Job Description

Lead the identification and selection of exceptional founders for Catalyze’s AI safety incubation work. You will join us as one of our first employees, building the infrastructure that will enable the next generation of AI safety organizations at a time where scaling the AI safety ecosystem is pivotal. You’ll have the opportunity to take on expanding responsibilities and help shape our trajectory as we scale, and could even grow into a co-founder role if the fit is right.


Overview:

• Contract: 1-year, full-time contract to start. Ideally you would start in early November 2025(we have limited flexibility on this).
• Language: English
• Applications closing: 5th October

Core Responsibilities

You will lead the end-to-end recruitment and selection of exceptional founders for Catalyze’s incubation programs, ensuring we identify and attract the most promising AI safety entrepreneurs. As a growing startup, you’ll have the opportunity to take on expanding responsibilities and help shape our trajectory as we scale.​

• Recruitment strategy & execution: Own our outreach campaigns, headhunting efforts, conference representation, and identification of promising talent pools to build a strong pipeline of potential founders.
• Selection process leadership: Continuously improve our application processes, conduct interviews, and make final admission decisions together with the rest of the team, ensuring we select excellent participants.
• Online presence & marketing: Manage Catalyze’s recruitment marketing materials and online presence to effectively attract mission-aligned founders.
• Ecosystem engagement: Represent Catalyze at conferences and gatherings, build relationships with advisors and contractors who can help improve our talent pool, and coordinate projects with ecosystem partners to improve our pipeline and pool of potential AI safety founders.
• Metrics & optimization: Track recruitment and selection performance, continuously iterating to improve both the quality and quantity of our applicant pool.
• (Optional) Coach AI safety founders: Support participants in our programs by sharing insights from your areas of expertise.

About You

• Mission-driven: You care deeply about reducing catastrophic AI risks and building towards a great future. You are energized by pursuing ambitious, impactful goals that can meaningfully advance AI safety.
• Talent search/selection skills: You have skills in talent recruitment, selection, building talent pipelines, hiring, or headhunting.
• Project & people management skills: You have solid project and people management skills, and are good at helping people develop professionally.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: You’re excited to build processes from scratch, take on diverse challenges, be pro-active, and have an ownership mentality.
• Travel/in-person availability: You are ideally able to work for us from the Bay Area (see location section above for more details). If not, you are comfortable with international travel for program delivery and in-person time with the team for ~1.5 – 3 months annually.
• [Strong plus] You have founded an organization before, were an early employee at a start-up, have founder search experience, have strong public speaking skills, and/or are well-connected in the AI safety or tech entrepreneurship ecosystems.

We strongly encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all criteria above!

What We Offer

• An opportunity for outsized impact: You'll play an important role in resolving one of the key bottlenecks in AI safety - identifying and attracting the talented founders who will build the next generation of critical AI safety organizations.
• Great people to work with: The Catalyze team is highly impact-oriented but also cares a lot about positive working relationships. We’re eager to learn, have a strong feedback culture, and foster a can-do mindset. The founders you will interact with also tend to be great: extremely competent, idealistic and friendly people.
• A pivotal role in the organization: The first people at an organization play a very important role in an organization’s trajectory. You would join the organization as its second or third hire, which gives you lots of leverage and opportunities.
• Personal and career development: As an early team member, you gain experience in lots of different types of work, and with quickly increasing responsibility as the organization scales. We also cover the costs of attending relevant conferences, workshops, and work trips to enable you to develop relevant skills and network.
• Start-up flexibility: We’re flexible regarding when and how you prefer to work. You’ll have to look hard to find red tape here; rather, we find practical and flexible ways to do what needs doing.
• Ample vacation time: On top of public holidays, we offer 25 paid vacation days per year.
• Health & well-being support: We offer unlimited sick leave and a comprehensive healthcare plan if you’re based in the US, or an equivalent if located elsewhere.
• US Visa sponsorship: We plan to establish an office in the US by the end of this year and expect that most likely we will be able to sponsor visas there starting in 2026.

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Salary
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$75,000 – $150,000, depending on experience, location and needs.

Location

• Strong preference for the Bay Area (visa sponsorship expected from 2026; role can start remote until then). It’s a plus if you already have work authorization for the US.
• London is possible but less preferred, and will likely require ~1.5 – 3 months per year of travel.
• Exceptional candidates may work remotely if able to travel ~1.5 – 3 months per year and maintain overlap with 4–7 PM UTC.‍

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How to apply?

To apply, please fill in the application form. Applying takes between 20-40 minutes. We will be evaluating applicants starting mid-September 2025, and expect to make an offer around late October 2025.

Application process:

• Initial application form
• Work test (~3 hours, paid)
• Interview (45 mins)
• Work trial (2-3 days, paid)
• Offer

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organization. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to thrive.

If you have any questions about the role, email info@catalyze-impact.org

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