Application Guide

How to Apply for People Operations Partner (POP)

at Ethereum Foundation

🏢 About Ethereum Foundation

The Ethereum Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Ethereum and related technologies, operating as a decentralized, remote-first entity at the forefront of blockchain innovation. Working here means contributing to a public good that powers decentralized applications and financial systems globally, within a culture that values autonomy, collaboration, and mission-driven impact over traditional corporate hierarchy.

About This Role

As a People Operations Partner at the Ethereum Foundation, you'll serve as a strategic advisor to team leads on org design, team health, and performance processes in a remote, decentralized environment. This role is impactful because you'll help shape people practices that enable teams to thrive while navigating the unique challenges of a non-profit, blockchain-focused organization where lightweight, effective processes are essential.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve virtual meetings with team leads across time zones to discuss org design or team health, coaching a manager through a people challenge without direct authority, and designing a lightweight process for performance reviews or compensation in a decentralized setting. You'll likely triage employee relations issues remotely and collaborate with other ops teams to ensure consistent, fair practices across the foundation.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Ethereum Foundation Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of People Ops generalist experience, ideally in remote-first or tech/blockchain environments, with proven ability to coach managers and resolve conflicts without direct authority.
  • Demonstrates high agency and adaptability, comfortable operating with ambiguity and building processes from scratch in a decentralized, non-hierarchical setting.
  • Possesses strong facilitation and mediation skills, with experience handling sensitive employee relations topics end-to-end in a distributed team context.
  • Shows genuine interest in Ethereum's mission and understands how People Ops can support decentralized, autonomous teams in a non-profit structure.

📝 Tips for Applying to Ethereum Foundation

1

Highlight specific examples where you've built lightweight People Ops processes in ambiguous or rapidly changing environments, especially in remote/distributed settings.

2

Demonstrate your ability to influence without authority by describing a time you coached a team lead through a people challenge in a decentralized organization.

3

Tailor your resume to show experience with performance/compensation processes in non-traditional or non-hierarchical structures, not just corporate HR.

4

Research and reference Ethereum's organizational principles (like decentralization or permissionless innovation) to show you understand their unique culture.

5

Prepare a concise case study of how you've handled a complex employee relations issue end-to-end in a remote context, focusing on triage and resolution.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience partnering with team leads on org design and team health in remote or decentralized environments.', 'Specific examples of coaching managers and influencing without direct authority, especially in ambiguous situations.', "How your approach to People Ops aligns with Ethereum's mission and decentralized, autonomous culture.", 'A brief case study demonstrating your conflict resolution and process-building skills in a similar context.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Ethereum's organizational structure and how it operates as a decentralized, remote-first non-profit (e.g., through their blog or public communications).
  • → The Ethereum Foundation's mission and key projects to understand how People Ops supports their public good focus.
  • → Blockchain/Web3 culture and how it influences people practices (e.g., autonomy, transparency, decentralized decision-making).
  • → Current challenges in remote/distributed work that might impact team health or performance at a global org like Ethereum.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe how you would design a lightweight performance review process for a remote, decentralized team at a non-profit.
2 Walk us through how you've coached a team lead through a sensitive people issue without having direct authority over them.
3 How do you approach building People Ops processes in an environment with high ambiguity and few existing structures?
4 What experience do you have with compensation processes in non-hierarchical or mission-driven organizations?
5 How would you handle an employee relations investigation in a fully remote, globally distributed team?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using overly corporate or hierarchical HR language without adapting it to Ethereum's decentralized, non-profit context.
  • Focusing only on traditional People Ops experience without demonstrating adaptability to ambiguity or remote environments.
  • Failing to show genuine interest in Ethereum's mission or how People Ops supports decentralized, autonomous teams.

📅 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 Ethereum Foundation!

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