Application Guide

How to Apply for Head of People Operations

at Centre for Effective Altruism

🏢 About Centre for Effective Altruism

The Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) is a unique nonprofit that coordinates and supports the global effective altruism movement, which uses evidence and reason to do the most good possible. Working here means contributing to a mission-driven community focused on solving humanity's most pressing problems, from global health to existential risks. The remote-first culture attracts intellectually curious individuals passionate about impact maximization.

About This Role

As Head of People Operations at CEA, you'll lead both HR and Recruiting teams to build people systems that directly enable the organization's mission of supporting effective altruism. This role is impactful because you'll shape organizational culture, design performance processes, and ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions for a globally distributed team. Your work will determine how CEA attracts, develops, and retains talent dedicated to doing the most good.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve meeting with HR and Recruiting managers to review quarterly objectives, advising leadership on organizational design decisions for remote teams across time zones, and developing compensation frameworks that balance nonprofit constraints with competitive offers. You could spend afternoon hours resolving complex employee relations issues with sensitivity to EA community norms, then reviewing multi-jurisdiction compliance updates for CEA's globally distributed workforce.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Centre for Effective Altruism

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Centre for Effective Altruism Is Looking For

  • Has experience managing both HR and Recruiting functions in a mission-driven nonprofit or remote-first organization
  • Demonstrates expertise in multi-jurisdiction employment compliance (particularly UK/US/EU) and resolving sensitive employee relations in distributed teams
  • Possesses strong strategic thinking to develop people operations aligned with effective altruism principles and CEA's specific needs
  • Shows ability to advise leadership on organizational design and culture within the context of the EA community's unique dynamics

📝 Tips for Applying to Centre for Effective Altruism

1

Explicitly address how you've built people operations systems in mission-driven organizations, not just corporate environments

2

Demonstrate understanding of CEA's dual role as both an employer and a community coordinator within effective altruism

3

Highlight specific experience with remote-first, globally distributed teams and multi-jurisdiction compliance challenges

4

Show how your approach to performance reviews and compensation aligns with nonprofit constraints and mission alignment

5

Reference CEA's specific programs or initiatives to show you've researched their work beyond the job description

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your philosophy on building people operations in mission-driven, evidence-based organizations', 'Specific examples of developing HR/recruiting systems that supported organizational growth in remote settings', "How you've handled sensitive employee relations in values-aligned communities", 'Your approach to advising leadership on culture and organizational design within the effective altruism context']

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → CEA's specific programs like EA Global, Community Health, and their support for EA organizations
  • → The effective altruism movement's core principles and current community discussions about organizational culture
  • → CEA's organizational structure and how it interfaces with other EA organizations
  • → Previous CEA blog posts or communications about their people operations challenges or culture
Visit Centre for Effective Altruism's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design performance review processes that balance quantitative impact measurement with qualitative growth in a mission-driven nonprofit?
2 What strategies would you implement to ensure compliance across UK, US, and other jurisdictions where CEA operates remotely?
3 How would you approach recruiting for roles that require both specialized skills and alignment with effective altruism principles?
4 Describe how you would advise leadership on organizational design as CEA scales its support for the EA movement
5 What metrics would you track to measure the success of people operations at a nonprofit like CEA?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with purely corporate HR experience without demonstrating understanding of nonprofit/community constraints
  • Generic people operations approaches that don't account for CEA's specific mission and distributed nature
  • Failing to acknowledge the unique challenges of managing people operations for a community-facing organization within the EA movement

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Centre for Effective Altruism!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →