Head of Media

Job Description

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply sooner rather than later!

We’re hiring a Head of Media to grow public awareness and understanding of effective altruism. This role is responsible for leading CEA’s media engagement activities, from handling press inquiries to setting a proactive media strategy. This is a senior management role on our Marketing and Communications Team, reporting to our incoming Director of Communications (to our Head of Marketing and Communications in the interim) and collaborating with social media and marketing colleagues, CEA’s Events Team and Community Health team, the Office of the CEO, and various EA-aligned organizations.

About CEA

The Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) stewards the movement of people putting effective altruism principles into practice to solve the world's most pressing problems. We’re working to build a flourishing future by applying evidence, reason, and compassion to challenges like global poverty, animal suffering, and risks from transformative AI.

Our work centers on growing and supporting a global community of people who rigorously analyze where they can do the most good – and take action on those insights. Current strategic priorities include increasing understanding of effective altruism and its principles, growing the number of people who are motivated by EA principles to take significant action to address pressing problems, and diversifying funding sources for high-impact work.

We had significant success in 2025, building momentum within CEA. Our headcount grew from 42 to 66 core staff. Program participation (e.g., events, courses, groups) grew by 20-25% year over year. We merged with EA Funds and are rapidly scaling up our capacity for grantmaking and associated fundraising.

In 2026, we’ve maintained ambitious momentum while building the foundations for a step-change in the wider EA ecosystem’s growth trajectory from 2027 onwards. We’re in the midst of the best fundraising year in CEA’s history and are looking for the right talent to help us take advantage of the many opportunities in front of us.

About the Marketing and Communications Team

We're a small, global team shaping how people encounter and understand effective altruism, often for the very first time. Our work sits at the intersection of awareness, engagement, and impact. We aim to help more people navigate some of their biggest moral questions, like: What does it mean to do good effectively? What problems matter most? What role could I play? Our remit spans brand strategy, editorial storytelling, media, social media, digital and product marketing, all in service of helping people engage more deeply and more thoughtfully with EA.

The team is relatively new and rapidly growing, and the Head of Media will help shape the direction of our work. In the past year, we've landed coverage in the Financial Times and The Economist, run campaigns that brought thousands of people to the largest EA event in CEA’s history, and have grown our social media following by 40% to over 86,000 followers.

Importantly for this role, we think there are more opportunities to proactively tell our own stories. There has been significant media interest in EA this year, and a strong media function will shape our ability to accurately and persuasively shape public interest. In 2027, we'll expand the scope of our various functions, and establish brand foundations that will serve the movement for years.

This work is an essential part of CEA’s mission to build a global community of people who think carefully about the world's most pressing problems and take action to solve them. People applying the ideas of effective altruism have helped protect hundreds of millions of people against malaria, freed hundreds of millions of hens from battery cages, and passed lead paint regulations projected to prevent lead exposure in tens of millions of children.The Head of Media is critical to our growth, helping many more people to hear about this work and judge it for themselves.

About the role

This is a demanding role. Effective altruism attracts intense scrutiny, and hostile news stories can break at any time. You'll handle sensitive inquiries from national and international outlets, often on tight deadlines, with occasional evening and weekend work. The team is growing fast and new systems will need to be developed to meet the growing demand for media support. We're looking for someone who has done this before and is excited by the pace and opportunities that this kind of environment affords. We’re hiring a Head of Media to:

• Set our media strategy. You’ll create, deliver and report against an annual media strategy that supports CEA’s broader brand goals.
• Shape public discourse around effective altruism. You will identify and pursue opportunities for positive media coverage, including at CEA's flagship EA Global conferences.
• Handle press inquiries. You will manage high-stakes media requests and act as a spokesperson for CEA.
• Build and leverage media networks: You will develop strong relationships with journalists, engage agencies and consultants on media campaigns, and develop new spokespeople within the EA community.
• Advise key stakeholders. You will build trusted relationships with CEA staff, partner organizations and community leaders, providing media advice and training that equips others to handle press confidently.
• Manage reputational risk. You will monitor threats to the reputation of effective altruism, and of organizations and individuals in the community. You’ll lead the approach to mitigating crisis situations, as well as responding to any that occur.
• Build the media function. You will hire and manage new staff, contractors and agencies, and contribute to the wider team’s growth and development.

Key responsibilities

Strategy Setting

• Creating and reporting against an annual media strategy.
• Providing strategic guidance that enables CEA to navigate high-stakes reputational risks or leverage positive opportunities.
• Shaping public discourse around effective altruism through targeted media and PR activities.
• Setting the strategic direction on opportunities for positive coverage, including at CEA’s flagship EA Global events.
• Evaluating activities and reporting against brand goals.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Building and maintaining trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the ecosystem, including key spokespeople and major funders.
• Identifying and cultivating promising media talent and new thought leaders within the EA community.
• Work with EA Funds grantees and other partners on media-facing communications.
• Establishing and maintaining media relationships through outreach, networking, meetings and regular contact.

Reputation Management

• Monitoring and mitigating against reputational risks to CEA and the broader EA community.
• Leading or supporting response operations in crisis situations.

Leadership

• Hiring and managing new staff, contractors, and agencies to grow the scope of the media function.
• Supporting broader team development initiatives with the Head of Marketing and Communications.
• Providing thought leadership on media-related issues to CEA colleagues and partner organizations.

What we’re looking for

You might be a great fit for this role if you:

• Set media strategy. You’ve led proactive and reactive media strategies for high-profile organizations or brands, and you know how to reach and engage a wide range of audiences.
• Build media networks. You can build and leverage strong relationships with journalists to land placements, correct misrepresentations, and deliver effective campaigns.
• Manage crises. You’ve handled high-stakes media situations and led crisis communications.
• Build and lead teams. You’ve built, developed, and managed remote teams and external partners, including agencies and consultants on media and influencer campaigns. You have a clear vision for expanding CEA’s media function.
• Thrive under pressure. You work well under pressure, can juggle multiple, often conflicting, priorities, and enjoy fast-paced, ambiguous environments where you set your own direction.
• Understand and care about EA. You’re familiar with the principles and ideas of effective altruism, or can quickly develop a nuanced understanding of the ecosystem. You’re excited to help more people understand EA accurately and apply its principles in their own lives.

Bonus:

• Are well-versed in the US political landscape and appreciate how it affects the work of CEA as a non-partisan non-profit.

Other information

• This is a full-time, remote position based in the US. We'd prefer candidates in or near a major media hub such as New York, Washington DC, or San Francisco. You must already have the right to work in the US; we can't sponsor visas for this role.
• Start date: Ideally you would start as soon as possible, but we can be flexible for the right candidate.
• Reports to: Incoming Director of Communications (Tess Newton-Palmer, Head of Marketing and Communications in the interim).
• Benefits globally include private health insurance, flexible work hours, a $6,000 annual professional development allowance, a $6,000 mental health support allowance, extended parental leave, ergonomic equipment, 25 days of paid vacation, and more.
• This role will involve travel. There are likely four trips annually to attend team retreats and other events, including several international trips.

We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from self-identified women and people of colour who are excited about contributing to our mission. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact jobs@centreforeffectivealtruism.org.

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Evaluation plan

We expect the interview process to include the following steps, subject to minor changes:

• Application
• Test task 1
• Short interview with recruiter
• Long interview with hiring manager
• Final interviews (3-4, non-sequential)
• Reference checks