Head of Operations

About Active Site

Active Site is a nonprofit researching the intersection of AI and biosecurity. AI models are rapidly becoming more capable in biology, amplifying the risk of accidental or intentional misuse. We conduct “uplift” studies, observing participants in real-world wet labs to measure how AI augments human performance in biological experimentation. We use our findings to advance the science of risk assessments and implement concrete mitigations that safeguard the future of AIxBio.

The Role

We are seeking a Head of Operations to lead and optimize our organizational and study operations. You will be crucial in driving organizational growth, creating scalable processes, and ensuring efficient operations across all areas of our nonprofit. You will own:

• Management of our in-person studies: Translate our study plans into actual timelines and owners, and coordinate participant recruiting, day-of activities, communication, tracking, and post-study evaluations to help us continuously get better.
• Strategy, planning, and cross-team coordination: Run our planning cadence (quarterly priorities and goal-setting) and set up simple ways to track work across teams (clear owners, timelines, decisions, and follow-through).
• Team development and leadership: Lead the hiring process for our organization and build a team that can help you deliver your responsibilities effectively.
• Budgeting and finance operations: Build and manage project budgets and the operations work plan, including coordination with outsourced partners (bookkeeping, payroll, auditing/tax, legal, HR) to keep work accurate and on time.
• Day-to-day operations and culture: Keep the operational details moving and reinforce a collaborative, results-oriented culture aligned with our values (truthseeking, drive, and care).

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 3-6 months, you will have:

• Set up a consistent system for project tracking and updates (templates for meeting notes, action items, Gantt charts, and lightweight reporting).
• Led participant recruitment and the full operations plan for one in-person study, including scheduling, communications, space logistics, supplies, day-of coordination, and post-study wrap-up.
• Established reliable ordering and inventory.
• Built an operations work plan and one project-specific spending forecast, with a regular reporting cadence.

Within the first year, you will have:

• Run at least one full planning cycle (annual planning quarterly priorities) with clear tracking and steady follow-through.
• Supported multiple funding efforts by managing the operational pieces end-to-end (budget narratives, documentation, reporting requirements, timelines).
• Led recruitment and operations for three in-person studies, using a repeatable process for participant communications, scheduling, space logistics, and debriefs.
• Matured access management and security/data privacy practices beyond basics.
• Maintained clean, timely coordination with outsourced partners (bookkeeping, payroll, auditing/tax, legal, HR).

Competencies and qualifications

Required

• Extensive (3 years) experience in project management
• 2 years of direct people management experience
• Strong written and oral communication abilities
• Discreet & trustworthy with confidential or sensitive information

Preferred

• Experience in any of the domains below: Human resources (payroll, hiring, visas, benefits), Finances (budgeting & bookkeeping), Internal systems (automations, software tools, hardware & data security), Legal (organization compliance, coordinating reviews of contracts and agreements)
• Experience with human research or other participant/customer-facing operations (e.g., recruiting/scheduling participants, running study sessions in different settings)
• Experience with biotech lab operations
• Hands-on experience in designing & building automated solutions to operational problems
• Experience building a non-profit or startup
• Enthusiasm about or experience in biosecurity, with the desire to learn fast and orient quickly in a new context.

Great candidates typically embody our core values:

• Truth-seeking: We chase the truth in order to keep us on the path to our mission.
• Drive: We take initiative and ownership over all our actions in dedication to our mission.
• Care: We ultimately do what we do because we care about each other and the world.

If this role sounds exciting and you meet most of the requirements, we’d love to hear from you.

Salary and benefits

This is a full-time, in-person role, reporting to the Executive Director and is based in our office in Cambridge, MA. The starting salary range is $145,000 to $175,000 per year, depending on prior experience.

We also offer:

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage: Medical: 100% Employer-Paid Premiums via UnitedHealthCare. Dental & Vision: 75% Employer-Paid Premiums via BlueCross BlueShield and Guardian.
• 4 weeks of PTO
• 12 weeks of fully-paid parental leave
• 401(k) with 4% match
• Annual professional development budget
• Relocation support
• Office setup

Work Authorization

This position is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and individuals currently authorized to work in the U.S.

Visa Sponsorship: We welcome candidates on F-1 OPT status and will consider H-1B sponsorship for qualified individuals who are currently residing in the United States. We can only sponsor Change of Status or Transfer petitions and cannot sponsor candidates who are outside the U.S. and would require consular processing.

Referral bonus

We offer a referral bonus of up to $2,500 to individuals who refer successful candidates for this position:

• If you refer a candidate that we invite to a work trial, you will receive $250.
• If the candidate receives a job offer from us, you will receive a further $750, for a total of $1,000.
• If the candidate is still working with us after the initial three month contract, you will receive a further $1,500, for a total of $2,500.

To receive these bonuses, we must reasonably believe that you were responsible for referring the candidate to us (e.g. due to you introducing them to us when we didn’t previously know them, or them mentioning you on their application as the reason they heard about the position).

Our Hiring Process

No fixed deadline. We’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis and aim to move quickly. If you’re interested, we recommend applying soon.

Step 1 Submit Your Application

Step 2 Hiring Manager Interview

Step 3 Paid Remote Work Test

Step 4 In-Person Final Interview Day

Step 5 Offer

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Panoplia Laboratories, Inc. (d/b/a Active Site) is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or gender expression, ancestry, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Panoplia Laboratories, Inc. (d/b/a Active Site) also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Panoplia Laboratories, Inc. (d/b/a Active Site) is an E-Verify employer. Panoplia Laboratories, Inc. (d/b/a Active Site) is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the application process or to perform the essential functions of this job, please let us know.