Open Science Policy and Operations Manager
Astera Institute is an active nonprofit research institute and foundation that operates in-house neuroscience-informed AI research and funds, operates, and supports open-science programs and public goods.
About Astera Institute
Astera operates three divisions: Neuro-AI, Radial life-sciences research, and its Foundation. Its AI work pursues neuroscience-informed approaches to artificial general intelligence, while its foundation and Radial activities support open scientific infrastructure, datasets, research programs, and residencies.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will support open-science operations by tracking initiatives, managing priorities, maintaining systems and documentation, and improving workflows. You will manage external intake and community relationships, represent leadership when appropriate, support hiring and onboarding, and train employees on open-science policy.
Requirements
- Have 3-6 years of experience in project management, program coordination, or operations
- Have experience in research support, community management, or similar work in open science, academia, nonprofits, or technology-adjacent environments
- Understand open science concepts and ecosystems
- Manage stakeholders and complex workflows
- Communicate with technical and non-technical audiences
- Exercise judgment and discretion when representing leadership externally
Responsibilities
- Support daily operations, initiative tracking, priority management, materials preparation, and action-item follow-through
- Develop and implement training on the open science policy
- Maintain intake tracking, decision logs, meeting notes, and relationship records
- Identify and improve operational workflows, documentation, and coordination
- Handle internal inquiries about open science policy implementation
- Screen proposals for open science tools, platforms, and initiatives
- Track inbound opportunities and communicate with external partners
- Liaise with researchers, tool developers, funders, and collaborators
- Represent the Head of Open Science at meetings, workshops, and events when appropriate
- Support hiring, interviews, interview logistics, and feedback synthesis
- Train and onboard team members, fellows, and collaborators
- Draft summaries, briefing documents, and internal notes