How to apply for Senior Communications Officer, Editorial & Production

About GiveWell

GiveWell is a nonprofit that researches the most cost-effective ways to save and improve lives, then directs donations to those programs. It has grown from directing $1.5 million in 2010 to more than $400 million in 2025, and it expects total grantmaking to approach or exceed $1 billion this year. Working there means your communications work supports decisions about where large amounts of money go in global health and development.

About the role

This role leads editorial quality and production for GiveWell's communications. You set the editorial bar, build the people and systems to produce excellent work at increasing scale, and personally write or edit some of the most complex and consequential content. You report to the Vice President of Communications and lead a small and growing team, alongside two other new communications leadership roles.

A typical day

A typical day might involve editing a complex research summary for donors, reviewing a draft from a team member, and meeting with the VP of Communications on editorial priorities. You might also work on production timelines or coordinate with the Strategic Communications and Media & Public Affairs leads on shared content. GiveWell has not published details of daily routines for this role, so ask about team structure and typical workflows in the interview.

Who GiveWell is looking for

• Has led editorial or production work for a research-heavy or evidence-focused organization, not just marketing or brand content.
• Can set editorial standards and build systems, processes, and team capacity so quality holds as output scales.
• Is comfortable writing and editing complex, technical content about global health and development for donors and the public.
• Has experience managing or growing a small team and working with senior leadership on high-stakes communications.

Tips for this application

• Read GiveWell's published research and communications before applying, then note in your materials which pieces you would edit differently and why.
• Show how you have scaled editorial quality before. Give specific examples of systems, style guides, or review processes you built.
• Address the scale shift directly: GiveWell is moving from directing hundreds of millions to potentially billions, so explain how your editorial approach changes at that scale.
• Name the three new communications leadership roles and explain how you would work with the Strategic Communications and Media & Public Affairs leads without overlap.
• Use writing samples that show you can handle technical or evidence-heavy material, not just opinion pieces or social copy.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on your experience setting editorial standards for research or evidence-based content, your track record building editorial systems and small teams, a specific example of editing a complex piece for a non-specialist audience, and how you would approach editorial quality as GiveWell's grantmaking grows toward $1 billion.

Research before applying

• Read GiveWell's recent research publications and annual reports to understand its editorial voice and the types of content it produces.
• Review GiveWell's public communications about its growth from $1.5 million in 2010 to more than $400 million in 2025, and its stated path toward $1 billion and beyond.
• Look at the job descriptions for the other two new communications leadership roles to understand how the three roles divide work.
• Check GiveWell's published research on global health and development to see how it presents cost-effectiveness evidence to donors.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would set and enforce an editorial bar across a small, growing communications team.
• A time you edited or produced content about technical research for donors or the public.
• How you would build production systems that hold quality as output volume increases.
• How you would divide editorial work with the other two new communications leadership roles.
• How you would handle a disagreement with a researcher or senior leader about how to present findings.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Writing a cover letter that focuses on general communications or marketing experience without connecting it to research-heavy, evidence-based content.
• Ignoring the scale change in the role and describing editorial work as if GiveWell were still a small organization.
• Treating this as a standard communications manager role and not addressing team leadership, systems building, or editorial standards.