Fellow, Talent Discovery - UK

Job description

As a Talent Discovery Fellow at Renaissance Philanthropy, you will lead the charge in identifying and cultivating exceptional, high-agency talent, and connecting it to high-impact opportunities in science, technology, and innovation in the UK. 

You will act as a talent scout and build a network of talent spotters across the UK. You will collate high-impact opportunities – including paid roles, fellowships, funds etc – and then work pro-actively to connect talented candidates to those opportunities. You will run events and develop experiments to build the talent discovery ecosystem across the UK. 

Remuneration includes a competitive salary, plus pension and benefits. The role can be full-time or part-time. The role is based in London and will include in-person working (e.g. in the office, events) for 2-3 days per week minimum. You will need to be adept at asynchronous working (e.g. Slack).

The role is a one-year fixed-term employment with Renaissance Philanthropy (view to permanent) in the UK.

Role & Responsibilities

Talent Scouting

  • Identify exceptional, high-agency talent in science, technology, and innovation, through pro-active research and outreach, referrals, and your own relationships.

  • Develop an informal network of “talent spotters” and “super-connectors” across the UK, who can provide referrals for both talent and opportunities, and advise you more widely.

  • Assess and prioritise talented candidates through research, referrals, interviews etc.

Opportunity Matching

  • Identify and collate high-value opportunities for talented candidates to pursue. This includes:

    • High-agency and high-impact paid roles (e.g. ARIA CEO)

    • Funding sources and opportunities (e.g. Emergent Ventures)

    • Fellowships or talent programs for individuals to pursue (e.g. Ember)

    • Accelerators or incubators (e.g. Deep Science Ventures)

  • Share profiles of talented candidates and opportunities with the Renaissance Philanthropy team, and our broader ecosystem of partners.

  • Track the journeys of talented candidates, and support them by recommending pathways and opportunities aligned with their skills, ambitions and potential.

Network Activation

  • Build a community of exceptional, high-agency talent, who have the ambition to work on problems worth solving in science, technology and innovation.

  • Regularly engage this community, including hosting dinners, events and other activities.

  • Facilitate connections across the community and beyond, including other “talent spotters”, funders, the Renaissance Philanthropy team and our partners.

Outcomes

Assuming that you have worked full-time for 12 months, you will have begun to develop an informal network of “talent spotters” and “super-connectors” who – alongside your own efforts – will have helped to identify exceptional, high-agency talent in multiple domains.

You will have identified 50+ talented candidates, connected them to high-impact roles, and brought them together as a community, making pathways for them to create impact. You will have personally supported 20+ individuals to take on a new impactful role (e.g. paid role, fellowship, piloted a new idea from zero to one). You will be beginning to see inbound expressions of interest from hiring managers for important roles in science, technology and innovation.

Who You Are

  • You are high-agency and work at a fast pace

  • You thrive on seeing others succeed

  • You are often the go-to “connector” in your circles

  • You see people’s qualities and potential, even if they have “spikey” profiles

  • You are highly networked in the UK’s science, technology, innovation or policy space

  • You can commit to a full-time or part-time role, alongside your other commitments

Values

You will thrive within our team if you:

  • Have strong mission and vision alignment: You believe in the power of science, innovation, and technology to create a brighter future for all.

  • Exhibit high agency: You can move mountains and break perceived constraints.

  • Inspire others and are highly collaborative: You can motivate others to join your mission and goals. You understand the value of going further by working with others.

  • Value exceptional talent and the power of networks: You can spot or nurture exceptional talent and believe in the value of building networks and the power law of talent.

  • Are comfortable working in fast-moving and ambitious teams: You are not afraid of ambiguity and enjoy working at pace.

Next Steps

You can apply here. 

Diversity

We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of industries along with many but not necessarily all the skills listed above.

Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. 

Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.