CLOSED: Hiring Senior Research Associate: Academic Programme Manager

26 September 2018

CLOSED - DEADLINE was 11 November 2018

The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) invites applications for a Senior Research Associate - Academic Programme Manager.

This senior position will play a central role in leading CSER's research team and shaping the future of the Centre. This is a unique opportunity to play a guiding role in a world-class research centre as it enters an exciting period of growth.

Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

CSER is an interdisciplinary research centre within the University of Cambridge dedicated to the study and mitigation of risks that could lead to human extinction or civilisational collapse.

The Centre  was founded by Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal; Jaan Tallinn, the co-founder of Skype; and Huw Price, the Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy, to “steer a small fraction of Cambridge's great intellectual resources to the task of ensuring that our own species has a long-term future.” As Lord Rees says, “our century is special, because for the first time in 45 million centuries, one species holds the future of the planet in its hands – us.”

Our research focuses on how to manage extreme risks, including biological risks, environmental risks, and risks from artificial intelligence. Our expertise has been sought by European, Asian and American governments, leading technology companies and the United Nations. Through our publications, expert workshops, and international conferences we have fostered a global community of academics, policy-makers and industry-leaders working to reduce existential risk.

Role

The Academic Programme Manager will play a central role in leading CSER's research team and shaping the future of the Centre. This senior research associate level role combines academic and management responsibilities, working with CSER's Directors to lead a substantial subset of CSER's research projects, develop our overall profile, and to build our collaborative networks. 

The post-holder will be encouraged to set their own priorities within the role, and will work with a high degree of independence. We aim to build a passionate and engaging culture. Our approach encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, leading to creativity, new research insights, and real social change.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years from the start date in the first instance.

Responsibilities:

  • Contribute to strategic planning and leadership for CSER
  • Manage CSER’s postdoctoral researchers
  • Plan and coordinate activities in CSER's research programmes, and manage the use of research resources and budgets
  • Conduct research within CSER's focus areas, to be published as papers in leading academic journals
  • Act as an ambassador for the Centre's research, engaging with academics, policy-makers, industry collaborators and the public
  • Actively seek additional funding: identify opportunities and develop proposals

About you

We seek an ambitious candidate with initiative and a broad intellectual range. Candidates will have a high level of education, with substantial experience at a postdoctoral level, or equivalent experience within a relevant setting (e.g. policy, industry, think tank or NGO).

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please click on the 'Apply online' button on this webpage (or at the button below). This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System. Our hiring panel can only consider applications made through this system.

The full job description is here.

If you would like to discuss the role, please email Haydn Belfield on admin@cser.org  

Find out more & apply

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