Head of People

About FAR.AI

FAR.AI is a nonprofit institute focused on making advanced AI safe and beneficial for everyone. The organization works at the crossroads of machine learning, AI safety research, and policy, and supports a worldwide network of researchers and practitioners committed to responsible AI development.

Founded in July 2022, FAR.AI has expanded rapidly to a team of 40+ people, published 30+ influential academic papers, and established leading AI safety events that bring together researchers and international stakeholders. Its work has received attention from major publications and outlets including the Financial Times, Nature News, Forbes, and MIT Technology Review.

The organization also works on practical safety efforts such as red-teaming frontier models with leading AI developers and government bodies. Recent examples include identifying major issues in Anthropic’s newest model on release day and collaborating with OpenAI to improve safety for its latest model. FAR.AI also helps shape the AI safety field through research roadmaps with prominent experts such as Yoshua Bengio. In addition, it runs FAR.Labs, an AI safety-oriented coworking space in Berkeley with 40 members, and supports the community with targeted grants for technical researchers.

About the Role

FAR.AI is looking for a Head of People to design the systems, team structure, and culture that will support growth from 40 people to 75+ within the next 12 months across multiple geographies and legal entities. This person will own the people operations function end to end, building the processes and infrastructure that help the team work effectively as the organization scales.

The role covers the full employee journey, including hiring, onboarding, engagement, retention, and offboarding. You will report to the COO and collaborate closely with leadership and department heads to bring order, clarity, and consistency to all people-related work. This is a fit for someone who has built and scaled People functions in fast-moving organizations and wants to contribute to a mission-driven team making a meaningful impact.

Why This Role Matters

FAR.AI is in a major growth phase, supported by more than $40M in funding and expanding its influence in how advanced AI systems are developed and governed. Its work spans technical research, policy, operations, partnerships, and field-building activities, including red-teaming frontier models with major AI companies and governments.

As Head of People, you will help create the foundation that supports hiring, people operations, culture, and employee engagement. FAR.AI runs events, programs, HR, communications, and shared community spaces that connect the global AI safety ecosystem. This role is not just about supporting an organization; it is about building the operational backbone for a field that emerged only a few years ago.

You will work alongside policymakers, Turing Award winners, and frontier lab experts, and help define how the organization grows through a critical period. For people leaders who enjoy building systems, solving problems proactively, and getting hands-on work done, this is a high-impact opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the people operations function, including HRIS, payroll coordination, onboarding and offboarding, ATS, immigration support, and the policies and systems that keep daily operations consistent across locations.
• Own end-to-end recruiting, including hiring strategy, sourcing, employer branding, candidate experience, interview design, and offer management, while partnering with managers to define roles clearly and attract strong talent.
• Review recruitment data and market insights to improve future hiring plans and fill open positions effectively.
• Create and maintain performance and management practices such as quarterly reviews, professional development systems, and early intervention for underperformance.
• Oversee compensation philosophy, leveling, market benchmarking, and benefits administration in the US and other geographies, including employer-of-record setups.
• Manage employment compliance across applicable jurisdictions, including US federal and state requirements and international obligations where FAR.AI employs people.
• Shape culture and employee experience through rituals, feedback loops, and initiatives that support an inclusive, high-performing workplace.
• Organize quarterly team events, including offsites, team-building activities, and social gatherings, to strengthen connection across the organization.
• Act as a trusted people partner to the CEO, President, and COO on org design, compensation, leveling, succession planning, and sensitive personnel matters.
• Respond to people operations questions and employee issues with speed, care, and sound judgment.
• Build, hire, develop, and manage the growing People team while setting the management standard for the rest of the organization.

Must-Have Qualifications

• At least 7 years of progressive experience in HR or People, including 3+ years leading a People team or a major people sub-function.
• Strong track record of hiring for hard-to-fill roles through full-cycle recruiting, ideally in technical environments.
• Demonstrated success in scaling a people function during substantial headcount growth.
• Hands-on experience with at least three of the following: HRIS implementation, performance management systems, compensation frameworks, hiring infrastructure, or international employment through EOR.
• An operator-oriented mindset with comfort building systems, processes, and teams using simple solutions where possible.
• Ability to work effectively in ambiguity and independently drive people-function priorities.
• Sound judgment in handling sensitive personnel situations, with a communication style that is direct, respectful, and clear.
• Strong relationship-building ability and the communication skills needed to earn trust with candidates and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to present FAR.AI’s mission and opportunities in a thoughtful and compelling way.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience in startup, nonprofit, or other fast-paced environments.
• Technical fluency or familiarity with AI or related technical fields.
• Direct experience employing people internationally, including through EOR arrangements.
• Experience building compensation structures across multiple countries.
• Experience shaping systems, culture, and processes in hybrid or remote teams.
• Interest in or experience with impact-driven work, especially AI safety.

Logistics

This is a full-time role with FAR.AI, a 501(c)(3) research nonprofit.

• Location: Berkeley, California, with onsite/hybrid flexibility, or remote within the United States.
• Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week.
• Compensation: $150,000 to $200,000 per year, depending on experience.
• Additional support: Work-related travel and equipment expenses are covered.
• Office perks: Catered lunch and dinner are provided at the Berkeley office.
• Hiring process: Phone screen, hiring manager interview, task test, in-depth team interviews, and reference checks.

Application Notes

Questions about the role can be directed to the talent team at FAR.AI. If you do not have questions, the organization prefers that candidates apply directly through the application form rather than sending a resume by email.