Senior Vaccination Researcher

GiveWell

2d • Remote

About The Position

GiveWell is seeking a Senior Vaccination Researcher to help direct tens of millions of dollars annually to the most cost-effective vaccination programs. This role will have an outsized influence on funding decisions and contribute to saving and improving lives globally. The focus is on increasing routine immunization coverage in children under two in high-burden areas, with potential expansion into areas like campaigns, vaccine procurement, supply chain support, surveillance, outbreak response, and R&D. Vaccination is a rapidly growing area for GiveWell, with significant projected increases in grantmaking. The Senior Vaccination Researcher will create and lead research agendas, answer complex questions, conduct evidence reviews, cost-effectiveness modeling, and use thoughtful judgment. They will also communicate externally and mentor other researchers. The role involves shaping a research agenda, owning grant investigations end-to-end, and representing GiveWell to external counterparts, with significant latitude to propose new work areas.

Requirements

• A quantitatively oriented advanced degree (e.g., in epidemiology, statistics, economics or related fields).
• Substantial professional experience in the vaccination landscape (broadly defined).
• Experience in epidemiological or health economics modeling, and/or in program implementation or funding.
• GiveWell’s mission and methods are personally energizing—you like our approach to research and you find personal meaning in our story of impact.
• You’re abnormally curious—you ask lots of questions, and you’re willing to interrogate others’ work. Your curiosity also extends to your own work—you aren’t defensive when your research comes under scrutiny.
• You routinely think about and surface the value judgments, background knowledge, and strategic commitments that undergird your work. You understand the potential effects of mistaken mental models, so you strive to improve yours and your team’s.
• You dislike it when people express strong confidence in views that don’t seem to rely on commensurate evidence. You carefully and legibly communicate about your confidence levels.
• You appreciate the value of an excellent reputation and strong relationships. You can moderate your directness and intensity when you’re communicating with external folks.
• You love a gnarly problem. You figure out the most important questions to answer, go deep on the details where they matter (and move on where they don’t), and reassess your mental models based on what you’ve learned.
• You constantly assess whether you and the team are working on the most important things.

Nice To Haves

• Deep expertise in the vaccination area.

Responsibilities

• Create and lead ambitious research agendas related to portfolios of work.
• Answer complex questions that will inform GiveWell’s grantmaking decisions.
• Combine rigorous evidence review, cost-effectiveness modeling, and thoughtful judgment.
• Sift through research questions and focus on those that matter most.
• Communicate externally about work.
• Mentor and advise other researchers on the team.
• Shape a research agenda that brings rigor and creativity to the thorniest questions.
• Own grant investigations end-to-end (from research question through grant recommendation).
• Represent GiveWell to external counterparts.
• Propose new areas of work.

Benefits

• Fully funded health, dental, vision, and life insurance (100% of premiums covered for you and dependents within the US).
• Four weeks of paid time off per year.
• One week organization-wide summer break.
• 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave.
• Ergonomic home workstations or coworking space memberships.
• 403(b) retirement plan.
• Relocation expenses covered for candidates who wish to move to any of our physical office locations.
• Visa sponsorship for those needing a work visa in the US (relocation expenses up to 100% covered on a case-by-case basis).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior