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Technologies for Pandemic Defense is hiring a Policy and Advocacy Coordinator to help lead outreach to people in various government agencies and promote an advance market commitment for next-generation respiratory PPE.

Apply here.

The organization and project

Technologies for Pandemic Defense is a new US-based organization focused on catalyzing the development of technologies to prevent global catastrophic biological risks. We hope to advocate for applying market-shaping techniques to accelerate biosecurity R&D.

Our current project is advocating for preparedness agencies within the U.S. government to run an advance market commitment for next-generation respiratory PPE. If successful, this project could drive development of products to better protect critical infrastructure in a future pandemic.

Previously, we coordinated the development of target product profiles for next-generation COVID-19 vaccines, as part of 1Day Sooner’s Operation Warp Speed 2.0 campaign. Throughout this process, we engaged scientists from organizations like CEPI and NIAID, vaccine companies, and regulatory agencies.

Our funding comes from the Survival and Flourishing Fund, with 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship provided by Convergence Analysis.

The role

The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator will be our primary interface with diverse areas of the U.S. government. In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to define and communicate proposals to advance the frontier of personal protective technology.

You’re likely to thrive in this role if you enjoy working in a fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment, and are excited about tackling nebulous projects head-on.

Your work might include:

• Keeping up-to-date on government actions and policy windows that relate to PPE, critical infrastructure protection, and pandemic preparedness
• Writing memos, policy briefs, or op-eds
• Digging into past government documents to understand the history and rationale for a specific policy
• Reaching out to people in the executive branch (e.g. civil servants within ASPR, CDC, DHS, or CISA)
• Filing and managing Freedom of Information Act requests

The best candidates for this role will likely be able to:

• Write and speak in a clear and professional manner (in English)
• Quickly find relevant information buried within obscure documents
• Adapt and reorient quickly to new goals
• Take ownership of nebulous projects
• Piece together explanations of why certain policies look the way they do
• Understand and navigate nuanced relationships between different actors
• Help set the future direction of the organization

Skills and experience that would be helpful, but not required:

• Familiarity with biosecurity
• Familiarity with occupational health or industrial hygiene
• Previous experience with U.S. policy, especially around policy implementation in the executive branch
• Previous experience finding and managing contractors or consultants
• Previous experience managing large outreach campaigns and maintaining organized CRMs

Since we are a very young organization, it’s likely that this role will change significantly over time. The right candidate will be comfortable “wearing many hats” and executing tasks with little structure or guidance.

Our offer

• 3-6 month initial contract, transitioning to a permanent full-time role as the organization grows
• Full-time preferred, but open to discussing part-time arrangements
• Salary range (negotiable): $5,500 - $7,500/month (~$66,000 - $90,000/year equivalent)
• Location: Remote or Washington, D.C. (you must have the right to work in the U.S.)
• Start date: As soon as possible.

To apply, please fill out this short application form.

The application deadline is March 10th, but we’d like to fill this role as soon as possible. We will begin evaluating applications as we receive them. After the initial application, the rest of the hiring process might include a short 30-60 min work test and an interview (subject to change).

If you’re not sure whether you’d fit this role, we encourage you to apply anyway–the qualifications for this role are broadly-defined by design.

Feel free to send any questions about the role to Aman Patel (Executive Director) at aman.patel@pandemicdefense.tech. We’re happy to clarify any questions about the organization or project, or discuss whether you’d be a good fit.