Application Guide

How to Apply for Project Development Lead

at Future of Life Foundation

🏢 About Future of Life Foundation

The Future of Life Foundation uniquely focuses on proactively shaping transformative technologies to benefit humanity while mitigating existential risks, rather than reacting to problems after they emerge. They operate at the intersection of technology, philosophy, and practical implementation, offering the chance to work on globally significant problems with a small, high-impact team.

About This Role

As Project Development Lead, you'll be responsible for turning abstract concepts about steering transformative technology into concrete organizations and initiatives. This role is impactful because you'll be directly creating the entities that could shape how technologies like AI, biotechnology, or other transformative fields develop to benefit humanity rather than pose risks.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve researching emerging technology trends in the morning, meeting with potential founders for a new initiative in the afternoon, and developing concrete next steps for multiple projects. You'd balance strategic thinking about long-term impact with practical decisions about resource allocation and project timelines.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Future of Life Foundation Is Looking For

  • Demonstrated ability to move from high-level strategic thinking to concrete execution, with examples of building something from scratch
  • Experience researching emerging technology spaces and identifying gaps where new initiatives could create leverage
  • Proven track record of driving multiple unrelated projects simultaneously, balancing 'moonshot' thinking with practical MVP development
  • Strong outcome orientation with ability to work autonomously in a remote, globally distributed environment

📝 Tips for Applying to Future of Life Foundation

1

Include specific examples of how you've taken a high-level goal and turned it into a concrete plan, especially in technology or impact-focused contexts

2

Demonstrate your ability to identify unaddressed needs in emerging spaces by referencing specific transformative technologies and potential gaps

3

Show how you balance ambitious 'moonshot' thinking with practical execution by describing projects at different stages of ambition

4

Highlight experience working on multiple unrelated projects simultaneously, emphasizing how you prioritize and drive progress

5

Research and reference specific FLF initiatives or their incubation model to show genuine understanding of their approach

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience transforming abstract goals into concrete organizations or initiatives', 'Examples of identifying unaddressed opportunities in emerging technology spaces', 'How you balance ambitious long-term thinking with practical, outcome-oriented execution', 'Your approach to driving multiple unrelated projects forward simultaneously']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → FLF's existing incubated organizations and their focus areas to understand their model
  • → Their publications and positions on specific transformative technologies
  • → The team's background and previous work to understand their perspective
  • → Their approach to 'moonshots' versus concrete MVPs from their public materials
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would take a high-level goal like 'steer AI development toward beneficial outcomes' and turn it into a concrete plan
2 Describe a time you identified an unaddressed need in an emerging technology space and what you did about it
3 How do you prioritize and make progress on multiple unrelated projects with different timelines and levels of ambition?
4 What specific transformative technologies do you think need more attention regarding their societal impact, and why?
5 How would you approach incubating a new organization from idea to operational entity?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on technical skills without demonstrating ability to build organizations or initiatives
  • Generic statements about wanting to 'make an impact' without specific examples of turning ideas into reality
  • Presenting as purely an idea person without evidence of execution and outcome orientation

📅 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 Future of Life Foundation!

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