Summary:
Job title: Biosecurity Policy Adviser
Reports to: Head of Biosecurity Policy, Dr Cassidy Nelson (LinkedIn)
Salary: £63.4k to £80k depending on skill set and experience, plus a generous benefits package
Location and travel requirements: Flexible location within the UK, with the expectation of attending our central London office at least two days a week, including Mondays.
If you are interested in this position, but salary or location is a barrier to you applying, please get in touch with our team to discuss as we may be able to offer some flexibility based on individual circumstances.
Please feel free to share this job ad in your network! To help us find the ideal candidate for this role, we are excited to offer a referral bounty. Should your referral be selected for the position and pass probation, you will be eligible for a £2,000 reward as a token of our appreciation for contributing to the growth and success of our team.
Application form: (the application submission form is now closed)
Deadline: 8 March 2024 at 23:59 Anywhere on Earth (AoE)
For any questions, please send an email to: hiring@longtermresilience.org
About CLTR
The Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR) is a UK-based, non-profit and independent think tank with a mission to transform global resilience to extreme risks. We achieve this by working with governments and institutions, offering targeted, evidence-based advice designed to enhance understanding, decision-making and governance – with a particular emphasis on advising the UK government.
At CLTR, we focus on three prioritised policy areas that, when addressed effectively, can substantially reduce both present and prospective global threats: i) biosecurity, ii) artificial intelligence, and iii) improving how governments manage extreme risks.
You would be joining a passionate and committed team with diverse experiences spanning academia, healthcare, government, non-profit organisations, and the private sector. We place immense value on the work we do as well as on fostering a positive team culture that supports staff wellbeing and growth. CLTR’s approach is anchored in our three core values: i) integrity, ii) people first, and iii) targeted real-world impact.
Full Details:
Biosecurity Policy at CLTR
Our Biosecurity Policy Unit works to develop, evaluate and advocate for impactful policy recommendations to mitigate extreme biological risks. We work in a dynamic environment, responding swiftly to policy shifts and government initiatives, while also ensuring time is reserved for gap analyses and in-depth research on critical biosecurity issues. While we primarily focus on government policy, our work is often highly technical in nature as well. We apply a rigorous approach to project prioritisation to ensure we are working on the highest value opportunities with the greatest potential for real-world impact against this category of risk.
At CLTR, we concentrate on biological threats arising from:
Pandemics, whether natural, accidental or deliberate in origin;
Emerging technologies in the life sciences, including those at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology; and
The development and use of biological weapons by state and non-state actors.
Some of our recent work includes:
Hosting a workshop and writing an in-depth analysis report for the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on overcoming challenges to operationalising synthetic nucleic acid screening;
Delivering expert research and advice to the UK Government on biological misuse risks at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the life sciences; and
Engaging in key public and private dialogues on priority biosecurity topics, including participating in biosecurity events alongside the AI Safety Summit and SynbiTECH 2023.
What you'll do
We are seeking a dedicated individual to become a core member of our Biosecurity Policy Unit. In this versatile role, you will contribute to developing, evaluating, and advocating for impactful biosecurity policies aimed at reducing extreme biological risks. The breakdown of the role’s anticipated activities are listed below. However, over time, this position offers the flexibility to specialise as our team expands and your interests develop in alignment with our strategic needs. For example, your role could evolve in the future to become focused on a core technical area or steer our government advocacy efforts. Over time, you could be supported to become a leading global expert in a specific area of biosecurity policy.
Working as a team member and under the support and guidance of the Head of Biosecurity Policy, your role would include:
Biosecurity policy development (approximately 60% of the role):
Collaboratively developing robust and evidence-based policy recommendations;
Refining policy suggestions through in-depth evaluation, analysis, and independent research of high-priority topics;
Conducting literature reviews and summarising research and reports, including academic and policy papers;
Liaising with relevant external stakeholders in academia, industry and think tanks to develop policy and reports informed by expert views;
Presenting at biosecurity conferences, meetings and other public and private events, representing CLTR and our Biosecurity Policy Unit; and
Assisting with running CLTR biosecurity events, including workshops and roundtables, in line with our strategic priorities.
Government engagement (approximately 25% of the role):
Liaising with government stakeholders, including planning, attending and leading meetings with senior government officials;
Delivering research or policy analysis in response to high-value requests from government stakeholders, where and when these align with our strategic priorities;
Evaluating government plans and strategies relevant to our biosecurity priority workstreams, suggesting areas for improvement and methods to support;
Assisting with maintaining our positive relationships with current government stakeholders while actively strengthening our network;
Connecting leading subject matter experts to government stakeholders; and
Promoting our policy recommendations to government audiences through private and public engagement, including media outreach.
