Farmed Animal Science Fellow

A one-to two-year position: $70,000/year, plus benefits | Temporary, Full-Time | Washington, DC preferred | Advanced degree and two years’ experience preferred | Expected Start: Fall 2024

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The Animal Welfare Institute – a DC-based national advocacy organization dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people – seeks to hire a Science Fellow for our Farmed Animal Program who shares our vision of a world where no animal suffers because of humans. This one-year position may be extended for a second year after a successful year, or offered as a two-year fellowship from the start to the right candidate.

About AWI: Working at AWI, you will join more than 30 highly motivated staff and consultants working in our headquarters in Washington, DC, and remotely across the United States and Canada. For 73 years, we have advanced our mission through strategically crafted political and legal advocacy, educational programs, litigation, research, and engagement with policymakers, scientists, industry, educators, other NGOs, the media, and the public. We are a national nonprofit dedicating more than 90 percent of our budget to programs and campaigns that protect animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild.  AWI is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and creating a culture that values differences and where all employees thrive.

Why this position matters: This is a new role that expands our Farmed Animal Program and presents an exciting opportunity to enhance our existing scientific expertise. You will help develop and implement innovative legal, policy, and administrative efforts to protect aquatic and terrestrial farmed animals at the local, state, national, and international levels. You will use scientific principles and evidence to advance the Program’s mission to reduce animal suffering on farms, during transport, and at slaughter, as well as to combat deceptive animal product labeling practices and promote more humane food choices. You will spend approximately half of your time helping the Program expand our work related to the farming of aquatic species, and half assisting with our existing terrestrial farmed animal campaigns. You will report to the Program’s Acting Director & Senior Attorney, and work with the rest of the Program’s staff as an integral part of an experienced, close-knit, and collaborative team.

You could be our next Farmed Animal Science Fellow if you have:

• An advanced degree in veterinary medicine, animal welfare science, aquatic biology, public health, or a related field. (We are willing to consider candidates with a bachelor’s degree in one of these fields when combined with significant relevant experience.)
• A minimum of two years of relevant experience. (We are willing to consider candidates with exceptional potential and alignment with AWI’s mission but with a varied duration of professional experience.)
• Passion for AWI’s mission and demonstrated commitment to public interest work, including the prevention of farmed animal suffering.
• Experience analyzing complex scientific and technical documents and researching, synthesizing, and presenting scientific information to a wide range of audiences.
• Experience working across disciplines using law, science, policy, and communications to advance science-based advocacy.
• Exceptional research, writing, and communication skills.
• Excellent oral advocacy skills, including public speaking experience.
• Familiarity with federal and state laws protecting farmed animals, including the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, Animal Health Protection Act, and state anti-cruelty laws.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and think creatively about farmed animal activities and strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and policymakers, including other NGOs, state and federal government officials, and legislators and their staff.
• Superb work ethic and sound judgment, with the ability to assume responsibility for project leadership, including planning and implementation, and the ability to balance independent action with regular communication with the Acting Director and Program team members.

What you'll be doing as a Science Fellow:

• Identify and engage in opportunities to protect aquatic and land animals raised for food through strategic collaborations, federal and state regulatory mechanisms, legislation, and litigation.
• Serve as a scientific expert on issues related to the treatment of animals in agriculture, while on farms, during transport, and at slaughter, and to the marketing of farmed animal products.
• Engage in administrative advocacy by helping to develop petitions for rulemaking, comments on proposed regulations, and policy recommendations for industry organizations and government agencies.
• Conduct scientific literature reviews, analyze published scientific studies and government databases, and identify and assess scientific issues to support Program activities.
• Research and prepare reports and other technical analyses to engage in public education and outreach and to influence public policy.
• Support litigation by participating in issue identification, factual investigation, and other pre-litigation work.
• Contribute to AWI’s state and federal legislative efforts. 
• Represent AWI at meetings, hearings, conferences, and other events.
• Draft action alerts, press releases, op-eds, educational materials, social media posts, website content, donor updates, and AWI Quarterly magazine articles highlighting the Program’s activities.
• In conjunction with AWI’s communications team, devise and implement appropriate media strategies to help advance the Program’s activities.
• Cultivate strong relationships and communicate with government officials, scientists, and advocates within coalitions and at other NGOs.

Job Location: While we will consider exceptional candidates who want to work remotely elsewhere in the United States, it is preferred that the Farmed Animal Science Fellow work out of AWI's DC office (located in a row of converted townhouses one block from the Eastern Market Metro) on a regular basis.

AWI is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to employment practices that provide equal opportunities for all persons without regard to age, gender, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law. We are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization, and encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the animal welfare movement.