Scientific Lead

About Us

The Welfare Footprint Institute develops scientifically rigorous methods and tools to quantify animal welfare. Our core contribution is the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF). We apply the framework in research programmes on aquatic animals, pigs, poultry, cattle, shrimp and other species, and we work on the theoretical and statistical foundations that underpin it. This research base feeds the tools we build around it: the Welfare Footprint Atlas and Knowledge Graph, AI-assisted workflows, and decision-support products for researchers, industry and policy. Our work sits at the intersection of animal welfare science, pain and affective neuroscience, ethology, veterinary medicine and quantitative methods.

What the Role Is

We are seeking a Scientific Lead to oversee implementations of the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF), including full Welfare Footprints. The role will also advance core methodological work, investigate unresolved scientific problems and critically review research across terrestrial and aquatic species.

The Scientific Lead will work closely with the Scientific Director and founding team on core scientific methods and applied animal welfare research. This is a hands-on scientific role: you will personally read, analyse, write, and check research in depth.

A central responsibility of this role is ensuring that research reaches the Scientific Director with sound methods, reasoning, and conclusions, and with every claim independently verified. You will help supervise animal welfare research across multiple species, including aquatic species (e.g., shrimp, fish) as well as poultry, cattle, and pigs, bringing a strong foundation in physiology, neuroscience, and animal welfare science to evaluate work outside your own speciality. You may also represent the Welfare Footprint Framework externally, including presenting at conferences and responding to substantive scientific challenges to the method.

The position is fully remote. Gross annual salary for full-time work is USD 105,000–115,000. Employee benefits include health cover, a pension contribution, 25 days of leave, home office allowance and a professional development expense reimbursement.

Core Responsibilities

• Implement and apply the Welfare Footprint Framework (WFF) and support the development of Welfare Footprints

• Advance core methodological work and investigate unresolved scientific problems

• Critically review research across terrestrial and aquatic species, identifying weaknesses in arguments, methods, or calculations (regardless of the source's authority or reputation)

• Write and revise scientific papers, including work produced by other researchers on the team

• Conduct and check statistical analyses, probabilities, uncertainty ranges, Monte Carlo simulations, and analytical code

• Present and teach the Welfare Footprint Framework, including at conferences and workshops, and respond to substantive challenges to the method

• Use AI models and workflows as part of the research process, while independently verifying the reliability of AI-generated outputs

• Read primary sources in full and verify factual claims before they are relied upon in published work

Qualifications

• A PhD in evolutionary biology, stress or animal physiology, veterinary science, neurobiology or animal welfare science.

• A record of peer-reviewed publications.

• Complete fluency in written and spoken English, with the ability to write clear, precise, formal scientific prose.

• Exceptional ability to substantially improve the writing of others.

• Strong critical review abilities and exceptional attention to detail. You identify weaknesses in scientific arguments, methods and calculations, including in unfamiliar topics.

• Scientific breadth sufficient to review work across species, including aquatic species, and the judgement to recognise when specialist input is needed.

• A thorough understanding of the WFF, its scientific foundations, methods, assumptions and limitations, and directly related science. You can apply, explain and discuss the framework accurately.

• Deep scientific curiosity and the ability to propose and critically examine original approaches to complex problems, while remaining comfortable working with incomplete evidence.

• Strong quantitative reasoning and the ability to independently conduct and critically assess statistical analyses, probabilities, uncertainty ranges, Monte Carlo simulations and analytical code.

• Excellent presentation skills with the ability to explain complex science clearly and respond thoughtfully to substantive questions.

• Practical familiarity with AI models, agents and research workflows, together with the ability to check their outputs independently.

• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to accept detailed critical feedback without defensiveness and give it to colleagues without hostility.

• The patience and concentration to spend long stretches working independently, including weeks reading papers and reviewing evidence in depth.

• A rigorous approach to sources: you read the sources you rely on in full, verify factual claims and make uncertainty explicit.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing methods or theoretical work that other researchers have used or extended.

• Experience working across several areas of animal welfare science, physiology or neurobiology.

• Experience supervising researchers or leading scientific workshops or trainings.

• Built reproducible analytical tools or AI workflows.

• A track record of establishing productive scientific collaborations or secured funding for research.

• Familiarity with effective altruism principles, given WFI's connection to the EA community and its funders.

• Prior familiarity with the Welfare Footprint Framework specifically, including its published papers.

This Role May Not Be a Good Fit if

• You are looking primarily to manage others rather than personally read, analyse, write and check research in detail.

• You find sustained independent work difficult.

• You are uncomfortable having your reasoning closely examined, revising a preferred explanation or explicitly acknowledging uncertainty.

Selection Process

The selection process includes paid tasks and a three-month provisional period during which one or more candidates will work with the founding team before a final appointment decision is made. Assessment will consider the quality of scientific reasoning and review, understanding of the WFF, attention to detail, response to feedback, collaboration and reliable completion of agreed work. For unresolved scientific problems, candidates will be assessed on how rigorously they investigate the question, evaluate possible approaches and explain what remains uncertain.

To guarantee that your application receives full consideration, please apply by Monday, October 26th (11:59 PM US Eastern time).

The Welfare Footprint Institute is a research organization that quantifies animal suffering using empirical models of time spent in negative and positive affective states.