Technical Recruiter

Technical Recruiter

Berkeley, California

About us

METR is a non-profit doing empirical research to test for whether frontier AI models possess the capability to permanently disempower humanity. We develop scientific methods to assess these risks accurately, and work with frontier AI companies (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic), and government agencies to deploy these assessments. Our work helps ensure the safe development and deployment of transformative AI systems.

Some highlights of our work so far:

  • Establishing autonomous replication evaluations: Thanks to our work, it’s now an industry norm to test models for autonomous capabilities (such as self-improvement and self-replication).
  • Pre-release evaluations: We’ve worked with OpenAI and Anthropic to evaluate their models pre-release, and our research has been widely cited by policymakers, AI labs, and within government.
  • Early commitments from labs: The safety frameworks of Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic all credit or endorse our work in developing responsible scaling policies.
  • Our work has been internationally recognized, e.g. by the UK government, President Obama, and Time Magazine.
  • Inspiring lab evaluation efforts: Multiple leading AI companies are building their own internal evaluation teams, inspired by our work.

We are a motivated, fast-paced, growing team (currently ~20 people). Candidates should be excited about working entrepreneurially in a rapidly changing environment while helping to strengthen the organization's operational rigor.

About the role

METR is seeking an experienced Technical Recruiter to help us grow our team. This is a unique opportunity to be an early team member at an organization that is shaping AI safety practices around the world. Reporting to the COO, this would be METR’s first dedicated recruiting role and would be responsible for all our hiring (research, engineering, policy, operations). You will help define and own full-cycle recruiting and, if interested, potentially take on additional People Operations responsibilities over time.

This role is ideally full-time, but is open to part-time candidates. We work in-person in our Berkeley, CA office, and would expect you to be in the office at least 1-3 days a week, though we prefer someone who is 100% in person.

Responsibilities

  1. Build a Candidate Pipeline: Create and maintain a CRM system to track leads and stay engaged with candidates across technical and non-technical roles.
  2. Outbound Candidate Sourcing: Proactively seek out candidates from various networks, with a focus on AI researchers, engineers, and mission-aligned professionals. Get candidates excited about METR's mission and the impact of their work.
  3. Job Descriptions & Hiring Process Design: Collaborate with Hiring Managers, the Executive Director, and the COO to write compelling job descriptions. Establish clear hiring processes and standards.
  4. Screen Candidates: Conduct initial interviews to assess technical skills, culture fit, and mission alignment. Make decisions on candidate progression, using criteria co-created with the hiring manager.
  5. Manage End-to-End Candidate Experience: Ensure smooth and seamless candidate experiences throughout the interview and onboarding process. Coordinate interview schedules and manage the flow of onsite meetings.
  6. Manage Onsite Interviews: Be the candidate’s point of contact during their onsite experience, ensuring smooth handoffs and a welcoming environment.
  7. Compensation and Contract Negotiation: Own the final stages of the hiring process, including preparing offers, negotiating compensation, and finalizing contract terms.
  8. Recruiting Event Representation (Optional): Represent METR at recruiting events, including college campuses, networking events, and informal gatherings in the Bay Area.
  9. Propose Creative Recruiting Strategies: Learn METR’s recruitment channels (blogs, social media, etc.) and suggest other methods to grow our candidate pool and strengthen METR’s employer brand.

What we’re looking for

  • Research Understanding:
    • Ability to understand METR’s AI evaluations research at a high level and communicate it compellingly to candidates
    • Experience in working with hiring managers to assess the technical capabilities of AI researchers, engineers, and other technical staff
  • Experience:
    • 3-5+ years of experience in full-cycle recruiting, including building pipelines, managing candidate journeys, and hiring for technical roles
    • Strong ownership of recruitment processes, including implementing best practices and innovative solutions
    • Experience working in startups or technical companies, with a track record of building recruitment structures in early-stage environments
  • Communication Skills:
    • Exceptional written and spoken communication skills
    • Demonstrated excellence in both candidate management and hiring management partnership
  • Culture Fit:
    • Motivated by METR’s mission
    • A proactive and honest approach to communication and collaboration
  • Location & Availability:
    • Onsite presence in our Berkeley, CA office at least 50% of the time, ideally at least one day per week if part-time
    • Open to both full-time and part-time candidates
  • Preferred (Not Required) Background:
    • Previous experience at working in AI
    • Proven ability to attract top technical talent in AI

We encourage you to apply even if your background may not seem like the perfect fit!

Compensation Range: $150,000 - $200,000

METR also provides generous medical benefits and unlimited vacation.

Logistics

  • Deadline to apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • Location: This role would be in-person out of our beautiful coworking space in Berkeley, CA.
  • Visas: We’re unlikely to be able to sponsor a visa for this role, unfortunately.
  • Successful candidates will likely complete a paid work test, multiple rounds of interviews, and an in-person trial. Registering interest is short/quick — there’s just a single required question, which can be answered with a few bullet points. Apply here!

Benefits include

  • Platinum health insurance and dental insurance for you and your dependents
  • Unlimited PTO (most staff take 4-6 weeks off per year)
  • Catered lunch, dinner, and snacks at the beautiful downtown Berkeley coworking space, shared with other organizations in the AI safety ecosystem
  • Generous stipends for productivity and ergonomics, professional development, and mental health
  • 21 weeks parental leave
  • Relocation stipend for moving to the Bay Area

Some studies have found that a higher percentage of women and underrepresented candidates won't apply if they don't meet every listed qualification. METR values candidates of all backgrounds. If you find yourself excited by the position but you don't check every box in the description, we encourage you to apply anyway!

Apply for this job

We encourage you to apply even if your background may not seem like the perfect fit! We would rather review a larger pool of applications than risk missing out on a promising candidate for the position. If you lack US work authorization, we can likely sponsor a cap-exempt H-1B visa for this role.

We are committed to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of our hiring process. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We welcome and encourage all qualified candidates to apply for our open positions. Register interest here!