Research & Outreach Officer

Social Change Lab is looking for a Research & Outreach Officer. This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, ambitious research team and meaningfully expand both research capacity and the reach of findings. You will work with the Directors of Research to design and deliver rigorous studies on the effectiveness of social movements, while also working to get those findings into the hands of activists, funders and journalists who can act on them.

• Contribute to research projects across three priority areas (climate and environment, animal advocacy, AI safety), from scoping research questions through to data collection, analysis and write-up
• Select and apply research methods that balance rigour against time and resource constraints
• Collaborate closely with Directors of Research on larger studies
• Keep datasets well-organised and documented for reuse across projects
• Conduct media outreach including press releases and op-ed pitching
• Produce accessible research summaries, blog posts and visual content for non-specialist audiences
• Grow newsletter and social media presence
• Update and extend the reach of the Activists Resource Hub
• Engage directly with activists and funders
• Present at conferences, webinars and external events
• Support team members in preparing grant applications and scouting funding opportunities
• Attend weekly team meetings and biannual in-person retreats
• Support research volunteers and interns
• Contribute to ad hoc projects

• At least 3 years' experience in a research role in academia, non-profit, think tank or government, with a track record of leading on projects or working with a team to deliver high quality research
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant social science discipline (e.g. sociology, political science, psychology, public policy, social policy), or equivalent demonstrable experience
• Strong methodological skills in at least one of: quantitative methods (experimental design, statistical analysis, surveys) or qualitative methods (interviews, case studies, focus groups, thematic analysis)
• Good understanding of how to balance methodological rigour against time and resource constraints of a small research organisation
• Strong written communication skills, with a track record of producing content for both specialist and non-specialist audiences
• Confidence representing your work in external settings, including presenting at events and speaking with stakeholders
• Track record of successfully delivering work on time and to high quality
• Excellent English, both written and spoken
• Passion for social movements, social science research, campaigning, protest and social change
• Familiarity with at least one of the climate, animal advocacy or AI safety movements
• Effectiveness-oriented and strong analytical thinker
• Enthusiastic and self-motivated with strong work ethic
• Confident working independently and collaboratively with a small team
• Creative problem-solver
• Well-organised, efficient, and able to multitask effectively
• Open-minded thinker ready to change mind based on evidence
• Bonus: strong visual or design sense with experience presenting research engagingly; experience publishing in peer-reviewed academic journals; familiarity with pre-registration, replication, or open science practices; knowledge of effective altruism

Complete the application form (approximately 90 minutes). Deadline: 19 July 2026 23:59 BST. Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis so early applications are encouraged.