How to apply for Undercover Investigator

About Animal Equality

Animal Equality is an international nonprofit that works with society, governments, and companies to end farmed animal suffering. It runs public education programs, corporate campaigns, undercover investigations, and legal advocacy. Working there means contributing directly to investigations that support those campaigns.

About the role

This undercover investigator carries out field investigations into the conditions of farmed animals, following organizational protocols for high evidentiary standards. The role also involves online research to develop profiles of investigative targets, reviewing footage, and producing daily investigative logs. The work supports Animal Equality's strategic plan and feeds directly into its campaigns and legal advocacy.

A typical day

A typical day may involve conducting online research to develop a target profile, reviewing footage from a field investigation, and writing a daily investigative log. Some days are spent in the field undercover, following protocols and collecting evidence. Travel and budget tracking are part of the work when on investigation.

Who Animal Equality is looking for

• Can conduct undercover investigations while following strict protocols and maintaining a cover.
• Has strong research skills to identify and build profiles of investigative targets.
• Has experience with documentation and evidence collection that meets high evidentiary standards.
• Can manage a travel budget and handle accounting for expenditures.

Tips for this application

• Show you understand the difference between general animal advocacy and undercover investigations that meet legal and evidentiary standards.
• Describe any experience collecting evidence or documentation in a way that could hold up to scrutiny, even if it was not animal-related.
• Give concrete examples of online research that led to a profile, target, or useful lead.
• Explain how you have managed a budget or tracked expenses, since this role requires travel accounting.
• State clearly that you can work remotely in the US and are willing to travel for field investigations.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on your ability to follow strict investigative protocols, your research skills for developing targets, your experience with documentation and evidence collection, and your ability to manage travel budgets and expenses. Tie each point to the specific responsibilities listed in the job description.

Research before applying

• Read Animal Equality's published investigations to understand the type of evidence and footage they produce.
• Review their corporate campaigns and legal advocacy work to see how investigations feed into those efforts.
• Look at their public education programs to understand how investigation findings are used.
• Check their strategic plan if available, to see how investigations fit into their priorities.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would maintain a cover during a long field investigation.
• Your process for developing a profile of an investigative target using online research.
• How you ensure documentation meets high evidentiary standards.
• How you would handle a travel budget and track expenditures during an investigation.
• Your understanding of Animal Equality's strategic plan and how investigations support it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the role as general animal advocacy rather than undercover investigation with strict protocols.
• Failing to show any experience with evidence collection or documentation.
• Ignoring the budget management and accounting requirement for travel expenditures.