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Vox is a user's guide to the news, helping readers make sense of everything from President Donald Trump’s latest tweet to the soaring success of Black Panther. Every day, we’re striving to deliver the best context, reporting, and analysis to the news that matters most to our readers.

Vox is seeking two full-time staff writers for a new vertical covering effective altruism and related topics. These writers will be tasked with covering neglected stories about subjects that have, or will have, a profound impact on the lives of millions of humans (and animals).

The writers' beats will be flexible, and each hire will be encouraged to pursue a wide range of stories on both current and potential approaches for reducing suffering and doing good on a massive scale. But we're especially interested in writers who have written about and have a passion for the following topics:

Global poverty and global health, including immigration and labor mobility as a tool for poverty reduction;

Animal welfare, particularly the welfare of animals in large factory farms;

Health sciences relevant to human welfare (with a special focus on drug development and new fields like synthetic biology); and

Global catastrophic risks that pose a serious threat of killing hundreds of millions or billions of people (including both natural and synthetic pandemics, nuclear war, climate change and geoengineering, unregulated artificial intelligence, etc.).

Just like Vox as a whole, this vertical won’t be bound by traditional divisions between political versus science versus foreign affairs reporting. Writers will be encouraged to bounce between any topics they think are highly relevant to human and animal well-being.

For example, in a given week the writers might post a discussion of the ethics of using CRISPR to wipe out diseases like malaria and Lyme; an evidence review looking at the effectiveness of programs that give rural workers in developing countries cash to temporarily move to cities; and a data-based piece on the popularity of plant-based meat substitutes and their potential (or lack of potential) to cut into less humane meat production.

We welcome applications from journalists who are energized by these topics and excited about the possibility of covering the world so as to prioritize stories of the absolute greatest humanitarian significance. We also welcome applications from people outside journalism, perhaps in the nonprofit or academic sectors, who are familiar with effective altruism and want to explore ideas like cause prioritization, effective philanthropy, and evidence-based policymaking in a more fast-paced and public-facing environment.

The ideal candidate is:

Eager to work in a digital-first newsroom that emphasizes clear writing, visual explanations, and collaboration between reporters, videographers, developers, and the engagement team.

A veteran writer with at least 2-4 years of experience in writing for media, academia, or a think tank/research group.

Familiar with effective altruism and the idea of cause prioritization, or at least intrigued and excited by the possibility of diving in and learning more.

Comfortable with reasoning quantitatively, thinking critically in cost-benefit terms, and taking tradeoffs seriously.

Experienced in diving into and summarizing new and previously unfamiliar research literature, particularly in economics, psychology, sociology, political science, biology/medicine, and computer science.

Prepared to write and file frequently, in a variety of formats including blog posts, features, and news updates.

Based in Washington, DC, though remote work may be possible for the right candidate.

Does this sound like a good fit for you? Submit a resume, three pieces of writing (ideally journalism, but could be a blog post or report for applicants with a non-journalism background), and a page-long pitch for four stories (two features, one timely news hit, and one opinion blog post) that you think would fit with the new vertical. Use the "Cover Letter" field to submit your statement and links to clips. Do not submit a traditional cover letter.

Applications are due by noon on July 30.

About working at Vox Media: This is a permanent, full-time position with excellent benefits—including flexible hours and generous parental leave. Vox Media strives to provide comprehensive healthcare options for our employees and to ensure that our healthcare and other benefits are LGBTQ-inclusive. You'll be joining a group of focused, hard-working, creative people who are passionate about doing work that's challenging and fun—and who strive to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Vox Media is committed to building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and everyone is encouraged to apply. Vox Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, national origin, protected veteran status, age, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law.