Program Officer
Arthropoda Foundation • Remote • $75,000/year
Apply at: bit.ly/arthropodajob
The Arthropoda Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that funds basic and applied research on invertebrate animal welfare. We are hiring a full-time Program Officer to enhance Arthropoda’s grantmaking capacities. The Program Officer's primary job is to identify potential opportunities to improve farmed shrimp welfare, scope the research that would be necessary for change, and then commission that work. The Officer may also be involved in identifying opportunities to improve welfare for insects and other invertebrates.
This position is open to candidates with many different backgrounds, with carcinology and aquaculture preferred, though entomology, veterinary science, welfare science, and relevant industry experience independently of any formal training will also be considered. No prior background in grantmaking is required. We're seeking an entrepreneurial person who can turn conversations with producers and scientists into an impact-focused research agenda. The successful applicant will be someone who’s extremely organized, ambitious, self-directed, and energized by the prospect of fostering change through targeted, high-quality empirical work.
The role has three main components. First, having structured conversations with shrimp farmers and carcinologists primarily, in addition to insect producers, welfare scientists, entomologists, aquaculture researchers, and industry technical staff. The output is a growing map of welfare issues and the scientific gaps that block progress on them. This requires site visits; regular travel, both domestic and international, is required. Second, the role requires co-designing projects with scientists. This involves identifying priority questions, finding the right researchers to address them, and shaping proposals that have clear theories of change. Third, the role will involve facilitating our existing grantmaking (e.g., reviewing proposals and managing grantees).
Required Qualifications:
Clear evidence of graduate-equivalent research skills (PhD-equivalent preferred) in a relevant scientific field, such as experience independently scoping research questions, developing deep expertise in unfamiliar domains sufficient to identify gaps and errors in expert work, and producing rigorous written work for expert audiences — demonstrated across multiple projects or topics. Alternatively, at least five years of practical experience in industry. Candidates without invertebrate experience will not be considered.
Genuine interest in invertebrate welfare, especially shrimp welfare
The ability to make prioritization decisions despite many significant uncertainties, the ability to communicate the reasons for those decisions transparently, and the willingness to revise judgments rapidly as new information becomes available.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally at least six times per year.
Strong interpersonal skills, to include the ability to adapt messaging to stakeholders with highly divergent perspectives and interests.
A high degree of professional agency, to include strong project management skills, the ability to anticipate problems and address them proactively, and an outcome-oriented mindset.
Preferred Qualifications:
Familiarity with more than one invertebrate farming industry, preferably shrimp.
Familiarity with grantmaking, research program management, or science policy.
Experience in any animal industry.
Experience at a startup or a small nonprofit organization.
Competency in any language spoken in a major shrimp-producing country (e.g., Ecuador, China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia).
Position Details:
Salary and benefits: $75,000/year
Travel costs: Fully covered
Benefits: $8,000 annual health insurance stipend and three weeks paid vacation
Term: Ongoing, subject to funding and performance.
Location: Remote, with a preference for time zones compatible with East Coast working hours.
Equipment stipend: $1,000 annual for laptop and related home office equipment
Start date: September 1, 2026.
How to apply:
Send a CV and a brief cover letter (max 2 pages) together as a single PDF document via our application form at bit.ly/arthropodajob. Applicants who fail to send the two documents together in PDF form will not be considered.
We will review applications on a rolling basis until July 15, 2026.
The Arthropoda Foundation is committed to building a team that reflects the global communities our research is meant to serve, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. If you are uncertain whether your qualifications meet our requirements, we encourage you to apply.
