Programme Manager, Current AI

About Current AI

Current Al is a global partnership working to reshape the future of Al and ensure it serves the public good. Launched in February 2025 at the Al Action Summit in Paris, it has secured over $400 million in initial funding from the French government, Al Collaborative, and a coalition of leading governments, philanthropies, and industry partners.

Our mission is to shape the AI ecosystem by focusing on the outcomes that matter most to people and communities, with transparency and equity.

We focus on areas where Al can make a meaningful difference, like healthcare, science, linguistic diversity, trust and safety. At the same time, we are helping build the partnerships, tools and standards needed for a future where open, trustworthy technology serves the public interest.

Why this role matters  

As our first Programme Manager, you won’t just be “running projects.” You’ll help define them - shaping how we allocate tens of millions in funding, who we partner with, and what success looks like.

You’ll be working directly with Current AI’s leadership to design and launch initiatives that serve the general public interest- from improving audit tools for frontier models, to expanding linguistic diversity in AI, to boosting health and wellbeing through safer, more ethical systems. You’ll oversee programmes from end to end - strategy, execution, partnerships, and measurement - at a moment when your decisions and creativity will shape not just a job, but help to accelerate public-interest AI.

This is an evolving position. Early on, you’ll take on a broad and high-responsibility portfolio of tasks - helping shape the foundations of the organisation - before shifting into a more focused role as the leadership team is built. You’ll initially report to the interim team that is setting up Current AI before hand-over to the Current AI executive team - bringing continuity, institutional memory, and operational insight. We aim to have the CEO in place by February 2026 and a Director or Programmes shortly thereafter.

What you’ll do

Manage strategic programmes (60%)

• Help design and manage high-impact pilot initiatives in our core focus areas. In 2025, there are: health, linguistic diversity, and audit & accountability. 
• Oversee the full delivery lifecycle-planning, grantmaking, execution, and impact review- and build processes along the way.
• Coordinate with our comms and finance / operations teams to align messaging and reporting.
• Oversee external consultants and other third parties to maintain programme quality and timely execution.

Shape strategy and partnerships (30%)

• Contribute to programme strategy with Current AI leadership 
• Help facilitate alignment between funders within programmatic activities.
• Support fundraising by developing proposals and leading on to donor reporting.
• Engage external stakeholders (multistakeholder platforms, think tanks, policymakers, academia etc.) to help frame and inform research agenda and programme design.
• Travel quarterly to international conferences to build and maintain a strong network of contacts.
• Stay plugged into cutting-edge AI developments and translate insights into action.

Measure what matters (10%)

• Design practical Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) frameworks that track real-world progress.
• Translate impact into insight for funders, partners, and the public.

What we’re looking for  

Must-haves:

• 5–10 years of experience leading programmes or scaling pilots, ideally in fast-paced or international environments
• Experience working in or with global nonprofits, public institutions, or multistakeholder platforms
• Strong experience developing programme proposals and managing donor relationships with philanthropic, bilateral, or multilateral funders that cross international borders
• A track record of delivering complex grantmaking projects with multiple partners or funders
• Interest in AI or adjacent technologies—you don’t need to be an ML engineer, but you should feel comfortable navigating technical spaces
• Professional fluency in English and the confidence to operate across cultures and contexts

Nice-to-haves:

• Fluency in other languages besides English (as the role will be based in Paris, French language skills will be helpful but are not a requirement)
• Prior experience in supporting and coordinating aligned funded programmes
• Familiarity with data usage and access, civil society networks especially in the Global Majority and EU funding
• A background in or knowledge of health, linguistic diversity, or audit & accountability topics

Character traits:

• Purpose over ego – You’re mission-driven, curious, and collaborative
• Adaptability – You’re comfortable rolling up your sleeves one day and thinking big the next
• Integrity – You hold yourself to high ethical standards and care about how change gets made
• Bias for action – You act decisively, are comfortable with calculated risk and know when to take initiative and when to bring others along 
• International mindset – you’re at ease in multi-cultural settings 
• Practical optimism – You want to change the world and you’re willing to do the hard work to get there

The offer

We’re committed to ensuring that team members are supported, well-compensated, and able to thrive. Compensation will be competitive and benchmarked against global mission-driven organisations of similar scale in France.

How to apply

Please email your CV to Christian Kerry from the search firm helping us with this hire, using the button below, and attach a covering note answering each of the following questions in no more than 500 words in total:  

1. What excites you about joining Current AI at this early stage?
2. Tell us about a time where you had to find common ground among stakeholders with different incentives.
3. Tell us about a time you built something from scratch, in your professional or private life.

Equal opportunity commitment  

Current AI is committed to ensuring equal access to employment and preventing all forms of discrimination. All applications will be reviewed fairly, without regard to origin, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religious beliefs, views held, or any other criteria unrelated to professional qualifications. Selection will be based solely on skills, experience, and suitability for the role.  

Current AI does not accept unsolicited applications from recruitment agencies with whom we do not have a signed agreement. Current AI will not be liable for any fees or commissions in the event that a candidate submitted in this manner is subsequently hired.