January 2025
Brief
Headlines
Updates from the consulting industry + the world's biggest problems
Five major medical breakthroughs in 2024 include a twice-yearly HIV prevention shot with near-perfect efficacy and the first preventive food allergy treatment -Scientific Discovery
McKinsey has been fined more than 85 times what they earned from Purdue for opioid work, introducing a new era of liability for consultants -WSJ, archive
Global reforms for cage-free eggs hit major milestone as over 1,000 companies fulfill their pledges, with McDonald's converting seven million hens ahead of schedule and European markets making two-thirds of their production cage-free. -Open Philanthropy
US commits $306 million to bird flu surveillance as virus spreads in dairy herds, with 61 human cases reported since April among farm workers. -Reuters
Quick wins
Want to level up your career this quarter?
Map out a path from top causes to your next career steps with our new Career Theory of Change worksheet.
AISafety.info, a one-stop-shop for learning about AI safety, seeks volunteers to write/edit content and help implement a site redesign.
Anxious about the new year? Calm your inner critic with this 20-40 minute exercise from ClearerThinking.
If you've already maxed out your search on 80,000 Hours' job board, consider these alternatives.
Want to try your hand at predicting the future? The RAND Forecasting Intiative accepts members from the public and rewards accuracy with cash prizes, expert training, and potential professional opportunities.
Deep reads
A closer look at complex, critical topics
Mirror bacteria: how to end a world-threatening problem before it starts. -Vox
Trump's "high-variance" administration offers surprising opportunities for global health and AI security. -Effective Institutions Project
o3, Oh My -Zvi Mowshowitz
There's no sorting hat for high-impact jobs. -EA Forum
Anonymized experts answer, "What are the biggest misconceptions about biosecurity?" -80,000 Hours
Coming up
Events worth blocking on your busy calendar
January
- Global Voices Conference: Celebrating Diversity in Biosafety & Biosecurity, January 20-24
- Eurodad International (Financing for Development), January 28-29
February and beyond
- USDA ARS 8th International Biosafety & Biocontainment Symposium, February 10-13
- EA Global: Bay Area, February 21-23
- AI for Animals 2025 Conference, March 1-2
- EAGxCDMX, March 14-16
Meet the member
We chatted with BCG alum Sarah Xu, who is traveling to Nigeria this month in her new role in global health as Partnerships Manager at Taimaka.
"What excites me about Taimaka is their commitment to evidence-based impact and robust monitoring and evaluation practices. We treat acute malnutrition by providing therapeutic food, medication, and specialized inpatient care if needed. After 6-10 weeks, 95% of children in our program fully recover!"
Jobs
Your three-year transition plan just got a lot shorter
- Head of Corporate Engagement - Aquatic Life Institute (Apply by January 12)
- Associate Strategy Officer, Foundation Strategy Office - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Apply by January 13)
- UK government roles: Delivery Manager, Research Unit (x6) , AI Safety Institute (Apply by January 13), Senior Policy Adviser, (x3) - AI Safety Institute (Apply by January 16), No10 Senior Data Scientist (Apply by January 26)
- Coalitions Director - Americans for Responsible Innovation (Apply by January 17)
- State Project Manager - Malaria Consortium, (Apply by January 17)
- Human Resources Manager - New Incentives (Apply by January 17)
- Digital Marketing Coordinator - The Humane League (Apply by January 26)
- Senior Director, Research and Quality Management - Pure Earth(Apply by January 31)
- Technical Lead, Benchmarks - Epoch AI (Apply by January 31)
- People Advisor - Founders Pledge (Rolling)
Member moves
Consultants for Impact taking off to tackle critical global problems
Lee Green (independent) has accepted a new role as PauseAI US's Director of Operations
Tobias Vanselow (BCG) serves as a Course Facilitator at High Impact Medicine
Bruna Avellar (Kobre & Kim) has begun an AI Policy and Research Fellowship at Pivotal
Jack Sennett (McKinsey) has started a new role as Head of Strategy and Industry Partnerships at the UK AI Safety Institute
Deep Dhillon (BCG) is now a board member at Faunalytics
Want to talk jobs?
Our team has 15+ years of experience in the consulting industry and have each personally transitioned into high impact roles. We'd love to help you do the same!
