The definition of this role is currently in the exploratory stages. We invite your collaborative feedback and exploration of variations of the scope, framing, or other aspects here that might make sense for you or for Constellation.

About Constellation

Constellation is an independent research center that brings together people throughout the AI safety ecosystem to accelerate insight, research, and talent through better cooperation. Unlike a conference or summit, Constellation operates continuously, in the form of a physical workspace as well as conference-style talks, workshops, and training bootcamps. Continuous operation allows for relationships and conversations to develop over time, meaningfully fostering trust, collaboration, and shared insight. It also makes Constellation a natural field-building hub by rapidly inspiring, orienting, and connecting people who are newer to the field.

Based in Berkeley, CA, our shared workspace hosts over 100 people per week across dozens of AI safety organizations in nonprofits, academia, industry, and government. Hundreds of other researchers spend time at Constellation for shorter visits each year. We believe this is the strongest and highest-output network of AI safety researchers in the world; dozens of participants in past Constellation programs have gone on to safety-focused roles at companies such as METR, Redwood Research, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and the US and UK Safety Institutes. Our core team currently includes 17 members and is expected to grow to 25–30 by the end of the year. In addition, we work closely with an extended team of 5–10 collaborators.

For more information, see our research focus areas and selected publications from Constellation fellows.

Communications at Constellation

Constellation has unusual communication and brand needs. We are a unique institution, with no clearly analogous organizations to use as reference points. This makes it hard to describe what we do. At the same time, we have a variety of audiences, including network participants (ranging from individual researchers to government agencies to frontier AI companies), funders (prospects ranging from institutional foundations to newly-wealthy technologists) and the general public (including skeptical or hostile members of the media and policy worlds).

In addition, we face challenges in convening such a variety of stakeholders with distinct, nuanced, and sometimes conflicting political and compliance sensitivities. For such diverse parties to engage, Constellation must be sufficiently independent of any factions or unstated agendas.

Once we’ve addressed these communication challenges for ourselves, Constellation will be in a strong position to help the AI safety ecosystem more broadly, both by helping organizations in its network with their communications goals, and possibly with direct strategic communication to key audiences to build understanding and awareness of AI safety issues.

About This Role

Many of the concrete outputs of this role involve ”typical” strategic communications work. Examples include clarifying our understanding of our audiences, developing a new website, key communications to our network, and responding to PR/media issues or inquiries.

However, that’s just the beginning – communication is central to Constellation’s work. Convening the Constellation network is Constellation’s core activity, and given the inherent sociopolitical complexities, skilled communication is not merely a tool for marketing and PR, but an essential ingredient for allowing the network to flourish. Communication needs to be a core competency for Constellation, one that is tightly integrated into our programs, operations, and strategy work.

We will have begun clarifying and strengthening our brand in Q2 before this person joins. This individual will play a key role in advancing this foundational branding work, implementing our clarified brand strategy into strategic communications across all channels.

This role would report to the CEO, with versions of this position ranging from Director-level to C-level. The individual needs to be capable of managing external contractors and agencies as well as providing leadership within the Constellation team, and a highly successful candidate in this role will likely hire 1-3 reports over the first year and manage a budget of $0.5-0.75M.

Example responsibilities

• Developing a holistic strategic trust & communications strategy for Constellation
• Identifying and driving changes throughout the company as necessary to address weaknesses in Constellation's brand, credibility or trustworthiness
• Creating a detailed analysis and understanding of our target audiences
• Developing written communication guides for team members to follow, based on our strategy and tailored to our various audiences
• Managing our PR response strategy and process for both traditional and social media, including proactive (developing media response plans, press kits, etc.) and reactive efforts
• Selecting and/or managing PR consultants and advisors as needed
• Advising teammates on key communications and/or giving detailed feedback on drafts
• Deciding/advising on what action is necessary to strengthen our brand, and if necessary selecting and managing an agency to rebrand and/or rename the company and/or our core offerings (workspace, programs) if required
• Selecting and managing an agency to redo our website
• Overseeing and managing all website content and future program marketing efforts
• Developing and executing outward-facing communication strategies to key audiences to build awareness and understanding of key AI safety issues
  
  
  

Skills needed

• 8+ years of communications experience in strategic communications, PR, branding, or marketing
• Experience in developing and implementing communications and/or brand strategies end-to-end
• Track record of managing complex stakeholder relationships
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Exceptional judgement, discretion and emotional intelligence
• Comfort with ambiguity and rapid change
  
  
  

Nice to have:

• An understanding of the AI safety landscape, or a demonstrated interest in AI safety and an ability to quickly learn about complex technical domains
• Experience in technology, research and/or policy communications
• Experience in growing a network, promoting events or community-building
• Experience working with media and PR agencies
• Strong project management skills
  
  
  

The ideal candidate for this role will have some combination of the skills and experiences described above. If you are not sure if you are qualified, we strongly encourage you to apply anyway.

This is a full-time, in-person role based in downtown Berkeley, CA (13 seconds from BART). Benefits include PPO health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents, 401(k), commuter benefits, and daily catered lunch and dinner. Visa sponsorship is available. The preferred start date is as soon as possible, with some flexibility. We value diversity in all respects and base our hiring decisions on the needs of the organization and individual qualifications. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age or disability.