Coordinated research programs like FROs or ARPA Programs are responsible for a lot of human flourishing — from the internet to mRNA vaccines to entire fields of science — and they live or die on the people who run them. We built the Brains fellowship to help amazing scientists start those programs. We’re hiring a Director to lead Brains into its next phase. This is a director-level role with high levels of both authority and responsibility.

What you’d be running

Brains is a 4-month, part-time, remote fellowship/research accelerator that finds talented researchers with ambitious ideas and provides them with the skills, mentorship, and networks to start and run coordinated research programs: ARPA programs, FROs, and foundation programs, among others. We started Brains in 2024 and have now run four cohorts, built an alumni network, and a strong brand. There is still a lot of work to do — continuously improving the core fellowship, creating longer-term support for our fellows, and building tools and networks.

What you’d own

• The fellows’ outcomes: helping our fellows successfully start and execute on ambitious programs is the core thing that ultimately matters.
• Fundraising: philanthropic, government, and potentially other revenue. You will need to nurture and build relationships with existing and potential supporters/partners.
• The team: hiring, structure, and culture.
• Mentor and partner network: we have a network of excellent people who help the fellows and potentially fund/hire them to run programs.
• Brand and external presence: Brains’ voice and place in the broader research-institutions conversation.
• Kickoff and showcase events: the fellowship starts and ends with fairly high-stakes in-person events that set the tone and bring together a select group of people to learn about the fellows’ ideas respectively.

You will report to Spectech’s CEO.

How you’ll be measured

The core KPI is the amount of money managed by Brains fellows two+ years out from the program. Secondary KPIs include the fraction of fellows whose trajectory changed because of the fellowship, and the programs’ runway.

What the first six months look like

(Assuming start in fall 2026 before admissions for 2027 cohort)

• Handoff from the current leadership team during recruitment, interviews, and admission decisions.
• Establishing relationships with our network of supporters, funders, and alumni
• Developing your own vision for Brains over the next three years
• Running the 2027 cohort of Brains with a lot of help from current leadership

What a great Brains director would look like

Must-haves

• You have experience across multiple domains the program touches — government research orgs (ideally an ARPA), startups, academia, nonprofits. The more the better.
• You have a strong network across those same domains.
• You are a “generalist-specialist”: you’ve done serious research in one or more technical areas, but are able to learn quickly and ask sharp questions in many others.
• You have demonstrated operations chops.
• You have demonstrated the ability to lead a small team.
• You’re able to find and recruit excellent scientists with ambitious projects into the program.
• You have fundraising chops – good at soliciting philanthropic donations and government grants/contracts.
• You have a lot of agency under uncertain conditions. The program is constantly evolving and constantly working with new batches of smart ambitious people means that there are always new situations.
• You have (or ability to develop) a clear vision of where the fellowship can go.
• You’re good at clear writing and presentation — you’ll spend a lot of time giving feedback, pitching, and shaping the program’s voice.
• You have a track record of helping other people with their own projects. At the end of the day, the program is about helping other people.
• You’re willing to roll up sleeves and do on-the-ground work when necessary – we run lean and during peak effort moments it’s all-hands-on deck.

Mechanics

• Comp: 220k base + health insurance stipend
• Location: agnostic within the continental US; you’ll travel to program events and team onsites several times per year
• Reporting: Spec Tech CEO, with wide leeway over strategy. Budget and major strategic decisions go through the board.

How to start a conversation

If this looks like you, email ben@spec.tech with a short note on why you’d be good at this and one specific thing you’d change about the Brains program.