MIT FutureTech are hiring for an Operations and Project Management role. 

Please apply or share as relevant.

Why apply or share?

• Our work to understand progress in computing and artificial intelligence, and its implications, is highly relevant to understanding and mitigating the risks of AI. This write-up provides a good overview of some of our interests and areas of focus. 
• We are one of Open Philanthropy's 10 largest Global Catastrophic Risk, and AI Governance grantees. 

Position 

Operations and Project Manager, starting in 2024 for 1 year, renewable.

Location 

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA 

Job Description 

We are seeking individuals with operations and project management to join the FutureTech operations staff. This is an exciting opportunity to support a rapidly growing lab, work on socially impactful AI and computing research, and rapidly develop cutting-edge skills and experience.

MIT FutureTech is an interdisciplinary group of computer scientists, engineers, and economists who study the foundations of progress in computing and Artificial Intelligence: the trends, implications, opportunities and risks.  Economic and social change is underpinned by advances in computing: for instance, improvements in the miniaturization of integrated circuits, the discovery and refinement of algorithms, and the development and diffusion of better software systems and processes. We aim to identify and understand the trends in computing that create opportunities or risks and help leaders in computing, scientific funding bodies, and government to respond appropriately.

Our research therefore helps to answer important questions including: Will AI progress accelerate or decline – and should it? What are the bottlenecks to growth from AI, and how can they be solved? What are the risks from AI, and how can we mitigate them?

To support our research, we run seminars and conferences to better connect the field of computer scientists, economists and innovation scholars to build a thriving global research community.

To disseminate it, we advise governments, nonprofits and industry, including via National Academies panels on transformational technologies and scientific reliability, the Council on Competitiveness’ National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers, and the National Science Foundation’s National Network for Critical Technology Assessment.

Our work has been funded by Open Philanthropy, the National Science Foundation, Microsoft, Accenture, IBM, the MIT-Air Force AI accelerator, and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

Some of our recent outputs: 

• Beyond AI Exposure: Which Tasks are Cost-Effective to Automate with Computer Vision?
• How industry is dominating AI research  
• The Quantum Tortoise and the Classical Hare: A simple framework for understanding which problems quantum computing will accelerate (and which it will not) 
• A workshop on AI scaling and its implications for AI development, automation, and more 
• The Great Inflection? A Debate About AI and Explosive Growth  
• There’s plenty of room at the Top: What will drive computer performance after Moore’s law?  
• Deep Learning's Diminishing Returns: The Cost of Improvement is Becoming Unsustainable 
• America’s lead in advanced computing is almost gone 
• The Decline of Computers as a General Purpose Technology: Why Deep Learning and the End of Moore’s Law are Fragmenting Computing 
• How Fast Do Algorithms Improve? 

Some recent articles about our research:

• CNN: AI and the labor market: MIT study findings
• TIME: AI job replacement fears and the MIT study
• Boston Globe: AI's impact on jobs according to MIT

You will be working with Dr. Neil Thompson, the Director of MIT FutureTech. Prior to starting FutureTech, Dr. Thompson was a professor of Innovation and Strategy at the MIT Sloan School of Management.  His PhD is in Business & Public Policy from Berkeley.  He also holds Master’s degrees in: Computer Science (Berkeley), Economics (London School of Economics), and Statistics (Berkeley).  Prior to joining academia, Dr. Thompson was a management consultant with Bain & Company, and worked for the Canadian Government and the United Nations. 

Requirements

• Experience and demonstrated skill in project management or operations, preferably in a research or technology-oriented environment.
• US Working Rights.
• The ability to attend our office daily and work in-person.

Desirable

• A relevant degree is preferred, but not mandatory. Emphasis is on experience and demonstrated skill.
• Research and grant writing experience.
• Ability to start role as soon as possible.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operational aspects of the FutureTech research project.
• Manage project timelines, resources, and deliverables.
• Help researchers to facilitate their work and overcome logistical challenges.
• Coordinate with team members and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to events, research, grant writing, project planning, budgeting, and other administrative tasks.

Opportunities

• Engage in a highly innovative and impactful research environment.
• Collaborate with a team of leading researchers and experts in the field.
• Gain valuable experience in project management within a cutting-edge research context.

The Operations and Project Manager’s primary appointment would be at the MIT Sloan School of Management, with a secondary appointment at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. 

Salary 

Negotiable and based on experience.

To apply   

Please complete this form. Selected candidates will be first interviewed via Zoom. We are recruiting on a rolling basis and may close applications early if we find a suitable candidate, so please apply as soon as possible to maximize your chances. ‍‍

About the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE)

The MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy is a team of internationally recognized thought leaders and researchers examining how people and businesses work, interact, and prosper in a time of rapid digital transformation.  It is housed at the MIT Sloan School of Management. 

About the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) 

CSAIL is one of the world’s top research centers for computer science and artificial intelligence (currently ranked #1).  It has hosted 9 Turing awards winners (the “Nobel Prize of Computing”) and has pioneered many of the technologies that underpin computing.