Application Guide

How to Apply for Volunteer, Onboarding Coordinator

at PauseAI

🏢 About PauseAI

PauseAI is a grassroots organization dedicated to mitigating AI risks by advocating for a temporary halt in the development of superhuman AI. Their mission is urgent and impactful, leveraging public awareness, policy engagement, and peaceful protests. For volunteers passionate about AI safety, this is a chance to contribute directly to a global movement.

About This Role

As an Onboarding Coordinator, you'll be the first point of contact for new volunteers, ensuring they feel welcomed and quickly find meaningful roles. By conducting intro calls and maintaining onboarding materials, you'll directly impact volunteer retention and engagement, helping PauseAI scale its efforts efficiently.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your day might start by checking emails from new volunteers and scheduling intro calls. After a few calls, you update the onboarding tracker and maybe revise the welcome guide based on feedback. You might also coordinate with team leads to find suitable roles for recent members, ending the day by sending follow-up messages to check on their progress.

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🎯 Who PauseAI Is Looking For

  • Someone with strong communication skills who can make new volunteers feel at ease during intro calls and guide them to suitable opportunities.
  • A highly organized individual who can maintain onboarding documents like welcome guides and checklists, and track new member progress.
  • A proactive self-starter who follows up with members, gathers feedback, and continuously improves the onboarding process.
  • A genuine interest in AI safety and alignment with PauseAI's mission to pause superhuman AI development.

📝 Tips for Applying to PauseAI

1

Highlight any experience with volunteer coordination, onboarding, or member engagement in your resume or cover letter.

2

Demonstrate your organizational skills by mentioning specific tools you've used (e.g., Trello, Notion, Airtable) to manage onboarding materials or track progress.

3

In your cover letter, express your personal motivation for AI safety and why PauseAI's approach resonates with you.

4

If you have experience conducting intro calls or interviews, mention it and describe how you tailored them to individual needs.

5

Show that you understand the urgency of the AI pause movement by referencing recent developments (e.g., open letters, policy debates) in your application.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for AI safety and alignment with PauseAI's mission to pause superhuman AI development.", 'Your ability to welcome and guide new members effectively, emphasizing your communication and interpersonal skills.', 'Your organizational skills in maintaining documents and tracking progress, with examples of similar work.', 'Your proactive approach to following up and gathering feedback to improve processes.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read PauseAI's website thoroughly, especially the 'About' and 'Get Involved' sections to understand their strategy and volunteer opportunities.
  • → Familiarize yourself with the AI safety landscape, including key figures like Eliezer Yudkowsky and organizations like MIRI and FLI.
  • → Check PauseAI's recent blog posts or news updates to understand current campaigns and events.
  • → Look into the concept of 'AI pause' and the arguments for and against it to prepare for nuanced discussions.
Visit PauseAI's Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you structure a 15-minute intro call to make a new volunteer feel welcomed and informed?
2 Describe a time you had to match someone to a task or team based on their skills. How did you ensure a good fit?
3 What metrics would you track to measure the success of the onboarding process?
4 How do you stay organized when managing multiple new members simultaneously?
5 What do you think is the most critical information a new volunteer needs to know about PauseAI's mission and structure?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Treating this as just another volunteer role without demonstrating genuine interest in AI safety—PauseAI is mission-driven.
  • Being disorganized in your application—since the role requires strong organizational skills, a messy submission could hurt your chances.
  • Focusing only on your skills without connecting them to the specific needs of onboarding (e.g., mentioning leadership without showing how you welcome newcomers).

📅 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 PauseAI!

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