Careers

Role: Research and Communications Officer 

We are looking for a Research and Communications Officer to join our team for 12 months to play a key role in delivering our exciting research programme and communicating our work to a broader audience.

Please note this role is dependent on how hiring for our interim Director goes, as we will likely only hire one of these two roles. However we would like to share the opportunity now to ensure that any interested candidates can apply.

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• Application deadline: 21 April 2024, 23:59 BST. Apply here.

• Contract: 12 months from July 2024, working 37.5 or 30 hours/week (based on candidate availability). We are also open to applications for this role on a more part-time or secondment basis.

• Location: UK preferred, although fully remote or overseas applications are also possible.

• Salary: £35,000-£40,000/year dependent on experience. Exceptions can be discussed for exceptional candidates. 

Please see the job pack for the full details of the role and person specification, and apply here.

About Social Change Lab

Social Change Lab is a nonprofit conducting and disseminating social movement research to help solve the world’s most pressing problems. Historically, social movements conducting disruptive campaigns seem to have been crucial in driving significant political, social and economic change. Despite this, there has been little research systematically analysing the effectiveness of social movements and the strategies or tactics that most influence the success of these campaigns. Our research addresses this neglected knowledge gap and provides actionable advice to advocates and philanthropists working on a variety of important issues, with a focus on animal advocacy and climate change. We support activist groups in choosing effective campaigning strategies and tactics (e.g. via delivering training and workshops) as well as supporting funders with their philanthropic giving. Our work has been covered in respected outlets such as The Guardian, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Deutsche Welle, the New York Times, and more.

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About the role

As Research and Communications Officer, you would play a key role in our small team in delivering cutting-edge research on the outcomes and strategies of social movements and ensuring widespread communication of this work to key stakeholders. 

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The responsibilities of this role

• Carrying out quantitative and qualitative research projects on social movements’ strategies and tactics. This could include public polling, interviews with activists and policymakers, literature reviews, desk-based research and controlled experiments. 

• Supporting the communication of our research work to a broader audience, by engaging with the media, and drafting content such as press releases, newsletters, articles and research summaries.

• Managing and updating the Social Change Lab website and social media accounts. 

• Working with the rest of the Social Change Lab team on strategic planning, prioritisation and evaluation of work, generating and deciding on new ideas and opportunities that are aligned with the organisation’s goals.

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For example, a breakdown of your time might look like: 

• 80% research activities (working on specific research projects, evaluating potential new research projects, writing research reports and summaries, submitting our work to conferences and academic journals)

• 20% communications activities (drafting newsletters and blogs on our research, pitching our work to media outlets, managing and updating social media accounts)

However, the actual breakdown will depend on our project cycles as well as your strengths and interests, so the above allocation is only a guide. 

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About you

Skills and experience profile*

• 1-2+ years’ experience working in a research role, whether that’s in academia, government, or a non-profit organisation.

• Good understanding of social science research methodologies, preferably both quantitative and qualitative. 

• Comfortable working with different research methods (e.g. polling, cost-effectiveness analyses, case study research, etc.) 

• Strong communication skills, able to express nuanced concepts in a clear and accessible way to a range of audiences.

• Excellent copywriting skills, with the ability to produce engaging content for materials such as press releases, research reports, newsletters, social media posts and blogs.

• Skilled at synthesising research and understanding how a body of evidence may apply to real-world problems.

• A track record of “owning” projects and successfully delivering them.

• A good understanding of different communications platforms, including the press, social media and digital communications. 

• Excellent English, both written and spoken.

*Don't worry if not everything applies perfectly - apply anyway! 

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You are...

• Passionate about social movements, research, campaigning and social change.

• Familiar with the animal advocacy and/or climate movements.

• Effectiveness-oriented and a strong analytical thinker. You are on the lookout for how you can make the greatest difference in the world with your time and energy.

• Enthusiastic and self-motivated, with a strong work ethic.

• Confident working independently with minimal supervision and in a small team.

• An open-minded thinker who is ready to change their mind based on the evidence.

• A creative problem-solver with the ability to break down and solve complex questions.

• Well-organised, efficient, and able to multitask effectively.

• Friendly and kind. We want to be a place where people get a lot done and have a great time while doing so.

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Bonus points for:

• Data analysis and coding skills using R or Python.

• Experience working with the media. 

• Knowledge of effective altruism or experience working within effective altruism.

• Experience within social movements.

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What we offer

• A varied job with the potential for huge impact – potentially informing philanthropists and advocates on the best strategies to solve the world’s most pressing problems.

• Flexible working schedule.

• High level of intellectual challenge.

• 28 days of paid leave, excluding public holidays.

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Application process

1. Application form (1 hour)

2. Written task (2 hours) 

3. Virtual interview 1 (45-60 minutes) 

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If you are unsure about applying because you think you may not have the right skills or experience, please err on the side of applying! We strongly encourage people from marginalised backgrounds such as women and people of colour to apply for this position.

If you have any questions about us or your application, please contact Mabli at mabli@socialchangelab.org.

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