Work at Wild Animal Initiative
Director of Scientific Affairs
[Applications now closed]
Wild Animal Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to understand and improve the lives of wild animals.
Even in nature, most wild animals struggle to survive every day. Unfortunately, preserving habitats or species does not guarantee that animals themselves have good lives. At Wild Animal Initiative, we believe we have a responsibility to act to improve the well-being of wild animals, whether they live in captivity or somewhere else.
Yet, responsible action requires sound science. There is still so much we don’t know about which animals are sentient, what their lives are like in the wild, and how we can responsibly help them. While conservation biology informs efforts to preserve species in the wild, and animal welfare science informs efforts to improve the well-being of animals in captivity, there is no unified academic discipline to inform efforts to improve the well-being of animals in the wild.
Our work supports the study of wild animal welfare by conducting original research, fostering connections between academics from diverse disciplines, and securing funding for promising projects. In brief, our programs to support scientific research include:
Outreach: organizing workshops and conferences concerning wild animal welfare, supporting our postdoctoral and advisory panels, and fostering new relationships with relevant academics and researchers.
Grant Assistance: helping scientists secure funding for wild animal welfare-relevant research projects.
Research: identifying priority research areas in wild animal welfare and conducting relevant studies or literature reviews.
We are seeking a Director of Scientific Affairs to unify and optimize our activities across these three areas. They will lead the planning and implementation of our programs that directly serve researchers. The director will ensure that our efforts maximize our effectiveness and advance our goal of supporting wild-animal-welfare-focused science in the academic community.
The success of our mission depends on the diversity of our team. We strongly encourage people of every color, age, orientation, gender, origin, and physical ability to apply.
Basics
Full time: approximately 40 hours per week
$62,784 to $76,736 depending on the local cost of living
Permanently remote
Reports to the Executive Director
Manages 2+ direct reports
Desired start date: July 1
Responsibilities
Listed in descending order of estimated time to be spent on each category.
Research and outreach: Maintaining and growing our network of collaborators, working with team members to identify our research priorities, and identifying new grant opportunities for our research partners.
Program design: Managing existing program activities and developing new mechanisms for advancing interest in wild animal welfare research.
Evaluation: Critically evaluating our programmatic activities for impact.
Management: Managing our research and outreach staff members, supporting their professional development and assisting them in their projects.
Strategy: Working with the Executive Director and leadership team to identify strategic priorities for the organization.
Assistance: Assist the Development and Communications teams as necessary to develop relationships with philanthropists and science/program directors at foundations, advise on scientific content in grant proposals, and support our scientific communications.
Requirements
Listed in descending order of importance to candidate evaluation.
Familiarity with the scientific community and funding environment in the US or the UK.
3 years prior management experience (preferred: 5+ years). Experience as a principal investigator in a lab can be substituted for traditional management experience.
PhD or PhD-equivalent scientific research experience (preferred: in a field related to zoology, ecology, or conservation).
Excellent strategic thinking, organizational, and writing skills.
Ability to thrive in a remote work environment.
Experience managing and/or coordinating research projects or similar services.
Preferred: A strong network of relationships within an ecological or biological scientific community.
Preferred: Extensive experience in scientific proposal writing with demonstrated ability to secure research funding.
Benefits
Comprehensive health and dental insurance.
Four weeks of paid vacation, 12 holidays, and two weeks of sick leave.
A fully remote work environment that allows you to choose when and where you work.
A friendly, open work culture that encourages feedback, collaboration, experimentation, and evidence-based innovation.
Opportunities for advancement as our team and programs continue their growth trajectory.
How to apply
Using this form, please submit your application before 9:00 am EDT (UTC -4) on Wednesday, March 31. Note that this is a morning deadline.
The form will request the following:
A resume describing your educational, professional, and any other relevant experience (PDF). Note: we are not soliciting cover letters and will not review them at this stage.
Your answers to the following questions (in 1000 characters or fewer per question):
Under what conditions, if any, might it be appropriate to use genetic modification to benefit wild animals? Why?
Note: We do not have a single correct answer in mind for this question; rather, we are trying to understand how you reason about our obligations toward wild animals.
What are the most effective ways to stimulate research regarding wild animal welfare in the academic community?
Note: We do not have a single correct answer in mind for this question; rather, we are trying to understand what your strategy would be in this role.
Please briefly describe your experience managing or mentoring others.
Note: Your answer should give us an overall picture of your management approach.
The application process
March 31: Round 1 application due (resume and question responses). See instructions above.
By April 15, we will update all applicants on the status of their Round 1 applications.
Round 2: Successful first-round applicants will be invited to complete a work task.
Round 3: Successful second-round applicants will be invited to a round of video interviews with the team.
Final offer: We will make offers around the end of May, and by June 1st at the latest.
Feel free to email info@wildanimalinitiative.org at any time with any questions about the job or application process.