Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

About Fathom

Position Overview

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