MATS Research Coach Shares 6-Month Lessons for Budding Managers
Want to help AI researchers? RM is people-first, not research-first.
In a detailed LessWrong post, TheManxLoiner shares advice for budding research managers (RMs) after six months at MATS (Matching Algorithmic Transparency and Safety). The author emphasizes that RM is fundamentally a people-centered role — the most important attitude is a genuine desire to help others, not a personal drive to do research. Skills like AI safety knowledge or project management can be learned, but enjoying helping people is innate. At MATS, the research coach provides 1-1 support on accountability, interfacing with the program, people management, career planning, and even general life improvements like sleep — while the participant-mentor relationship focuses solely on research via weekly 30-minute check-ins.
The author likes being a jack of all trades: RM exposes you to many skills and research areas without going deep into a niche. They note that RMs are in high demand at MATS, and the role offers a high skill ceiling and a front-row seat to cutting-edge research. However, RM definitions vary across organizations (e.g., UK AISI has a different balance). For those considering the role, the author suggests simply applying to get a taste, as the application process gives a sense of the job. They also note that the rapid pace of AI improvement makes multi-year career plans difficult, recommending instead to test fit now by applying or trying part-time RM work.
- RM is a people-centered role; wanting to help others is more critical than wanting to do research.
- Research coaches handle accountability, career planning, and life improvements, not just research tasks.
- RMs are in high demand at MATS; the role offers diverse skill development and exposure to multiple research areas.
Why It Matters
As AI research accelerates, skilled research managers are crucial for supporting talent and navigating career uncertainty.