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Management & Leadership · Updated Aug 2026

Natural Sciences Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
67/100
High

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
55/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence83/100
Task coverage87%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.High
72
Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.High
72
Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.High
73
Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.High
72
Hire, supervise, or evaluate engineers, technicians, researchers, or other staff.High
69
Determine scientific or technical goals within broad outlines provided by top management and make detailed plans to accomplish these goals.Medium
70
Develop client relationships and communicate with clients to explain proposals, present research findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.Medium
68
Develop or implement policies, standards, or procedures for the architectural, scientific, or technical work performed to ensure regulatory compliance or operations enhancement.Medium
74
Provide for stewardship of plant or animal resources or habitats, studying land use, monitoring animal populations, or providing shelter, resources, or medical treatment for animals.High
36
Prepare and administer budgets, approve and review expenditures, and prepare financial reports.Medium
72
Recruit personnel or oversee the development or maintenance of staff competence.Medium
64
Develop innovative technology or train staff for its implementation.Medium
65
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Develop or implement policies, standards, or procedures for the architectural, scientific, or technical work performed to ensure regulatory compliance or operations enhancement.74
  2. Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.73
  3. Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.72
  4. Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.72
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Provide for stewardship of plant or animal resources or habitats, studying land use, monitoring animal populations, or providing shelter, resources, or medical treatment for animals.01
  2. Plan or direct research, development, or production activities.02
  3. Design or coordinate successive phases of problem analysis, solution proposals, or testing.03
  4. Review project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports.04
  5. Confer with scientists, engineers, regulators, or others to plan or review projects or to provide technical assistance.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency69
Physical dependency34
Adoption pressure54
Labour-market resilience63
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence83/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →