Basic information

Salary: 35,000 – 45,000 USD (full-time, amount based on experience; negotiable for an exceptional candidate)

Hours: Full-time or part-time (flexible working hours)

Location: Remote

Start date: Preferably early August 2023 but negotiable

The ideal candidate will be able to participate in regular meetings in UTC (GMT – London). Additional meetings may be scheduled with colleagues in UTC-5 (EST – New York), UTC-7 (CST – Colorado), and UTC+8 (JST – Tokyo).

About us

The mission of the Happier Lives Institute (HLI) is to connect donors, researchers, and policymakers with the most cost-effective opportunities to increase global wellbeing. Using the latest subjective wellbeing data, we identify the problems that matter most to people and find evidence-based ways to solve them. Our vision is a world where everyone lives their happiest life.

The role

The Communications Manager will oversee all aspects of external and internal communications and is responsible for promoting HLI’s recommendations and methodology to our target audiences.  They will also lead communications during fundraising campaigns. We are open to flexible working arrangements, such as full-time or part-time positions, as well as varying levels of experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and evaluate the communication strategy in collaboration with the Director, Development Manager, and Senior Researcher.
• Lead the development of all external communications, including the newsletter, reports, and social media content.
• Promote HLI’s methodology and recommendations  through digital marketing, events, and conferences.
• Develop and maintain relationships with policymakers, thought leaders, and influencers in HLI’s field, including pitching stories to key media contacts.
• Oversee the development of HLI website and ensure that it is up-to-date, user-friendly, and optimised for search engines.
• Lead online fundraising activities to increase donations to HLI and HLI’s charity recommendations.
• Collaborate with the Development Manager on fundraising materials (e.g. pitch decks, brochures, videos etc.)
• Work with the research team to ensure that all research findings are communicated effectively to key stakeholders and the general public.
• Monitor and report on key communications metrics, including website traffic, social media engagement, and media coverage.
• Manager external contractors e.g. website developer, as necessary

Required skills and experience

We don’t expect you to have all the skills and experience on this list. Plus, we want you to learn new skills in this role. If you are on the fence, please err on the side of applying.

• Expertise in science communications and/or digital marketing (we expect candidates to have at least one; the ideal candidate would be able to do both).
• You should possess excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly describe your reasoning, findings and uncertainty.
• Results-oriented mindset with excellent organisation and planning skills
• Can-do attitude, resilient personality, excitement to take on new tasks and learn new things, and happy to do anything that helps the team.
• A team player who enjoys coordinating and working with others.
• Proactive, assertive and action-oriented; driven to work without supervision.
• Optimisation-focused: you constantly seek out improvements and question the status quo in pursuit of a better solution or system.
• Passion for HLI’s mission.

Desired skills and experience

• Familiarity with the effective altruism movement.
• Familiar with wellbeing research
• Familiarity with non-profit sector and impact strategy
• Start-up experience will be helpful.

What we offer

• The opportunity to join, and shape, a small, dedicated team working on the most pressing research questions for increasing global wellbeing (see our research agenda).
• Intellectual challenge and a chance to learn and grow in an interdisciplinary setting.
• Ability to set your own working hours apart from attending the scheduled meetings (full time is considered to be 35 hours/week).
• Work from wherever you like (we are a fully remote team based in the UK, North America and Japan).
• 25 paid days of annual leave + 8 UK national holidays.
• 10% of your time (3.5 hours a week) can be used for personal development if desired.

How to apply

Complete this short form by 11th June 2023, 23:59 GMT.

Selected applicants will be invited to complete a series of work tasks and interviews; you can expect two interviews, one short work task (~1 hour) and one long work task (3-5 hours). We expect to pay candidates asked to undertake the long work task.

Please contact hello@happierlivesinstitute.org if you have any questions.

*Recruitment is on a rolling basis and the position will be closed once a candidate has been identified.

We strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds and identities to apply to this role. HLI is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and supportive community where you feel happy, valued, and do your best work.