Research Scientist MIT AI Risk Initiative
MIT FutureTech is an MIT interdisciplinary research group studying technical and economic progress in computing and AI.
About MIT FutureTech
An MIT-based research group that produces research on computing and AI progress, scientific and economic impacts, and AI-risk management. It operates public AI-risk data and navigation tools and conducts research, convening, and policy-facing work.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will lead applied research workstreams on AI risks, mitigations, and organizational responses. You will conduct systematic reviews and surveys, produce decision-support outputs, engage stakeholders, manage project delivery and budgets, support grants, and mentor junior researchers.
Requirements
- At least 5 years of applied research methods experience
- Applied social science or relevant research publications or outputs
- Experience conducting systematic reviews and surveys
- In-depth understanding of research principles and practice
- Consulting, project management, or operations experience
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis skills
- Stakeholder engagement experience
- Leadership experience supervising, mentoring, or coordinating researchers and collaborators
- Operational competence in a research, academic, consulting, or technology-oriented environment
- Practical fluency with budgets and resourcing
Responsibilities
- Design and execute systematic reviews of organizational AI risk responses
- Develop and maintain research protocols, codebooks, and documentation
- Analyze qualitative and quantitative data
- Design and field surveys
- Write and disseminate research outputs
- Translate findings into decision-support tools
- Engage stakeholders and support external meetings, briefings, and workshops
- Manage collaborator, funder, and end-user relationships
- Plan and deliver workstreams end-to-end
- Maintain process documentation and coordinate project logistics
- Track budgets and contractor spend
- Contribute to grant proposals and funder reporting
- Manage and mentor junior researchers
- Coordinate internal and external contributors
Hiring Process
Short test task, interview, and potential paid work trial.