CLTR teamwork (approximately 15% of the role):
Working with the broader CLTR team to further the organisation’s mission;
Contributing to the development and creation of organisation-wide policy frameworks;
Participating in comprehensive stakeholder analysis with the broader team;
Actively contributing to strategic plans, organisational development, and regular team meetings;
Providing constructive feedback to colleagues and reciprocating with support for team inputs; and
Collaborating on cross-unit projects, uniting our policy areas and workstreams under the CLTR umbrella.
What you'll bring
The CLTR Biosecurity Policy Unit is looking for candidates with:
Strong motivation to reduce extreme biological risks and alignment with CLTR's mission;
Experience in research, policy, or advocacy in biosecurity or a related field;
A good understanding of the biosecurity landscape, with an awareness of key threats and relevant national and international governance measures;
The ability to think clearly and independently about extreme biological risks, and the role of government in mitigating those risks;
Strong research, critical thinking, and synthesis skills including the ability to conduct literature reviews and analyse and evaluate biosecurity-relevant technical topics;
Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills;
Strong project management and organisational skills, with a track record of executing tasks independently and effectively;
The ability to balance deep thinking about our strategy and policy recommendations with the pragmatism needed to execute on their implementation; and
The ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion when required.
As an employer we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply and do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also warmly welcome applicants returning to work after career breaks.
If you are passionate about CLTR’s mission and think you might have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
Application process
Joining our team at CLTR involves a thorough but straightforward and transparent application process. Here is what a successful candidate is likely to experience and do:
Initial: Submit your application before the 8 March 2024 deadline.
Stage 1: Participate in a short virtual informal interview — including the chance to meet our Biosecurity Policy Unit and ask any questions you might have!
Stage 2: Complete a 3-hour work test designed to assess relevant skills.
Stage 3: Attend a formal interview, after which we'll conduct a reference check.
Final Stage: Engage in a paid 2-day work trial to experience hands-on what it's like to work with us.
Email invitations, updates and timeframes will be sent before each stage to all applicants. If we decide to make adjustments during the hiring process we will keep candidates well-informed via email. Our goal is to complete all stages and make an offer by 31 May 2024.
If you're on the fence about applying, require further details about the process or working at CLTR, or simply need a bit of encouragement, we warmly invite you to get in touch at hiring@longtermresilience.org before the application deadline. We're here to support you and answer any queries.
Friendly members of the CLTR team, including senior staff, are more than happy to explore the possibility of arranging a conversation with potential candidates. In particular, they can be made available to engage in an informal virtual coffee chat. Engaging with us in this fashion will not influence the assessment process.
It's really important that all candidates who have the potential to succeed at CLTR are provided with an equitable experience in the application process. So if you require adjustments to provide you with the best opportunity to succeed through our hiring process, please feel free to contact hiring@longtermresilience.org at any stage.
Please be assured that adjustments are seen as part of creating a fair environment at CLTR, and will not influence decision-making in our selection process. Adjustments may include (but aren't limited to!): compensation for travel expenses, additional time or accessibility support for tasks in the selection process, or other adjustments in the way the hiring process is run.
Salary and benefits
£63.4k to £80k, depending on experience. However, we would be open to considering a slightly higher salary for a truly exceptional candidate. If you are interested in this position, but the salary is a barrier to applying, please get in touch with our team to discuss.
In addition to your salary, CLTR offers a generous benefits package which includes:
28 days annual leave, plus public holidays;
£3,000 annual learning and development budget, plus up to five days paid work time;
£2,000 onboarding grant for equipment and supplies;
£5,000 (before tax) annual wellbeing budget, for you to spend at your discretion on items such as gym membership, therapy, meditation, etc;
A pension contribution scheme (up to 7% employer-matched contribution);
Private health insurance;
Group life insurance;
Generous parental leave benefits; and
Paid office lunches every Monday and Friday.
As both a unit and team, we also run strategy retreats and away days during the year to discuss big-picture questions, analyse and decide priorities and promote team bonding.
Working with CLTR also comes with a commitment to caring deeply about your wellbeing, career development and overall experience working with our team, and to respect your preferred working patterns, including flexible working hours as agreed with line managers, wherever possible.
Location and travel requirements
Flexible location within the UK, with the expectation of attending our central London office at least twice a week, including Mondays. However, we may be open to exploring remote working arrangements in exceptional circumstances for a limited period of time. If location is a barrier to you applying, please get in touch with our team to discuss.