Effective 
Environmentalism

Part-time Generalist Contractor

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About Effective Environmentalism Initiative

The Effective Environmentalism Initiative grows the effective environmentalism movement, which focuses on making the biggest difference for climate with limited resources. We help people focus their efforts where it can make an incredibly large difference, by focusing on levers that are important, tractable, and neglected. 

We are a very small team. Currently, we have 0.2 FTE paid alongside a few volunteers. In this role, you will work alongside our director Soem Zeijlmans, and the two of you will form the whole team, so the work you do will be visible and will matter.

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The role

We are looking for a part-time generalist who will help Effective Environmentalism Initiative achieve more with very limited resources. You will take on a wide range of work, and we will agree on priorities together at the start, based on your strengths and what the organisation needs most.

This is an independent contractor role. We agree on desired outcomes together, and you decide how and when you do the work, apart from occasional shared meetings.

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Description of the work

The mix will depend on the capacities and talents of the chosen candidate, and you do not need to have strong skills at everything. Possible work includes:

• Advising calls with people who want to maximize the impact of their career or set up a new impactful climate initiative.

• Writing for our website, newsletter, social media, and other channels

• Public appearances such as talks, podcasts and events

• Marketing and outreach

• Impact tracking, so we know what our work achieves

• Maintaining and improving our website

• Building and supporting our community, such as Slack

• Fundraising, especially focusing on institutional funders and giving circles

We think that career advising calls will take up about half of your time once onboarded.

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Who we are looking for

Most importantly:

• You have a good understanding of the key principles of effective altruism and take these principles to heart, such as scope sensitivity, impartiality, the scout mindset, and a recognition of trade-offs. We’re looking for someone who is comfortable thinking in trade-offs and understands the value of working on the most pressing issues if resources are limited. You can show this through demonstrated engagement with effective altruism ideas and/or its community, though not necessarily in a professional context.

• You’re knowledgeable about climate change, its drivers, (tail) risks, and the various options to reduce (expected) climate damage. You can demonstrate this through professional, academic, or other experiences.

• You’re motivated and excited to build a movement that applies the ideas of effective altruism to climate change. 

• You’re highly agentic and are able to judge the quality of your work.

• You have full professional proficiency in English.

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The following skills and backgrounds are useful, but by no means required:

• Experience in career advising, communicating complex ideas to a new audience, impact evaluation, marketing for mission-focused organizations, public speaking, and community-building.

• Prior experience working or volunteering for an effective altruism-aligned organization.

We welcome applicants at any career stage, from early career to highly experienced. 

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Hours and location

The role is part-time and flexible on a contract-basis. As a rough indication, we’re looking for people that can commit 1-2 days per week. 

You can work from anywhere. We have a preference, though not a requirement, for people who can work during hours that overlap with the Americas (to advise people in that region) or who are based in the Netherlands (where we are currently based). If you are elsewhere, please tell us which hours you could realistically overlap with North America or Europe. If you’re in the Netherlands, you can use the Effective Altruism Netherlands co-working office.

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Pay and contract

The rate is $200-350 USD per work day (8 hours), paid to you as an independent contractor under a contract with Stichting Effectief Altruïsme Nederland, which we’re a part of. The pay will depend on your location and experience.

Our current budget allows us to hire contractors at one day per week for about a year, and we may be able to extend it if further funding becomes available. The end date is to be negotiated. We cannot promise an extension. As a contractor you are responsible for your own taxes, insurance and social contributions. The start date is flexible, 2 January 2027 the latest.

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How to apply

Fill out the application form here.

We plan to hold an online interview (not AI) with shortlisted candidates.

We’ll assess applications on a rolling basis until December 20th.

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Equal opportunity and accessibility

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We assess applicants on their understanding of our mission and their ability to do the work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality or any other protected characteristic.

We want the application process to work for everyone. If you need an adjustment to apply or to take part in interviews, such as a different format, extra time or a different way of meeting, please contact us. Asking for an adjustment will not affect how we assess your application.