Head of Operations

Eleos is hiring a Head of Operations to keep a fast-growing research nonprofit running smoothly—finance, compliance, grants, partnerships, and systems. You'll oversee an external operations firm that works with us, maintain operational excellence, and eventually work to bring more operations in-house. You’ll build a deep understanding of the organization and our mission, so that you can make rapid, high-context decisions.

To guarantee that your application receives full consideration, please apply by Monday, June 30th (11:59 PM, Anywhere on Earth).

At Eleos, we are working to understand and address the potential well-being of AI systems. We believe that it is possible that near-future AI systems could be sentient or possess other properties worthy of moral consideration. We also believe that research on AI well-being may be importantly relevant to AI safety research, and we see our work as part of the broader project of navigating the development of transformative AI to ensure a flourishing future for all. We take a pragmatic approach, prioritizing ambitious but tractable projects. We are a nonprofit organization.

• Oversee our external operations team. Own the relationship with the firm that runs much of our day-to-day operations—finance, people operations, compliance, and more, and provide input to the legal, HR, and other specialists we engage. You’ll be taking over the oversight that currently runs through the Managing Director.

• Manage our finances, grants, and compliance. Review tax filings and regulatory paperwork, track the budget and runway, run our grant process (deadlines, budgets, funder reporting, etc.), and help us ensure compliance.

• Maintain our policies. Keep our policies current, update them as the organization changes, and identify where new ones are needed.

• Support our board. Help prepare materials for board meetings and governance housekeeping.

• Maintain and improve our systems. Improve how we track goals, manage tools and access, and run recurring processes. Build out our CRM for donors, prospective hires, and event invitees.

• Support hiring and onboarding. Track candidate leads and referrals, draft job descriptions, run hiring logistics, and implement onboarding for new staff, contractors, and fellows.

• Manage our space and events. Be a point of contact for the coworking space that houses us, secure more room as we grow, and support events and team offsites.

• Grow the operations function. Over time, bring functions in-house where appropriate, potentially including building and managing a team of specialists as Eleos scales.

• Several years of experience in operations, finance, compliance, people operations, or a related organizational/business operations role (e.g. chief of staff).

• A track record of owning detailed, high-stakes work (budgets, filings, contracts) with very few errors.

• Reliable across a broad, busy workload—you keep many things moving at once, follow through, and rarely drop the ball.

• Good judgment under uncertainty—you can weigh tradeoffs and tell when to handle something yourself, when to bring in a specialist, and when to escalate.

• A bias towards clarity and simplicity, and can build systems that work with people’s existing workflows.

• Readiness to build and manage a team as we grow.

• Clear writing, and care for Eleos's mission and the questions we work on.

• Familiarity with nonprofit financial and regulatory requirements.

• Experience with grant management or funder reporting.

• Familiarity with the AI safety or AI welfare ecosystem.

We're open to a range of seniority for this role, with annual salary dependent on level ($183,696 to $277,000).

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance: Employee premiums covered 100% by Eleos (and 75% of dependent premiums covered)

• 401(k): Immediate vesting with 100% employer match up to 6% of salary

• Time off and leave: Unlimited paid time off; parental leave for new parents

• Our office: Catered meals; snacks and drinks; gym and shower; gorgeous views of the SF Bay Area

• Relocation support: Stipend for moving to the SF Bay Area

• Health and wellness benefits

This role is based in our Berkeley office and is expected to be primarily on-site. Candidates should be able to work from the office up to 5 days per week.

This position is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and individuals currently authorized to work in the U.S. We may be able to sponsor visas for this role, but it will depend on your particular situation.

Eleos is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Eleos collects personal information from job applicants — including contact details, employment and education history, and application materials — through our applicant tracking system for the sole purpose of evaluating your application and communicating with you during the hiring process. We do not sell your personal information or use it for advertising. You have the right to request data deletion or correction; to exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]. Unsuccessful applicants' data is retained for up to 24 months and then deleted.

We may use technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence and automated systems, to support recruiting and hiring activities. These tools assist our hiring team in reviewing applications, matching qualifications to job requirements, and managing the recruitment process. Final hiring decisions are made by human decision-makers.