Editorial Lead
Cosmos Institute
📍 Remote (Global)
🔄 Rolling Applications
🕔 Full Time
Cosmos Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit launched in 2024 to ensure AI promotes human flourishing. We train philosopher-builders—individuals who unite deep reflection with technical mastery. As our first Editorial Lead, you will turn that mission into coursework, essays, and media that guide the builders of tomorrow.
This role is remote-friendly, with a slight preference for Austin or London. You’ll be a hands-on lead, drafting cornerstone pieces yourself while cultivating a modest pool of paid external contributors for specialized topics. You’ll report to Kushal Kansagra, Head of Strategy, and collaborate daily with founder Brendan McCord and other members of our team and community.
What Year-1 Success Looks Like
Coursework delivered. Led content development for 6 intensives (Oxford, Aspen Institute, St John’s College, etc.), writing syllabi or working with faculty to craft, producing reading packs, shipping facilitator guides; participants rated each session “excellent.”
Online-course blueprint. Storyboard and production plan completed; becomes the backbone of our upcoming flagship course.
Publishing engine. 52 Substack posts (short essays, reading recommendations useful for philosopher-builders, etc.) shipped on schedule; email list engagement beats industry benchmarks and subscriber count grows rapidly.
Thought leadership reach. Placed Cosmos ideas in tier-1 outlets each quarter (e.g., WSJ op-ed, Atlantic feature, top podcast), tailoring voice and format to each publication.
Research to influence. Weekly cadence sustained while deeper pieces (white papers & long-form essays) shepherded through multi-week editorial cycles.
Contributor bench. Built a lean roster of 3-5 paid freelance experts (philosophy, AI research, etc.) with clear scopes and tight turnaround to augment your writing.
Editorial blueprint. Style guide, content pipeline, and analytics live and in weekly use.
Our perfect candidate would be able to do all of these elements, though we’re also keen on applications from people who excel or would specialize in certain areas of editorial or educational work.
Key Attributes
Mission-driven learner. Feeds on complex ideas and cares deeply about human flourishing.
Philosophy x AI fluent. Reads Aristotle over breakfast and the latest arXiv paper after lunch; can argue a moral premise and a scaling-law curve without losing either audience.
Bridge storyteller. Turns that dual fluency into narratives that travel—e.g., compressing a 20-page draft into a headline or thread that lands.
Editorial architect. Builds pipelines that move copy from idea to release every week.
Collaborative builder. Grows and mentors a network of writers, researchers, and media partners. Lifts others’ writing while guarding voice and rigor.
Ideal Qualifications
8+ years senior editorial work at the intersection of philosophy and technology or similar (e.g., Stripe Press, The Economist tech section, relevant column/beat at a major outlet or think-tank).
Portfolio with tier-1 placements or major book-length edits.
Demonstrated coverage of philosophy and AI topics.
Built or run an editorial workflow (calendar, style guide, CMS, freelancers).
Managed writers or freelancers to tight deadlines.
Bonus: podcast/video scripting, run a successful Substack, or keynote-talk coaching.
Benefits
Compensation: Competitive for senior editorial roles; the target range is shared during the first interview.
Benefits: (Starting in 2025) Comprehensive benefits, including fully covered medical plans and 401(k) matching.
Flexible time off: Unlimited PTO.
Professional growth: Unique opportunity to grow a community of world-class technologists and builders at the intersection of philosophy and AI.
Global engagement: Frequent travel opportunities to Austin, TX, London, UK, and major conferences and tech hubs around the world.
Hiring Process
We anticipate three weeks from first chat to decision. You’ll have a values-and-craft interview, a paid 48-hour edit exercise, and a final conversation with our founder before we make an offer. Submit your CV, one long-form sample (≥ 1k words) and one short piece (op-ed, newsletter intro, or tight thread) via the link below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; we’re aiming to hire shortly.
