Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Fathom in San Francisco, CA

About Fathom

Fathom is an AI non-profit building the solutions we need to thrive in an AI world. Our mission is to find, build, and scale the solutions needed for our transition to a world with AI. We push to go beyond conceptualizing solutions—striving to actually make them happen.

We do this work through extensive convening, listening, and research, paired with a culture of execution, operational excellence, and a builder's mindset. With $25 million in initial funding, we're positioned to turn this vision into reality by building a team that brings together deep subject matter expertise with a "doer" mindset to create and build together the world we collectively want to see.

Position Overview

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) will play a pivotal role in leading Fathom's technical strategy and initiatives, with immediate focus on successfully launching our Multi-stakeholder Regulatory Organization (MRO) project. This executive position requires a visionary leader who can translate complex technical concepts into actionable standards and policies, build robust technical partnerships, and establish Fathom as a thought leader in the AI governance space. The CTO will work closely with the executive team to ensure that Fathom's technical initiatives align with our mission of shaping responsible AI governance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Influence and Thought Leadership

• Represent Fathom and the MRO in public and private forums, advocating for the organization's goals and promoting the adoption of standards and robust audits and evaluations
• Provide strategic guidance for the MRO's development and long-term sustainability through the lens of technical requirements and forward-looking AI capabilities
• Maintain a forward-looking perspective to continuously refine technical strategy, ensuring that the organization remains at the forefront of AI innovation and safety
• Identify the technical needs of the MRO and recruit talent and/or initiate projects (such as RFPs for specific research) to fulfill these needs
• Contribute to Fathom's overall technical vision and strategy beyond the MRO project

Technical Governance Leadership

• Form and engage with an independent board of AI experts and industry leaders to establish gold standards of care for AI companies
• Lead efforts to set gold standards in AI safety and evaluations, including:
  • Mapping standards to current law
  • Identifying the most impactful gold standards for reasonable care
  • Determining best practices to assess adherence to standards
  • Developing new evaluation or auditing capabilities when needed
• Establish frameworks for collecting critical information from AI companies to track standards
• Develop "audit the auditor" mechanisms to ensure accountability and maintain integrity in standards evaluation
• Translate technical concepts into policy recommendations that are implementable and effective

Technical Partnerships and Ecosystem Development

• Lead initiatives to stimulate the creation and growth of a technical marketplace for evaluations, safety organizations, tools, and research
• Oversee grantmaking programs to fill gaps in AI safety and evaluation capabilities and catalyze innovation
• Build and maintain strong relationships with AI industry leaders, startups, academic institutions, and international bodies
• Recruit top technical talent to work on Fathom and MRO initiatives
• Identify strategic partnership opportunities to enhance Fathom's technical capabilities and impact

Research, Collaboration, and Interdisciplinary Engagement

• Serve as a key liaison among technical experts in academia, industry, and public policy
• Provide technical expertise and authorship for reports and papers, including mapping legal requirements to technical requirements
• Drive collaborative research and pilot projects that validate and refine gold standards for AI safety
• Engage diverse stakeholders to integrate emerging insights and technical innovations into standards development
• Collaborate with the research team to ensure technical accuracy and relevance of Fathom's publications

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical field
• 10+ years of experience in AI research and development, with progressive leadership responsibilities
• Demonstrated experience in developing technical standards, evaluation frameworks, or governance mechanisms
• Experience leading technical teams and initiatives in complex, multi-stakeholder environments

Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in AI research and development, with a strong track record in machine learning, deep learning, or related fields
• Comprehensive understanding of current AI safety challenges, evaluation methodologies, and technical benchmarks
• Proven ability to translate cutting-edge research into actionable standards and policies
• Experience with technical auditing processes and evaluation frameworks

Leadership and Strategy

• Demonstrated experience in developing and leading governance processes in rapidly evolving technological landscapes
• Ability to anticipate future trends in AI and translate insights into strategic initiatives
• Experience building and managing high-performing technical teams
• Track record of effectively communicating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences

Ecosystem Building and Collaboration

• Experience fostering technical ecosystems, driving partnerships, and managing grantmaking or investment programs
• Strong network within the AI research, industry, and policy communities
• Proven ability to build consensus across interdisciplinary teams
• Exceptional communication skills and ability to engage with industry leaders, academic experts, and policymakers

Governance and Ethics

• Experience establishing processes for oversight and accountability to ensure integrity in decision-making
• Understanding of ethical considerations in AI development and deployment
• Commitment to responsible AI innovation and governance

Please note, we participate in E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires by electronically verifying information from their Form I-9 with government records.