Executive Director
The global digital home for effective farmed animal advocacy
Application deadline: 9 August 2026, 23:59 UTC · Webinar: 30 July, 17:00 BST (recording and summary sent to everyone who registers)
About Hive
Hive is the global online hub for the farmed animal advocacy movement: a community of 5,000+ advocates across 100+ countries. We connect advocates to the people, opportunities, and knowledge they need to increase their impact for animals.
We are a small, remote, high-trust team with a strong culture of autonomy, candor, and impact focus. Our programs include the Hive Slack Community, the Hive Highlights newsletter, Global Ambassador Programs across Asia and Latin America, strategic connections powered by our team and internal matchmaking tool, and community events worldwide.
Learn more: explore our impact page, read testimonials from advocates we have helped, and meet our team.
Why This Role, and Why Now
Hive's founding Executive Director (Sofia Balderson) is stepping into a new founding role in the movement at the end of 2026 and will remain on Hive's Board of Directors. This is a planned, well-resourced transition: the outgoing ED is available throughout the handover, the core team is in place and performing strongly, we are ahead of our 2026 goals, and a multi-year funding renewal is in process. Kevin Xia, our Managing Director, who moved into a part-time strategy advisory role earlier this year, will continue supporting the organisation through the transition.
For the right person, this is a rare opportunity. You will inherit a healthy, visible, well-networked organization at the center of a growing movement, with an experienced team that already runs day-to-day operations excellently. And because both the ED and the current leadership structure are transitioning, you will have real freedom to design your own senior team and organizational structure rather than inheriting someone else's.
Hive provides personalized support at scale to a community of over 5,000 farmed animal advocates in 100+ countries. Our community and strategic connections have led to more than 200 hires, volunteer placements, new organizations founded, partnerships formed, and funding secured since we launched. Hive is on a trajectory of real impact, and the next leader will have the opportunity to take the organization to new heights.
Role Summary
The Executive Director ensures that Hive is strategically focused, effectively staffed, and financially resourced, while serving as its chief leader, external representative, and culture steward. We are looking for someone whose ambition is to run and grow an existing high-performing organization over the coming years: a scaler who finds their energy in leading teams, deepening impact, and building durable institutions.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Vision
- Lead the development and execution of Hive's long-term strategy and high-level goals.
- Establish and communicate a compelling vision that drives impact and alignment across the team and stakeholders.
- Collaborate with the board and senior team on major strategic decisions.
Team and Organizational Design
- Ensure the right people are in the right roles doing the right work; set clear roles, structures, and reporting lines.
- Mentor and hold accountable (senior) team members, building a high-performance culture grounded in feedback and learning.
Fundraising and Financial Oversight
- Own the fundraising strategy, including major funder relationships, pitches, and annual targets.
- Steward Hive's relationships with institutional funders, including an in-progress multi-year renewal.
- Approve the annual budget and ensure responsible, impact-aligned spending.
Program Oversight and Innovation
- Provide high-level oversight of all programs, ensuring they are well run and strategically aligned with impact.
- Protect and grow Hive's impact engine: strategic connections, community programs, and regional ambassadors.
- Propose and greenlight new initiatives based on potential for impact; delegate implementation.
External Relations and Representation
- Act as Hive's primary spokesperson and ambassador at funder meetings, conferences, and public forums.
- Build relationships with key partners, funders, and movement leaders globally.
Governance and Board Engagement
- Serve as the main liaison to the Board of Directors, ensuring strong communication and transparency.
- Report regularly on progress toward goals (Hive currently sends a quarterly update to our board, donors and supporters) and collaborate with the board on key strategic decisions.
Culture and Values
- Model and uphold Hive's values; maintain a supportive, collaborative, high-candor culture where people do their best work.
Your First Year
First 3 Months
- Deep onboarding with the outgoing ED (overlap period, plus ongoing board mentorship), the senior team, and key funders.
- Take ownership of funder relationships and any open items on the multi-year renewal.
- Assess the team, current structure, and internal systems; form your view on the leadership and organizational design you want.
Months 4 to 6
- Present your organizational design and 2027 plan to the board; begin hiring for it if needed.
- Fully own external representation, fundraising strategy, and program oversight.
Months 7 to 12
- Your team structure is operating and 2027 targets are on track.
- Fundraising pipeline secured for the following year; new initiatives greenlit where impact justifies.
Our current ED, Sofia, has written about her day-to-day role in this post.
Essential Requirements
Here is a list of skills, abilities and traits we are excited for the ideal candidate to have. If you are uncertain whether you fit some of them, we encourage you to apply anyway.
- Deep alignment with Hive's mission to end animal suffering, and the intent to lead Hive for the coming years. This role is for someone who wants to run and scale an existing organization.
- Demonstrated fundraising ability, or clear evidence you can own funder relationships and raise at the scale Hive needs ($300–$500k a year annual budget).
- Strong people leadership: you have hired, developed, and held accountable a team, ideally remotely.
- Excellent judgment and strategic thinking: you prioritize rigorously for impact and navigate ambiguity well.
- Deep alignment with Hive's values: focusing on impact, being supportive and personal, encouraging ownership and autonomy, and openly sharing learnings and mistakes.
