Research Operations Manager
About Basis
Basis is a nonprofit applied AI research organization with two mutually reinforcing goals.
The first is to understand and build intelligence. This means to establish the mathematical principles of what it means to reason, to learn, to make decisions, to understand, and to explain; and to construct software that implements these principles.
The second is to advance society’s ability to solve intractable problems. This means expanding the scale, complexity, and breadth of problems that we can solve today, and even more importantly, accelerating our ability to solve problems in the future.
To achieve these goals, we’re building both a new technological foundation that draws inspiration from how humans reason, and a new kind of collaborative organization that puts human values first.
About the Role
Research operations at Basis is the work of building an institution capable of sustained, ambitious inquiry. The quality and impact of research depends to a great extent on the organization in which it happens: how research teams are formed, how collaboration is structured, how resources and spaces are organized, and how the institution responds to uncertainty and new ideas.
The Research Operations Manager will own and improve the core systems through which Basis’ research organization functions, across people, recruiting, labs and workplaces, research gatherings, grants, and administration. We are looking for someone who treats operations as a serious craft: someone who enjoys creating coherent structures around exploratory work, making sound decisions, and using thoughtful process design, tools, and automation to translate organizational principles into practices that accelerate our work.
This is a broad and hands-on role, requiring both rigorous execution and thoughtful institutional design. You will work closely with the COO and assume independent ownership of major operational domains, identifying problems, weighing tradeoffs, establishing standards, and remaining accountable for outcomes.
We expect you to:
Have demonstrated the ability to own important operational domains and run them reliably over time.
Exercise sound judgment and operate with a high degree of autonomy, including under uncertainty.
Take the details of execution seriously. You close loops, maintain systems, and follow work through to completion without repeated reminders.
Enjoy operations as a craft, including both the design of new systems and the recurring work required to make them function.
Be comfortable in a technical research environment. You do not need to be a scientist, but you should be intellectually curious, able to engage with experts, and interested in how research organizations work.
Communicate clearly and handle personnel, candidate, grant, and organizational information with discretion.
Be excited about force-multiplying impact. Much of this work is not externally visible, but it is what allows Basis to solve intractable problems at scales we couldn't otherwise reach.
In addition, the following would be an advantage:
Experience in a research institute, laboratory, scientific or deep-tech organization, or other highly technical environment.
Experience across several areas of operations, such as People, recruiting, facilities, events, grants, or organizational administration.
Experience developing policies or operating systems for a growing or changing organization.
Comfort and experience managing external parters such as facilities providers, university administrators, legal counsel, landlords, and vendors.
Responsibilities:
Work with the COO and leadership team to develop the operations function as Basis grows.
Own and improve core systems such as People operations, recruiting and hiring, and project management.
Implement automations and integrations that reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and allow operational systems to scale. Work with technical colleagues when a problem requires custom tooling or deeper engineering.
Own the operation of Basis’ offices and labs, including workplace planning, access, supplies, facilities issues, and landlord and vendor relationships. Coordinate workplace needs across our New York and Cambridge locations.
Design and execute research gatherings, multi-day meetings, the annual retreat, visiting-researcher logistics, and other forms of in-person collaboration.
Contribute to the operational aspects of grant and contract preparation and administration.
Maintain and improve the tools, documentation, calendars, and operating processes on which the organization depends.
Identify recurring organizational problems, determine their underlying causes, and develop solutions.
Contribute to the culture and direction of Basis through the policies, systems, and organizational practices you build.
Role Details
Exceptional candidates who may not meet all of the following criteria are still encouraged to apply.
FT/PT: Full-time.
In-person Policy: We are in the office four days a week. Be prepared to attend multi-day Basis-wide in-person events.
Location: New York City.
Salary range: Competitive salary.
Non-Discrimination Notice
Basis Research Institute provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics and prohibits discrimination based on all protected characteristics.
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