GiveWell is looking for a Research Analyst to join our core interventions team, which investigates and makes funding decisions about programs we’re already supporting at scale, including our top charities. The application deadline for this role is midnight Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, November 20. This role does not require any particular academic credentials or work experience. However, it does demand strong analytical and communication skills and a high degree of comfort in interpreting data.
More details follow. We invite anyone who feels this role would be a good fit for them to apply by the above deadline.
The role
As a Research Analyst on GiveWell’s core interventions team, you will help the team decide how hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent with the goal of saving and improving the lives of people living in the lowest-income communities in the world. The core interventions team focuses on programs that we are already supporting at scale—this includes our top charities. This team updates our cost-effectiveness estimates for these programs on a rolling basis. Your work will support our goal of always directing money to the most cost-effective funding opportunities available at the time of our grantmaking.
You would be responsible for:
Analyzing data on spending and numbers of people previously served by a program to generate estimates of cost per person reached in future programs.
Adapting cost-effectiveness models to apply to new locations that a program may expand to, including determining which inputs to update and sourcing data for those inputs.
Applying updates to our top charities cost-effectiveness analysis, a process which includes archiving the previous model, documenting the change in results, and managing a quality assurance procedure.
Writing entries for cost-effectiveness analysis changelogs (examples here) and drafting updates to reports that summarize our cost-effectiveness analyses (example here).
Creating cost-effectiveness analysis inputs for programs where we have a framework for these inputs but need to interpret messy data to apply that framework to a particular case. Examples include inputs for mosquito resistance to insecticides used in malaria nets, population-level burden of infection with certain parasites, and length of time a malaria net remains effective in a given context.
About you
Note: Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. Here’s a secret: there’s no such thing as a “perfect” candidate. GiveWell is looking for exceptional people who want to make a positive impact through their work and help create an organization where everyone can thrive. So whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this role would make you excited to come to work every day.
We expect you will be characterized by many of the below qualities. We encourage you to apply if you would use the majority of these characteristics to describe yourself:
Conscientious: You are able and willing to carefully follow a process with many steps. You carefully document processes and sources. You are thoughtful about your approach and perform high-quality work, with or without supervision. You exhibit meticulous attention to detail, including fine print, and don’t cut corners. (This doesn’t mean you never make mistakes, but you learn from them and rarely repeat one.)
Strong communicator: You write clearly and concisely. You clearly communicate what you believe and why, as well as what you are uncertain about. You can explain our cost-effectiveness analysis parameters and our reasons for changing them clearly and succinctly to a semi-informed audience (e.g., GiveWell staff and donors).
Analytical: You feel comfortable making judgment calls about how to interpret and use messy data. You can generate a best guess for a cost-effectiveness analysis input and explain your reasoning behind it.
Open to feedback: You are receptive to feedback and willing to provide specific and actionable feedback to others. You check in proactively when you’re unsure about something or when you notice a potential problem.
Mission-motivated: You are passionate about maximizing global well-being. GiveWell is focused on programs that target low- and low-to-middle-income countries. You want to contribute to GiveWell’s mission and are passionate about accomplishing as much as possible with the resources available to help the people in these countries, including thinking critically about difficult tradeoffs between different good outcomes.
Other highly desirable qualities:
You are respectful, effective, and efficient in your interactions with colleagues as well as external parties.
You are highly productive. You keep your work organized and are able to successfully juggle multiple projects and prioritize a wide variety of responsibilities.
Salary, benefits, location, and other practical details
Position: Research Analyst
Salary: Our salaries are competitive with peer organizations like private foundations, academic institutions/think tanks, and the World Bank. We adjust the salaries of remote employees using a tier system. Our pay for this role:
Tier 1 (San Francisco Bay Area or New York City): $91,900. This includes a base salary of $79,913 and an additional $11,987 (15% of salary) in cash in lieu of a separate retirement benefit.
Tier 2 (all other US locations): $83,500. This includes a base salary of $72,609 and an additional $10,891 (15% of salary) in cash in lieu of a separate retirement benefit.
International: Custom based on location.
Candidates with exceptional relevant experience may be considered for more senior positions.
Benefits: Read about the benefits we offer here.
Location: You will be joining a hybrid team that works remotely throughout the United States and elsewhere. GiveWell has an office in Oakland, California that you are welcome (but not required) to work from. Part of our staff also works from a coworking space in New York City. As a general rule, we request that employees either work in time zones shared by the continental US or, if working outside those time zones, be willing to work hours that are compatible with regular meetings scheduled around California’s timezone.
Flexibility: We support and encourage flexible working, including flexible hours, working remotely, and working from the office when you choose. The majority of our staff, including senior management, work flexibly in one way or another.
Visa sponsorship: We can sponsor work visas. However, please be aware that processing times can be much longer than usual right now and are subject to specific country circumstances. Currently, international remote work is possible until a visa is obtained.
Timeline: Applications will close at midnight PST, November 20th.
About GiveWell
GiveWell is motivated by the simple question: how can we do as much good as possible?
In our efforts to answer this question, our staff search for and make grants to support the most cost-effective programs we can find to save and improve lives. We focus on global health and poverty alleviation programs in the lowest-income parts of the world because that is where we’ve found we can have the greatest impact, according to our criteria. In 2021, we directed more than $525 million.
Historically, we’ve supported programs that are evidence-backed, cost-effective, transparent, and in need of more funding. Many of our largest grants have supported malaria chemoprevention, antimalarial nets, vaccine incentivization, vitamin A supplementation, and deworming medication. In the near term, we largely plan to continue investigating and supporting similar programs. In addition, we’ve also supported harder-to-measure programs, such as lead reduction and pesticide suicide prevention, that have the potential to have outsized impact, and research to inform our assumptions, such as research on the effects of antimalarial nets.
To apply
Apply here: https://www.tfaforms.com/5020788. We only accept applications through our website.
We plan to respond to all submissions. Please contact jobs@givewell.org with any questions.
If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at jobs@givewell.org.
As part of our dedication to the diversity of our staff, GiveWell is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and to making employment decisions based on merit and value. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing Equal Employment Opportunities, as well as all laws related to terms and conditions of employment. We desire to maintain a work environment free of harassment or discrimination due to sex, race, religion, color, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, citizenship, physical or mental disability, marital status, familial status, ethnicity, ancestry, status as a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, age, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.
We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Bless your heart, GiveWell. Keep chugging along doing object-level work amidst the chaos.
What would the expected start date be?
Hi, Akash—all else equal, starting sooner is better, but the date is negotiable. We care more about finding someone who is an excellent fit for the role than when they can start, since we hope we’ll be working together over the long term. Thanks!