Work with us
Help change how the world understands—and accounts for—what animals experience.
At the Welfare Footprint Institute, we develop the science, methods, and tools to measure animal welfare and make that knowledge useful. Our work helps researchers, policymakers, funders, and practitioners understand the consequences of their choices for animals and direct resources where they can make the greatest difference.
There is much still to discover. Together with scientists and collaborators worldwide, we invent methods, build a shared language for animal experience, and push the frontier of what can be known and used.
Current opportunities
Explore our open positions below. Each listing explains the role, what we are looking for, and how to apply.
View the role and apply
Science communications officer/lead
WFI is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected characteristic.
WFI offers volunteering opportunities from time to time. Interested people should submit their details through the talent bank, the talent form on this page.
Research team values
Independent thinking and working style.
We follow the evidence where it leads, even against the consensus, and can move the work forward without waiting to be told how.
Creative problem-solving.
When standard tools or data are missing, we find ways to move the work forward. We seek the simplest approach that preserves scientific meaning, and turn complex problems into tractable questions.
Drive and persistence.
We are motivated by the questions we work on and stay with them through difficulties and dead ends, rather than settling for an easy answer.
Comfort with uncertainty.
We make reasoned judgments when evidence is incomplete, explain their basis, and remain honest about what is unknown.
Epistemic humility and eagerness to learn.
We hold our conclusions as provisional, know the difference between an estimate and a fact, and update our beliefs without defensiveness when better evidence arrives.
Constructive dissent.
We welcome reasoned challenges to our assumptions and methods, regardless of seniority. We question weak reasoning respectfully and expect our own work to receive the same scrutiny.
How we work
We are a global, fully remote research institute, connected by curiosity, scientific rigor, and a shared purpose. We value independent thinking, thoughtful collaboration, and the willingness to question assumptions, including our own.
You will have flexibility in how you organize your work, alongside clear responsibilities and high standards. We look for people who take ownership, welcome critical discussion, and care as much about making their work useful as getting it right.
Working arrangements
Flexible hours.
You organise your working hours around your own life and time zone. There is no expectation to read or answer messages outside the hours you work.
Working hours.
Full-time work at WFI is 36 to 40 hours a week.
Remote and written first.
No role requires an office. We work mostly asynchronously, record decisions in writing and keep meetings few, rotating meeting times fairly across time zones when we need to meet live.
Benefits
Paid time off
25 days of leave each year, plus public holidays where applicable.
Health cover
Employee health cover with the role. Exact arrangements can vary by country.
Home office allowance
Support for the equipment you need to work well from home, as listed in each vacancy.
Professional development
Expense reimbursement for courses, conferences and books that support your work, as listed in each vacancy.
Parental leave
Paid parental leave for eligible employees with at least 12 months of service.
Pension contribution
An employer contribution towards your pension, subject to the arrangements applicable to your role and country.
Benefits are subject to eligibility, plan terms and local law.
Career progression
Our research team has a clear career progression structure, with defined criteria for advancement based on scientific independence, responsibility, and contribution.
Organizational values
- Impact:severity and scale guide our priorities.
We focus on the potential to improve welfare at scale: the intensity and duration of experiences and the number of individuals affected.
- Progress:uncertainty is not a reason for omission.
We develop transparent estimates where the available evidence supports them, make assumptions and limitations explicit, and identify what further evidence would improve them. Leaving welfare impacts unquantified can also conceal consequential judgments.
- Transparency:evidence and reasoning made inspectable.
We make evidence understandable and inspectable, and build tools and visualizations that support transparency, responsible use, collaboration, and improvement over time.
- Impartiality:make the evidence useful across perspectives.
We distinguish scientific estimates from the value judgments involved in decisions, making evidence and assumptions explicit so that people with different priorities can use our work.
- Independence:evidence before ideology.
We collaborate broadly while remaining scientifically independent, politically non-partisan, and focused exclusively on advancing the scientific quantification of animal welfare.
Stay in touch
Updates on openings
Join our mailing list for research news and notices when we post new roles.
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WFI offers volunteering opportunities from time to time. Interested people should submit their details through the talent bank, the talent form on this page. We also use this list when we look for candidates for future research roles and collaborations.
Register interestFrequently asked questions
What does the selection process involve?
The stages vary by role and typically include an application, interviews, and paid assessment tasks. Each vacancy explains its selection process.
How long does recruitment take?
Vacancies are usually open for around three weeks. After applications close, the selection process generally takes four to eight weeks.
Is there a probationary period?
Yes. New appointments include a three-month probationary period, subject to applicable local employment requirements.
Will I receive feedback if I am not selected?
Because of the number of applications, we cannot give individual feedback at earlier stages. Candidates who reach the final round receive brief feedback on their application.
Can I use AI tools in my application or assessment?
Yes, unless a particular task states otherwise. Explain briefly how you used them and how you checked the output. We already use these tools ourselves: we are looking for the scientific judgment, critical thinking, and original contribution you bring beyond what AI can produce. You remain responsible for the accuracy and reasoning in everything you submit.
Can I contact the team to discuss my application?
Please use the application process described in the vacancy. We do not generally offer individual calls or informal discussions about applications. If an essential practical question is not answered in the posting, use the recruitment contact listed there rather than contacting team members directly.
Can I apply internationally?
Yes. We welcome international applications, and all roles are remote. Outside the US, we usually employ staff through an employer of record—a local organisation that handles employment contracts, payroll, and benefits on our behalf. Any country or time-zone restrictions will be stated in the vacancy.