Events and Communications Lead
About Us
Astera Institute is a new kind of research organization that operates outside the constraints of markets or academia, and is itself an experiment in how research organizations can move faster, take smarter risks, and create lasting public goods. Our key programs include:
Radial supports biotechnology-focused projects and is redefining what science is done, how science is organized, and how science is communicated
Our Neuro-AI team does fundamental research in Artificial General Intelligence to ensure it brings good to humanity
Our Residency is a 12-18 month program that supports extraordinary scientists who are producing public goods. In this one-of-a-kind program, we support not only residents’ salaries, but also budgets for them to hire a team and meet other needs to accelerate their work
Astera is uniquely positioned because of a $3B endowment we intend to deploy boldly rather than preserve; a small, agile team that runs more like a startup than a foundation; a high tolerance for risk and failure; and a disinterest in consensus - we support people and projects others can't or won't, and we are flexible in how we support science that should exist.
About the Role
Astera Institute is looking for an Events and Communications lead that will shape Astera into a place where the most interesting conversations in science and technology happen, and where the people having them want to be. Reporting to the COO of the Foundation Division, you'll have ownership over building Astera's external presence and internal culture as a research institute: programming our events, convenings, and communications. As an AI-forward organization, we're looking for someone excited about the transformative potential of AI tools and ready to build that fluency from day one.
Event Management (40%)
Design and run events end-to-end, from symposia to Friday socials: venue, vendors, logistics, guest experience, and the details that separate a good event from a memorable one
Build the operational infrastructure that lets programming scale: playbooks, vendor relationships, budgets, and tooling
Partner with Division leadership in developing the events and moments that accelerate our programming
Build the social fabric that turns a collection of researchers into a community, including the unstructured moments where good conversations happen
Communications (40%)
Partner with leadership to shape Astera's external comms strategy (audiences, channels, content, etc) and own execution against it
Steward Astera's voice across the website, written materials, and external touchpoints, in close collaboration with leadership
Manage website, blog, and socials, including writing, editing, and coordinating updates as Astera's work evolves
Run the calendar of external-facing moments and the production pipeline behind it
Build and manage a roster of external contractors and consultants (writers, designers, PR, etc.) - knowing when to bring in specialists, scoping the work, and getting great output on Astera's timeline and budget
General Operations (20%)
Flex to the "unknown unknowns" of a young, growing organization - event logistics, hub operations, cross-functional support during peak periods, and special projects across the Operations stack.
Qualifications
Demonstrated ability to design and execute high-quality convenings end-to-end, including the unglamorous logistics that determine whether they work
Capable writer, able to draft as needed in a voice applicable to Astera, and to give substantive editorial direction on everything else.
Comfortable directing comms work and managing external contracts end-to-end across modalities (writing, design, web, video, social), including the judgment to know when to draft something yourself vs. bring in a specialist
Experience building the systems, playbooks, vendor relationships, and budgets that let programming scale without losing quality
Track record of working closely with technical or research-driven people in a way that earned their trust
Just as important as technical qualifications is cultural alignment:
Motivated by enabling science and technology that could reshape the future
Excited to define what a modern research institute looks and feels like, rather than inheriting an established playbook
Thrives in early-stage environments where the role will evolve significantly and the path forward is often ambiguous: comfortable proposing direction while staying calibrated to leadership's priorities
Values giving and receiving direct feedback as a cultural multiplier, and sees AI tools as an opportunity to uplevel how the work gets done
Generous collaborator who doesn't maintain strong boundaries around what "isn't your job"
Location
This role is based onsite in Emeryville, CA