Generalist (Operations)

The Kairos Project is seeking a versatile Operations Generalist to serve as the backbone of their internal infrastructure. As a non-profit dedicated to accelerating talent within the rapidly evolving fields of AI safety and policy, the organisation requires a proactive individual to streamline the back-office functions that enable their global impact. With a track record of training over 1,200 participants, Kairos is scaling its efforts and needs someone capable of managing complex administrative workflows while maintaining the agility of a lean team.

About the role

This position is ideal for an operations professional who thrives on efficiency and enjoys building systems from the ground up. You will function as the primary point of contact for the organisation’s "engine room," ensuring that finance, human resources, compliance, and systems integration run without friction. Because the role is entirely remote, the successful candidate must be a self-starter who excels at project management without the need for constant supervision.

Your primary goal is to identify bottlenecks and replace manual, repetitive tasks with automated solutions. You will be expected to leverage AI and modern software tools to ensure the organisation’s back-end remains lightweight and scalable as the Pathfinder groups and educational programmes continue to grow.

What you’ll do

The role is multifaceted, requiring a blend of technical capability and administrative rigour. Your key areas of responsibility include:

• **Financial and Compliance Management:** Oversight of day-to-day finances, including managing payments to vendors and contractors. You will supervise accountants, assist with bookkeeping, coordinate the annual audit, and ensure full regulatory compliance.
• **Grant and Payment Processing:** Facilitating the distribution of funds to various organisations and individuals, ensuring that all grant processes are clear, timely, and well-documented.
• **System Design and Automation:** Auditing current workflows to determine where automation can be implemented. You will actively build and refine internal tools to reduce the need for manual data entry and repetitive administrative labour.
• **Programmatic Support:** Assisting the broader team with operational logistics, triaging communications, and solving immediate logistical challenges as they arise in their various AI safety programmes.

What they’re looking for

Kairos is looking for an assertive problem-solver who does not wait for instructions to improve a process. You should be someone who values clarity in communication and maintains a high level of organisation, even when juggling multiple streams of work.

Key attributes for success include:

• **Technological Proficiency:** A natural aptitude for identifying the right tools for a job and a strong interest in using AI and automation software to improve output.
• **Adaptive Learning:** The ability to quickly grasp unfamiliar processes, systems, or regulatory requirements and execute them to a high standard.
• **Organisational Discipline:** A proven ability to track "to-dos" meticulously, ensuring that no administrative detail falls through the cracks.
• **Mission Alignment:** An genuine interest in the field of AI safety and a desire to contribute to an organisation focused on ensuring advanced AI development remains beneficial to society.

In the South African job market, an Operations Generalist role within a non-profit or tech-adjacent firm generally demands a high level of digital literacy. Salaries for remote operations-focused roles of this nature are increasingly competitive, often benchmarked against international standards if the employer is global. For local applicants, this role provides an excellent entry point into the AI sector—a high-growth industry where operational experts are increasingly in demand to support researchers and policy specialists. Developing expertise in "AI-enabled operations" is a future-proof skill set that can lead to senior roles in project management, operations directorship, or systems architecture in the coming years.

• Smart and able to figure things out. You can pick up unfamiliar processes and learn to do them well.
• Great at automation and tooling. You instinctively reach for a better system and use AI and automation tools efficiently.
• Eager to help and assertive. You unblock people and improve their experience effectively.
• Organized and on top of things. You keep careful track of to-dos and information.
• Strong writer and communicator. You’re clear and concise.
• Mission-aligned. You care about making advanced AI go well.