Join the Cosmos Institute team
New operations, finance, and talent-focused roles - applications open!
[Update: Applications due by end of day on March 2nd, 2026 (any timezone)]
Technological progress is forcing a question: what kind of people do we want to become in a world where thinking is optional?
Cosmos Institute exists to answer that question, by developing philosopher-builders who can translate the principles of a free society into code. Now we’re growing our team.
In our year-end letter, we shared what we built in 2025:
140+ grantees through our fast grants program
16 fellows working at the intersection of philosophy and frontier AI
14 seminars with partners like Oxford, DeepMind, and Liberty Fund
8 philosopher-builders creating new companies
We’re looking for people who believe AI systems should promote human autonomy, enable truth-seeking, and resist central control, and who want to shape the institutions that make that vision real.
At Cosmos you’ll have direct exposure to top AI thinkers and builders, freedom to design how you work, and the chance to help shape the institutions and companies that will define the AI age.
We’re hiring for three core roles:
Head of Operations
Head of Finance
Head of Talent and Network
Details below ↓
Head of Operations
Location: Remote-friendly (preference for Austin, New York, or London)
This role builds the operational infrastructure that allows Cosmos to scale: systems that work, a team that delivers, and a culture built on fast feedback loops.
You’ll own operational delivery for seminars, fellowships, grants cycles, and formation programs, including coordination for The Academy launch. You’ll build and maintain operations systems across Cosmos: payroll coordination, compliance, vendor management, HR systems, and reporting. You’ll establish the operational cadence that works across a distributed team, and build systems that make every cycle better than the last.
You’ll have budget for 1–2 direct reports in Year 1 and contract support as needed. As Cosmos scales, you’ll shape what the operations function becomes.
We’re looking for someone with 5-10+ years experience in operations or high-responsibility chief of staff roles who has personally touched payroll, HR systems, vendor management, and compliance. You take ownership of outcomes, have exceptional follow-through, and know the difference between what should be systematized and what should remain judgment-driven. Read more →
Head of Finance
Location: Remote-friendly (preference for US-based)
This is Cosmos’s first dedicated finance hire: hands-on enough to run daily workflows, strategic enough to build a modern finance operating system that scales.
You’ll own core finance (accounting, AP/AR, close, reporting, controls, audit/990 coordination) and forward-looking finance (budgeting, forecasting, KPI dashboards). You’ll set up our in-house finance function, lead the relationship with our external audit firm, ensure clean tracking of restricted funds and program costs, and support fundraising with credible numbers. You’ll make finance approachable: clear docs, fast responses, calm execution.
We’re looking for a CPA (or equivalent) with 4–8+ years in accounting/finance, ideally with nonprofit exposure. You treat donor and grant dollars with real seriousness, and you’re a hands-on operator who’s happy to process transactions and design better systems. Read more →
Head of Talent and Network
Location: Remote-friendly (preference for Austin or London)
Over 2025, Cosmos developed a network of hundreds of top technologists and thinkers: 16 Fellows spanning frontier AI, startups, and philosophy (including economist Tyler Cowen and Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark); 140+ grantees building prototypes and research; and 200+ attendees of deep-dive programs with partners like Oxford, Aspen Institute, and Liberty Fund.
This role takes that early strength and builds a compounding network, where the best people feel supported, make progress faster, publish and ship more, and pull in the next wave of talent.
You’ll identify and source exceptional people, assess and route them into the right pathways, and deliver value through introductions and opportunities that unlock projects, jobs, mentors, and collaborators. You’ll run the network operating system: the database, metrics, and workflows that turn messy relationship work into clean processes, freeing up your time for high-touch work.
We’re looking for a high-energy connector with 3–7+ years in talent, community building, partnerships, or accelerator/fellowship programs. You have taste and judgment: you can tell the difference between “impressive on paper” and “actually exceptional.” You can speak with researchers, founders, funders, and philosophers. Read more →
Pitch us a role
If you have a thesis on how you can contribute to our team outside of these areas, please get in touch.
We’re likely hiring soon for an operations role focused on the build out of an in-person Academy, and a researcher to contribute to work on AI, human autonomy, and societal impacts.
If our mission resonates, we’d love to hear from you.
Cosmos Institute is the Academy for Philosopher-Builders, technologists building AI for human flourishing. We run fellowships, fund fast prototypes, and host seminars with institutions like Oxford, Aspen Institute, and Liberty Fund.
I'm very happy to see the Cosmos Institute expanding. It’s a testament to the importance of your mission and shows you’re on the right track.
How does one submit essays for consideration as a guest author to contribute to the broader Cosmos Institute ecosystem?