Science writer

About the role

The London Institute for Mathematical Sciences is unique—not only because we are the UK’s only independent institute for theoretical physics and mathematics, where researchers can do research full-time, but also because we believe that communicating our discoveries is as important as making them.

The design of our website, along with its quality of communication, earned it a top-five nomination at the 2022 Webby Awards in the Best Science Website category, alongside NASA and Science magazine. The Royal Institution, where we’re based, leads the country in science communication, both in the events it hosts and its reach on social media. Meanwhile, our commitment to writing about science, and getting the message out, has seen us publish articles in The Guardian, The Spectator and The Daily Telegraph.

Now we are looking for an outstanding science writer to take our science communication to the next level. In return for a competitive salary, they will work with us full-time at the Royal Institution, writing about our research, sharing our joy in insight, and promoting our mission to become Britain’s leading physics and mathematics discovery machine.

About the candidate

This position requires a rare combination of qualities: an understanding of physics and mathematics, and considerable experience writing about it. You will ideally have a PhD in physics or mathematics, or a BS and considerable fluency in the field. You will have a portfolio of articles published in places such as The Atlantic, Discover, the Financial Times, Forbes, New Scientist, The New York Times, Quanta Magazine, Scientific American and Wired. Candidate values include clarity, imagination, irreverence, mastery, motivation, playfulness, simplicity, style, teamwork and vision.

Job activities

•  Write medium-length and long-form features for the science press about our papers and our projects.
•  Talk to our scientists about their work and help them communicate it in a way that is clear and compelling.
•  Contribute to sharing our research with the general public, through events, social media, and news items.
•  Write short summaries of our papers, projects and events for our Webby-nominated website.
•  Work with our writer Thomas Hodgkinson to master our house style and collaborate on articles.

Applying

To apply, send a CV to at@lims.ac.uk. Short-listed candidates will be invited to visit. Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is appointed.

About the London Institute

The London Institute for Mathematical Sciences is an independent institute for fundamental research in physics and mathematics. It gives scientists the freedom and support to make fundamental discoveries full-time. There are no teaching duties.

The Institute is located in the Royal Institution in Mayfair, which provides it with room to expand. This iconic building has witnessed the discovery of electromagnetism and 10 chemical elements and has 15 Nobel Prizes.

You can learn more about the London Institute at our About and Perspectives pages.