Executive Assistant (Berkeley)

About the Organization

MATS (Machine Alignment, Transparency, and Security) Research is a nonprofit research and education program working to solve the talent bottleneck in AI safety and security. Through our fellowship programs in Berkeley and London, we've supported 630+ researchers and produced 215+ research publications, with alumni going on to found or join organizations such as Apollo Research, Timaeus (now resolution), and Theorem. We believe getting the foundations of transformative AI right is one of the most important challenges of our time, and we're building the talent pipeline to make that possible.

The role

MATS is looking for a sharp, discreet, and highly organized Executive Assistant to support CEO Ryan Kidd and COO Christian Smith. This is a high-trust role at the center of a fast-growing, high-impact nonprofit: you'll manage complex calendars, coordinate travel across Berkeley and London, prepare materials for board and donor meetings, and act as a force multiplier so both leaders can focus their time on fundraising, strategy, and scaling the AI safety field. You'll need to context-switch comfortably between the CEO's external-facing, fundraising-heavy schedule and the COO's finance- and operations-heavy workload.

This role sits within the People team and reports to the Head of People, consistent with how all MATS executive assistants are managed. You'll receive day-to-day direction and priorities from Ryan and Christian, while the People team handles your management, performance, and career development.

What you'll do

• Calendar & scheduling: Manage complex, shifting calendars for both executives, proactively resolving conflicts and prioritizing high-value meetings (donors, board members, mentors, partner organizations).
• Travel coordination: Book and manage domestic and international travel, including trips between the Berkeley and London offices, conferences, and donor visits; handle logistics, itineraries, and expense reconciliation.
• Communications: Draft and proofread correspondence, prepare briefing documents, and manage inboxes with sound judgment about what needs the executives' direct attention.
• Meeting support: Prepare agendas, materials, and minutes for board meetings, leadership syncs, and donor/investor calls; track follow-up action items to completion.
• Financial & operations admin: Support Christian with expense tracking, reimbursements, vendor coordination, and other light operational/financial admin as needed.
• Event coordination: Assist with planning internal offsites, board meetings and donor or partner gatherings.
• Confidentiality & judgment: Handle sensitive information (financial, personnel, donor) with absolute discretion, and represent MATS professionally in all external interactions.
• Special projects: Take on ad hoc projects that free up leadership bandwidth: research, vendor comparisons, process documentation, and light project management.

What we're looking for

• Experience: 3+ years of experience as an Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, or in a similarly high-trust support role, ideally supporting founders, executives, or senior leadership.
• Organization: You can juggle two executives' priorities at once without dropping details, and you know how to triage what's urgent versus what can wait.
• Judgment & autonomy: Comfortable making decisions on scheduling, correspondence, and logistics without needing every choice signed off.
• Communication: Clear, professional written and verbal communication; comfortable interfacing with board members, donors, and external partners.
• Discretion: A demonstrated ability to keep sensitive financial, personnel, and strategic information confidential.
• Mission alignment: Genuine interest in AI safety or the nonprofit research/education space is a strong plus, though not required.
• Tech-savvy: Comfortable with calendar, travel, and productivity tools (e.g., Google Workspace, project management software); willingness to learn MATS-specific systems.

Nice to have

• Prior experience supporting a CEO and a finance-focused executive simultaneously.
• Experience in a startup, nonprofit, or research organization environment.
• Familiarity with international travel logistics (US/UK).
• Light bookkeeping or expense-management experience.

Why join MATS

• Work at the center of the world's largest AI safety talent pipeline, directly supporting the leaders scaling it.
• A close-knit, mission-driven team tackling one of the most consequential problems of our time.
• Offices in Berkeley and exposure to our London hub.
• Competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with experience. Berkeley salary band $91,500-122,000

How to apply

Please submit your resume along with a short note on why you're interested in supporting MATS’ executive team. We review applications on a rolling basis.

Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility:

MATS Research is an equal opportunity employer committed to equitable hiring practices. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or non-traditional backgrounds to apply.

We also provide reasonable accommodation throughout the hiring process. If you require support due to disability, long-term or chronic condition, mental health condition, sincerely held religious belief, pregnancy-related need, or neurodivergence, please contact us at accommodations@matsprogram.org