Employment

“Silent Spring is the leader in producing high-quality scientific evidence on cancer-causing agents in the environment.” – Dr. Margaret Kripke, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, member President’s Cancer Panel (2003-2011)

Silent Spring Institute is a scientific research organization and one of the nation’s leading authorities on cancer-causing chemicals in our everyday environments, with a particular focus on breast cancer prevention. We are a collaborative, high-energy staff of 25, including 20 scientists with expertise in epidemiology, toxicology, chemistry, social science, and communications. We lead National Institutes of Health-funded research*, collaborating with investigators at Harvard, UC Berkeley, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Silent Spring also partners with environmental justice groups, documenting racial disparities in exposures to pollutants, and supporting impacted communities. In addition to conducting scientific research, we work to educate policymakers and the public, and to translate our science into policies that support prevention.

Silent Spring Institute is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage applicants from groups who are traditionally under-represented in STEM. We value diversity and an inclusive work culture, and we do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. 

Read Silent Spring's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement.

We are always seeking applications from exceptional individuals who want to be part of our team.

* Silent Spring's policy and procedures on financial conflicts of interest in public health service funded research

 

Positions

Development and Events Associate

Staff Accountant

Senior Scientist

Internships

Internship in Outreach and Special Events

 

Development and Events Associate

Silent Spring Institute is a mission-driven research organization dedicated to uncovering the environmental causes of breast cancer and other diseases. We focus on reducing people’s exposures to cancer-causing chemicals where they live, work, and play. Silent Spring partners with community organizations and environmental justice groups to document racial disparities in exposures to pollutants and support communities impacted by toxic chemicals. Based in Newton, Massachusetts, our independent research is empowering a revolution in environmental health. 

We are looking for a development associate eager to work in a collegial environment to help propel the organization's fundraising to the next level. This is a new position that will increase the capacity of our small and mighty development team. You will wear many hats, supporting the planning and execution of small and large events, deploying seasonal appeals, fostering positive donor relations, and contributing to other fundraising efforts to support our mission. You will report to the assistant director of development and will also work with the director of development, as well as other senior leadership of Silent Spring. 

If you have development and annual giving experience, are an organized problem solver with great customer-service skills, and have a passion for our mission, we want to meet you!

Responsibilities:

Annual Giving

  • Support distribution of fundraising appeals, newsletters, and impact reports each year, and other mailings as needed. 
  • Be a critical part of maintaining a smooth work plan and timeline, including working with the designer, printers, and mail house, proofreading segmented donor lists and ask levels, making follow-up solicitation phone calls, tracking all gifts, and handwriting thank you notes. 
  • Conduct prospect research on prospective and current individual donors and corporations.
  • Drive efforts to increase annual giving by understanding our donors, their interests, trends, and by accessing new and creative fundraising channels.

Special Events 

  • Provide support for planning and executing approximately 5-6 development events (some virtual) and one large gala each year.
  • Support the gala event manager on all items in the master to-do list.
  • Grow our gala income by seeking corporate sponsorships and auction donations which may involve filling out applications, picking up items, making cold-calls, and in-person soliciting. 
  • Assist the development team’s database manager to manage mail lists and event registrations in our donor database.
  • Support a committee of SSI colleagues to plan and execute two annual, multi-day team programs, integrating opportunities to strengthen donor and board member relations with staff. 

Administrative Duties

  • Establish proficiency in Little Green Light database, Constant Contact, Auctria, and other resources.
  • Carry out tasks on behalf of director and assistant director of development including handwriting thank you notes, creating and sending welcome packets, hands-on work for special mailings, arranging food for meetings, and other miscellaneous duties.
  • Fill in for and assist the development team’s database manager during vacations and busy times.

Opportunities for Growth

Our creative and highly functioning team is always looking for ways to increase giving to support Silent Spring’s research. Upon mastery of the above responsibilities, we have identified the following potential areas for growth: 

  • Create and implement an annual stewardship and solicitation calendar for corporate supporters.
  • Manage all development special events, including the annual gala celebration.
  • Take on a caseload of individual and corporate donors to steward and solicit.

Qualifications and skills

  • College degree or equivalent experience, plus 1-2 years of development/fundraising or customer service experience, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
  • Excellent writer and communicator using email, phone, and in-person conversations.
  • Demonstrated reliability with a passion for advancing and sharing our mission.
  • Database proficiency – experience with Little Green Light, Auctria, and/or Constant Contact a plus.
  • Strong time-management skills, with an ability to manage many projects at one time with hyper-attention to detail.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a busy team, with flexibility and self-confidence. Willingness to reach out for help and support when needed.
  • A growth mindset and willingness to learn new skills, demonstrating a positive attitude, concern for people and community, common sense, and good listening ability.

