What does this candidate process entail?
We’ll use a combination of written responses, interviews, and a candidate exercise to assess the qualities described above. We’ll share more specific details if we invite you to move forward to any of the following stages, but our current plan is:
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We’ll review your resume, application question responses, and other information you provide
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You will have a call with member of our Talent Acquisition team
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Qualified candidates will be invited to complete the candidate exercise. This is a written work trial with a 6-hour time limit. (We offer an honorarium to compensate for the time you spend completing this exercise.)
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A hiring manager interview with the COO
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A set of interviews with other key team members
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A final interview (potentially on-site, in Oakland) with the COO and CEO
Note that you don’t need to submit a cover letter. We rely heavily on your resume and answers to the application questions below to make our initial decisions. We encourage you to spend time responding to the application questions authentically and carefully, and not to rely on LLM tools to generate responses for you. We do read all submissions, and our team can generally recognize AI-generated text.
What is a candidate exercise? What should I expect?
Across all roles at GiveWell, we find written candidate exercises to be one of the best ways to assess whether someone is likely to be successful in the position. Candidate exercises are role-specific and are designed to mimic the type of work you will be asked to perform in the role. They provide a window into how you think and communicate, and whether you may be a fit for the role within our specific organization. They also give you, as a candidate, an opportunity to try out an example of work you might do if hired, and that can help you determine if this is a role you want to pursue.
For this Head of Legal role, the candidate exercise will be completed very early in the screening process. It will then be a point of reference for future interviews, and will help inform and structure some of those later conversations.
Because we understand your time is valuable, we are providing the option to receive an honorarium for completing and submitting the exercise. More information will be provided to you if you reach that stage of the application process.
Why do you ask for references before the final interview?
Many organizations use references as a check-the-box exercise that comes after the hiring decision has been made, but we feel that references should play a substantive role in the selection process. Moving them earlier gives us an opportunity to incorporate what we learn in our finalist selection process. We can then address any updates or concerns with you openly and straightforwardly in the final hiring manager interview.
What are some reasons I might not like this role?
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It’s a dealbreaker for you to report to the COO instead of the CEO from day one.
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You prefer to join an existing legal team, and don’t want to build one from scratch.
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You prefer not to work as a people manager. Or, you would be fine managing lawyers but do not want to have management responsibility over a non-legal function, like Grants Admin.
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You prefer highly structured environments, or functions where the processes are already laid out for you.
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You are not interested in experimenting with or using advances in technology, including AI tools, to streamline the legal function.
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You struggle with receiving straightforward feedback, such as on your written work. Or you find it hard to deliver clear, candid feedback to peers, direct reports, or your manager.