We're hiring! Founders Pledge is seeking a new researcher

In brief: We're hiring a researcher with quantitative skills. Initial salary is £30k, but negotiable upwards for exceptional candidates. You will mainly work on longer reports and shorter briefs on effective donation opportunities for our pledgers. 

***

Founders Pledge is a global community of founders and investors who have collectively pledged more than $392,000,000 of their personal proceeds from exit (business sale) to high-impact charities.

FOUNDERS PLEDGE

Founders Pledge is a global community of founders and investors who have collectively pledged more than $392,000,000 of their personal proceeds from exit (business sale) to high-impact charities.

As a registered charity in the UK, the US and Germany, Founders Pledge’s mission is to make it the norm for technology entrepreneurs to both give more and give more effectively. We do this by asking founders to legally commit to giving as part of a wider movement, and providing the research and expertise founders need to make informed decisions.

Our in-house research team advises members on their donations, helping them make decisions that are rigorously backed by evidence. Joining the team, you will have a unique opportunity to conduct intellectually challenging research that has concrete impact. You will be based in our London HQ.

ROLE SUMMARY

The team works on two main types of products:

• Longer reports identifying the best donation opportunities within thematic areas of interest for our donors (e.g. climate change, education, woman’s empowerment, etc).
• Shorter briefs addressing more specific requests raised by donors (e.g. assessing how effective a certain charity or project is).

In general, a research project will include the following type of work:

• Literature review: looking at the academic literature on the relevant topic, assessing the quality of studies, conducting expert interviews, systematising and summarising results.
• Charity review: find organisations that deliver effective interventions; assessing their work by conducting interviews and reviewing internal documentation.

The team has a collaborative style of work: you will be responsible for leading and executing your own research projects, but will also be expected to provide input to others’ projects. We also place a lot of value on learning and improving: you will be encouraged to share and record lessons learnt, to help the team improve its procedures and methodology. You will report to the Research Director.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• An MA or MSc in a quantitative subject such as economics, maths, statistics, or physics (although applicants with a quantitative undergraduate degree and a strong track record of research work are welcome to apply)
• A passion for effective giving and data-driven philanthropy
• A willingness to learn on the job and build processes rather than follow pre-existing structures
• Intellectual curiosity and flexibility
• An ability to carry out rigorous and thorough research and write compelling narratives around this
• An ability to work collaboratively and support existing research projects, as well as taking the lead on new ones.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex evidence for a more general audience
• An ability to work in a high-growth, dynamic environment
• A healthy tolerance for, and openness to, change
• Permission to work in the UK

YOU’D ENJOY THIS JOB IF

• You’re passionate about creating meaningful change through providing information and rigorous research on charities.
• You want the opportunity to have an important role in a fast moving and growing organization.
• You are analytical and intellectually curious.

HOW TO APPLY

If interested, please email you CV and a cover letter to [email protected] by the 1st of January.