Benefits

This position is full-time, based in Newton, Massachusetts. We are currently working in a hybrid mode with an expectation of two days per week in our Newton office. Our hours are generally EST business hours. However, we offer and require flexibility with work hours, including the need to work some evenings and weekends, specifically in the lead up to major development events. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience with a range of $60,000-$70,000. Silent Spring offers generous benefits including health and dental insurance, four weeks of vacation, two personal days, and 12 holidays per year. Free on-site parking and reimbursement for MBTA pass. Join an engaging, multi-disciplinary, and highly experienced team of professionals dedicated to addressing environmental factors that affect women’s health! 

Silent Spring Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and an inclusive work culture, and we do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

How to apply

Please email a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to careers@silentspring.org with “Development and Events Associate” in the subject line. Three recent professional references will be required upon request. A test of competency may be required before a final offer. 

 

 Staff Accountant   

We are a high-impact nonprofit research organization seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized individual to help with our day-to-day finance operations. Ideally, the candidate will have a strong foundation in accounting principles and is motivated to learn. This position will report to the Senior Accountant.

This is an opportunity to gain experience in nonprofit grant accounting while playing a critical role within a vibrant team that is addressing the health risks from toxic chemicals in our environment.

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1994, Silent Spring Institute is a scientific research organization and one of the nation’s leading authorities on cancer-causing chemicals in our everyday environments, with a particular focus on breast cancer prevention. We are a collaborative, high-energy staff of 30. Our scientists lead National Institutes of Health-funded research, collaborating with investigators at Harvard, UC Berkeley, US EPA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among others. As a high-impact nonprofit, Silent Spring partners with community organizations and environmental justice groups to document racial disparities in exposures to pollutants and support communities impacted by toxic chemicals. In addition to conducting scientific research, we work to educate policymakers and the public, and to translate our science into policies that tackle the environmental causes of breast cancer and other diseases.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Process accounts payable, including issuing checks and monitoring the inbox for incoming bills
  • Enter deposits
  • Perform bank reconciliations and credit card reconciliations
  • Prepare and maintain supporting schedules for balance sheet accounts
  • Review timesheets prior to importing into QuickBooks
  • Post monthly closing entries
  • Prepare outgoing invoices after monthly close
  • Record accounts receivable and follow up on outstanding invoices
  • Assist with year-end audit and tax preparation by providing documents as requested by external auditors
  • Support the Senior Accountant as needed with the annual budget, forecasting, Board reports, indirect rate negotiation, System for Award Management (SAM) renewal, 1099 filings, and other ad-hoc tasks

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Either: a Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field, or an accounting certificate
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including a strong proficiency working with Excel spreadsheets (experience with Excel macros a plus)
  • Demonstrated skill in managing multiple concurrent workflows and timelines
  • Ability to work independently as well as in a team
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy
  • Excellent interpersonal skills

Additional Desired Experience and Skills:

  • Knowledge of financial software – QuickBooks Desktop preferred
  • At least one year of work experience, preferably in a nonprofit, academic, or health/research-related entity
  • Knowledge of and experience in applying U.S. GAAP

Benefits: 

Annual salary ranges from $60,000 to $75,000, commensurate with experience. We are currently working in a hybrid mode with an expectation of two days per week in our Newton, MA office. Silent Spring offers generous benefits including health and dental insurance, four weeks of vacation, 12 sick days, two personal days and 12 holidays per year. We offer free on-site parking or reimbursement for MBTA pass. Join an engaging, multi-disciplinary, and highly experienced team of professionals that values and respects your contributions to our success!

How to apply:

Send a resume and a cover letter describing your interests and experience related to this job via email to careers@silentspring.org with “Staff Accountant” in the subject line.

Silent Spring Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and an inclusive work culture, and we do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

For more information, visit our website at www.silentspring.org. 

 

Senior Scientist

Senior scientist applicants should expect to develop and lead an independent research program within our mission. Our scientists publish in high-impact scientific journals, compete for federal grants, and participate in scientific conferences. We collaborate with researchers at Brown, Harvard, and Tufts, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University of Southern California, USGS, and CDC. Senior scientists are supported by outstanding research assistants and access to funds for pilot studies and proposal development. Click here for publications by Silent Spring Institute researchers.

 

Internships

Undergraduate and graduate students with skills and interest in environmental health science, science communication and translation, and chemicals policy are invited to join in Silent Spring Institute’s research through our internship program. Responsibilities may include literature searches, interviews with study participants, environmental sampling, data analysis and management, and writing, among other activities. Specific responsibilities will be tailored to the skills and interests of the applicant. Each intern will work directly as an assistant to a supervising staff member, and most interns will complete an independent project. Interns are expected to maintain regular work hours, with some flexibility to accommodate major assignments and exams. 

