, and build communications from the ground up. - Background in advocacy or political communications (at an advocacy group or in Congress/the Administration), particularly in technology and innovation policy. - Track record of building and scaling communications teams, particularly in early-stage, fast-growing organizations. - Experience in digital grassroots and running social media campaigns. - Productive and strong relationships with high profile/reach journalists in the tech and policy spaces. - On-the-record experience. LOGISTICS Hours and Location: This is a full-time, long-term position that can be either in-person (Berkeley, CA; or Singapore) or globally remote (with 4 hours of overlap with 9am-5pm Pacific time). We offer visa sponsorship for in-person employees. Contractual Relationship: If based in the US or Singapore, you will be an employee of FAR.AI http://FAR.AI (501(c)(3) research non-profit / non-profit CLG). Outside the US or Singapore, you will be employed via an EOR organisation on behalf of FAR.AI http://FAR.AI or as a contractor. Application process: Our application process includes a screening call, a test task, interviews with our team, and a full-day assessment. For some candidates, we may offer a short work trial to assess mutual fit. We expect filling out the initial application form will take less than 15 minutes. If you have any questions about the role, feel free to contact us at talent@far.ai. Otherwise, if you don't have questions, the best way to ensure a proper review of your skills and qualifications is by applying directly via the application form. Please don't email us to share your resume (it won't have any impact on our decision). Thank you!