Our World in Data Hiring Writer: £80,000 to £120,000 Per Year Remote Work
Remote Work Writer at Our World in Data
Our World in Data, the leading online publication that makes the world’s largest problems understandable to a broad audience, has announced a major writer job opening.
The Our World in Data writer position offers a salary of £80,000 to £120,000 per year, flexible full-time hours, and the option to work remotely or from the Oxford, United Kingdom offices. Deputy Editor Hannah Ritchie announced the opening on April 15, 2026.
This Our World in Data writer role is a senior position for an experienced writer who already produces single-authored pieces regularly and publicly for a non-specialist audience. The ideal candidate builds arguments based on data and research and has the range to cover topics including health, poverty, inequality, technological change, demographics, and human rights.
What Makes This Writer Job Unique
The writer job at Our World in Data is not a typical content creation role. Hannah Ritchie, who has been a writer at the publication for more than eight years, describes the position as a rare opportunity.
She notes that a decade ago, she would not have believed such a job existed. The role involves investigating important questions, communicating ideas to an engaged audience, and working with a team of skilled data scientists, engineers, and designers.
What makes this Our World in Data writer position challenging to fill is the unique combination of skills required. The publication wants someone who writes excellent narrative articles for a general audience, finding memorable framings to make hard ideas easier to understand.
Key Responsibilities
If selected for this writer job, the successful candidate will have the following immediate responsibilities after completing the paid writing residency.
Writing clear, engaging, and insightful articles on various aspects of the topics covered by Our World in Data, including health, poverty and inequality, technological change, demographics, and human rights. The goal is to make important data and research findings on the world’s largest problems accessible to a large, non-specialist audience.
Collaborating closely with data scientists to produce relevant data and interactive visualizations presenting evidence on the topics being written about.
Required Skills and Experience
Candidates for this Our World in Data writer position must demonstrate the following.
A track record of clear, engaging, and informative public writing for a general audience, with pieces conceived, researched, and written by the candidate themselves. These pieces must rely on well-chosen data and build on the relevant research literature.
The publication is looking for someone with high agency who already thinks and writes frequently about topics relevant to Our World in Data. If a candidate needs to produce pieces specifically for this application, the role is not the right fit.
Good understanding of statistics and excellent ability to interpret and engage critically with data from different sources. Candidates must be comfortable selecting the right data and framing for visualizations and coming up with designs that make articles clearer and more compelling.
Interest and ability to write across a broad range of topics. A strong sense of editorial judgment, knowing which questions are worth asking, which data is worth using, and how to frame things for a general audience. Strong interest in global issues and a commitment to the values and mission of Our World in Data.
Personal Characteristics
The ideal writer job candidate possesses the ability to analyze information critically and change their mind based on evidence. Openness to editorial feedback and an iterative writing process is essential.
A high sense of agency, initiative, and ability to work independently on projects from conception to completion is required. Curiosity and desire to learn in-depth about a diverse range of topics, drive to present information in engaging and creative ways, and ability to understand and consider diverse perspectives.
The Two-Stage Hiring Process
The hiring process for this Our World in Data writer position is structured in two stages, with a paid trial on the job to give both sides the opportunity to test whether it is a good match.
Stage One: Application and Interview
Candidates submit an application via a Google Form. Applications go through initial screening as part of a monthly batch, reviewed at the start of each month. Promising applicants are contacted for a remote interview and preparatory exercise with Hannah Ritchie.
Stage Two: Paid Writing Residency
Successful candidates from the interview stage work directly with Hannah Ritchie as their editor to produce a great article for Our World in Data on an agreed topic. This work is paid. The process repeats for a second article. Successful candidates from the writing residency are then offered a contract.
The paid work consists of a writing residency (not a physical residency) during which a successful applicant works directly with Hannah Ritchie to produce two articles that the publication would be happy to publish. This work is paid regardless of whether the articles are published. If unsuccessful, the candidate does not receive a further offer.
There is no expectation that candidates will work full-time during the initial writing residency period. The publication expects that many applicants will currently have a full-time position elsewhere and is flexible with the timeline.
Growth and Career Trajectory
The initial writer job position is a full-time writer role. However, the publication hopes that someone joining the team as a writer could follow a similar path to Hannah Ritchie, who moved from a writer position to a more editorial role, developing and shaping her own projects from scratch and helping others to do the same.
In a more senior editorial position, the writer would also work with the editorial team to identify and prioritize topics, provide constructive feedback on colleagues’ drafts, and engage in strategic discussions about data, research, website development, and user engagement.
How to Apply for This Writer Job
This Our World in Data writer application remains open until an offer is made. Applications are reviewed in monthly batches, typically at the beginning of each month. If an application is submitted in mid-May, it will likely be reviewed at the beginning of June.
Required Application Materials
Candidates must submit their application via a Google Form, providing the following.
A CV giving basic information about previous education and work, and current position.
Links to three articles that the candidate thinks are most closely aligned with the work done at Our World in Data. Acceptable formats include articles published on Substack, Medium, or a personal blog, and articles in traditional media outlets.
The publication will not accept long notes or threads on social media, academic articles or commentaries, or PhD theses or academic dissertations. Articles must have been published in English and before April 1, 2026.
A Data Insight of the candidate’s choice on an indicator provided in the form, with a maximum of 100 characters for the title and 850 characters for the text of the insight.
Links to social media profiles used to share public writing, if any, including blogs or Substack.
Based on previous hiring rounds, Our World in Data expects a very high volume of responses and is unable to respond to everyone. Only candidates selected for the next round will be contacted.
Contract and Salary Details
Contract type: Full-time, flexible hours. The publication is open to a part-time arrangement for the right candidate, but full-time is strongly preferred.
Compensation: £80,000 to £120,000 per year, based on experience and location.
Location: Offices are in Oxford, United Kingdom, but many team members work remotely. International candidates are welcome, though working hours should partly overlap with core UK working hours. Visa sponsorship may be considered depending on individual circumstances and relocation preference.
For questions about this writer job, candidates can contact [email protected] using the subject line “Writer position 2026”. For full details and to apply, visit the Google Form link in the original announcement.
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