Examples of previous and projected intern activities:

  • Identify, review, and summarize toxicological data for chemicals used in consumer products, including chemicals marketed as safer.
  • Inventory local and online retailers to evaluate accessibility of safer consumer products.
  • Systematically review literature about chemical exposures in various occupations, geographies, or demographic groups.
  • Use R programming to organize and visualize different types of measurement data, for example, chemical exposure measurements.
  • Review scientific literature to gather parameters needed to develop fate and transport groundwater models for persistent PFAS compounds.
  • Contribute to systematic reviews of epidemiological studies of environmental contributors to breast cancer or other outcomes.
  • Contribute to blog post on the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and its implications for public health.
  • Create an instructional video on how to use Silent Spring’s online tool for helping private well owners interpret their water test results.
  • Interview breast cancer activists about their concerns related to chemical exposures.
  • Develop scientific web servers using the Django framework.
  • Use python programming to organize big data, for example, develop tools that cross chemical features with biological activities and exposures.
  • Develop structural QSAR models using AI and machine learning to predict chemical biological activities from structural properties.

We are seeking to fill a 10-week summer-long internship designed for an undergraduate or graduate student with a strong science background and an interest in environmental science and public health. We also consider interns during the school year for academic credit. The candidate will benefit not only from working closely with Silent Spring's research team, but also will come away with an understanding of how a non-profit organization operates. Due to COVID-19, all staff are currently working remotely and actively collaborating through virtual platforms.

Requirements: 

  • Excellent academic record
  • Chemistry, biology, bioinformatics, statistics coursework and R/Python programming an asset
  • Energetic, flexible, constructive outlook
  • Ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team
  • Attention to accuracy and commitment to careful and impartial research in a context of partnership between scientists and the public

To apply: Send cover letter describing your interests and experience related to this internship, resume, writing sample, and copy of academic transcript (photocopy is fine) to careers@silentspring.org with 'Internships' in the subject line. Please designate the time period you are interested in and the hours/weeks you would be available to work, if not full time.

Silent Spring Institute is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we strongly encourage applicants from groups who are traditionally under-represented in STEM.

 

Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition/Silent Spring Institute Lead Intern in Special Events and Outreach

MBCC Outreach & Communications Internship

Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) is dedicated to preventing environmental causes of breast cancer through community education, research advocacy, and changes to public policy. Our annual fundraising events and educational outreach allows us to continue to work towards this goal. Our interns will assist with building and promoting special events and projects for the organization and occasionally for MBCC's sister organization, Silent Spring Institute (SSI). This internship involves frequent communication with Cheryl Osimo, Executive Director. 

OUTREACH & COMMUNICATIONS INTERNSHIP

The flexibility of this internship is substantial given its work from home nature. Phone and internet will be the primary communication tools for assignments. Interns must commit to at least 15 hours per week. Travel is minimal except for on-site assistance required the day before and the day of the following major events:

  • Against the Tide in Hopkinton in June
  • Against the Tide in Brewster in August

Additionally, there may be other events that will require on-site support.

Responsibilities include:

  1. Media & Communication:
    • Proofing and distributing press releases and calendar listings to news media outlets including print and online newspaper, radio, and television. This includes finding up-to-date contact information for media.
    • Interviewing event participants/supporters and composing feature stories and other articles for media. This may require phone and/or email contact of a sensitive nature, since some contact will be required with those who have been touched by breast cancer. Phone interviews are critical for obtaining information used in press releases and media coverage.
  2. Marketing & Outreach:
    • Initiating contact with local community businesses and individuals to encourage community sponsorship and individual or team event participation.
    • Posting event materials in various locations. This responsibility includes targeting high traffic locations that will increase event participation.
    • Assisting with social media event promotion campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and more.
  3. Administrative:
    • Database building, management, and maintenance to ensure accurate and thorough records of progress in communications and marketing responsibilities.
       

Qualifications: College and Graduate students with minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
 

  • Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
  • Detail-oriented, organized, the ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously with competing deadlines.
  • Proficiency with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and other social media outlets. Prior experience with social media campaigns is preferred.
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office Word and Excel.

Compensation: All positions are unpaid but we are willing to work with institutions to offer students academic credit.

How to apply: Interns are needed for the following time periods:

  • January through August (Spring/Summer Internship)
  • September through December (Fall Internship
  • January through December (Full year)
     

Start dates and durations are negotiable.

Please send a cover letter, resume, references, and a writing sample to Cheryl Osimo at cherylosimo@comcast.net. Please use “MBCC Outreach & Communications Internship” in the subject line of your email.

To learn more about MBCC and our sister organization, Silent Spring Institute, please visit www.mbcc.org and www.silentspring.org. Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.