Cluster Guide

Why EA Ops Roles Are the Most Underrated Career Path

Ask most people about effective altruism careers and they picture researchers or policy advisors. But 80,000 Hours has repeatedly identified operations as one of the most pressing talent bottlenecks in the EA ecosystem. If you have strong organisational skills and a bias toward execution, EA ops might be the highest-impact move you can make.

The operations bottleneck

EA organisations are growing fast, but many are still small teams of five to thirty people. When a researcher or programme officer spends half their time wrestling with invoices, visa paperwork, or event logistics, the entire organisation's output suffers. 80,000 Hours calls this the "operations bottleneck" and estimates that a single skilled operations hire can meaningfully increase the output of an entire team by freeing up senior staff to focus on core mission work.

Despite this, operations roles attract far fewer applicants than research or policy positions. That means less competition for you and a genuine opportunity to create outsized impact.

What EA operations roles look like

Operations in EA is broad. Depending on the organisation, you might work across several of the following areas:

• Finance and accounting — Managing budgets, processing grants, handling multi-currency transactions, and ensuring compliance with charity law in multiple jurisdictions.
• Human resources and people operations — Recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and building culture in remote-first teams spread across time zones.
• Executive and programme support — Calendar management, travel coordination, board administration, and serving as the connective tissue between teams.
• Event planning — Organising conferences like EAG and EAGx, retreats, and workshops, often with international attendees and complex logistics.
• Legal and compliance — Navigating nonprofit regulations, employment law across countries, and data protection requirements.

Why these roles are high-impact

Impact in EA is often measured in terms of counterfactual contribution: what happens because you are in this role that would not happen otherwise? A strong operations manager at a grantmaking organisation can accelerate the deployment of millions of dollars in funding by removing administrative friction. At a research organisation, they can free up dozens of researcher-hours each week. The ripple effects are enormous.

Who is hiring

Several major EA organisations regularly advertise operations roles:

• Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) — Events, finance, and people operations.
• Open Philanthropy — Operations associates, executive assistants, and finance roles.
• GiveWell — Operations managers and administrative staff supporting their research teams.
• Rethink Priorities — Operations and project management for a fully remote research organisation.

Check the 80,000 Hours job board and the EA Opportunity Board for the latest listings.

Salary ranges

EA operations salaries vary by seniority and location. Entry-level operations associates typically earn between $50,000 and $70,000 USD. Mid-level operations managers range from $70,000 to $100,000. Senior directors of operations or chief operating officers at larger organisations can earn $100,000 to $150,000 or more. Many roles are remote-friendly, and some organisations adjust pay for cost of living.

Application tips

EA hiring processes tend to be rigorous. Expect work trials and task-based assessments rather than traditional interviews. Highlight specific examples of systems you have built or improved. Demonstrate that you understand the organisation's mission, even if you are new to EA. Show that you can work autonomously — most EA orgs have flat hierarchies and expect ops staff to own their domain fully. If you lack direct nonprofit experience, volunteer with a local EA group or offer consulting hours to build a track record.