- Deep understanding of the farmed animal advocacy and effective altruism movements.
- Comfort using AI tools across your work, including for leadership and management tasks, or a demonstrated willingness to learn quickly.
- Ability to commit at least 35 hours a week, with a preference for 40. We will not consider part-time candidates.
- Availability between 15:00 and 18:00 GMT at least some days per week.
- Excellent professional English skills.
- Ability to handle confidential information with care and discretion.
Preferred (Not Required)
- Existing relationships with funders in the animal advocacy or EA space.
- Experience leading community-based, network, or field-building organizations.
- Experience working across cultures and geographies, particularly in regions neglected by the movement.
- Experience running an organisation or team of similar size to Hive. You do not necessarily need to have held the Executive Director title or led a whole organisation before.
- A track record of running an organization, department, or major program: setting strategy, managing people, and owning outcomes.
- Superconnector in the movement, or aspire to become one. All our team are community builders. We have capacity in the team to make connections, and it would be great if the ED was also excited to do some of this work.
Who Funds Us
We are largely funded by foundations, primarily Coefficient Giving and The Navigation Fund, with smaller grants from various foundations. Major donors and individuals currently make up a small share of our funding.
Benefits of Working at Hive
- Helping farmed animals every day, alongside people who care deeply about them. Frequent interaction with our community: passionate, talented advocates on a mission to end factory farming.
- Personal and professional brand building: high visibility of your work and daily opportunities to network across the movement.
- Access to frequent national and international animal advocacy conferences, with travel paid by Hive.
- Flexible working hours. We keep some overlap hours with the team (usually 15:00 to 18:00 UTC).
- A hands-off, three-person board: happy to advise where needed, but execution is yours.
- Flexible and generous paid time off.
- A light meeting load: one 15-minute weekly standup with the global team, weekly 1:1s with your direct reports, and few other team meetings otherwise. Plenty of opportunity for focused work.
- High autonomy: you choose the projects you focus on and how you spend your day.
- Work is assessed on results, with no time tracking.
- Low hierarchy: everyone is treated as an expert in their field.
- A transparent culture with frequent feedback.
- Networking is encouraged during working hours, and around 10% of your time is allocated for professional development.
- We can offer a health reimbursement arrangement (QSEHRA) to a U.S.-based employee.
What Does the Team Say About Working at Hive
The Antipitch: Reasons This Role May Not Suit You
You will lead through a live leadership transition
The co-founder and ED is leaving (though staying on the board), the Managing Director works reduced hours and will soon move into a Strategic Programs role, and other senior team members' plans may evolve. If ambiguity drains you, this will be hard.
Hive is small
5 FTE and around 9 long-term volunteers, all generalists. Some weeks you will personally do operational tasks and cover gaps. If you want a narrowly scoped executive role with layers beneath you, a bigger organization will fit better.
We combine high autonomy with high standards
There is no one to direct your day or remind you of tasks, but we hold everyone, including leadership, to our internal communication and task guidelines, and community work often demands fast responses. This suits self-starters who like structure; it frustrates people who want either close direction or a relaxed pace.
Hive helps farmed animals indirectly
We help by connecting the people and ideas that help animals directly. If you need to feel your work reducing suffering firsthand, this role may leave you unsatisfied.
We are fully remote across many time zones
Few meetings, with one in-person retreat a year. If you need in-person energy or frequent live interaction, this will feel isolating.
Fundraising is a core, permanent part of this job
Team members assist, but you cannot fully delegate it.
Compensation and Logistics
Salary: USD 50,000 to 80,000. Hive uses cost-of-living adjusted compensation; you will receive a personalized estimate early in the process based on your location.
The appointment includes a six-month probationary period with agreed objectives and a structured review at three months. Notice during probation is one month on either side, rising to three months on confirmation.
Equity and Access
Hive is committed to equal opportunity. We consider all applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or family status, age, disability, neurodivergence, educational status, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in your location. Hiring decisions are based solely on demonstrated ability to do the role.
If you need any accommodations to participate fully in any stage of this process, including additional time or an alternative format, please tell us at hiring@joinhive.org. We are committed to making this process accessible. If you are unsure whether you meet every requirement, please apply anyway.
How to Apply
Complete the application form by 9 August 2026, 23:59 UTC. We review applications on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged, and we will keep you informed at every stage.
The process: application form (about 30-60 minutes), a structured interview, a paid work task (about 5 hours, compensated, with a 7-day completion window), final interviews including a conversation with the Hive team and board, reference checks, and an online work trial (1 to 2 days collaborating on projects with the team).
Hiring Timeline
- 17 JulyApplications open
- 9 AugustApplications close (23:59 UTC)
- 14–23 AugustPaid work task at $30 per hour
- Week of 31 AugustInterviews (1 hour)
- Week of 7 SeptemberReference checks
- Week of 20 SeptemberPaid work trial at $30 per hour, 1-2 working days
- Late SeptemberFinal interviews (board, team members)
- Late Sep–early OctOffer extended
- Start dateFlexible between October 2026 and February 2027, depending on your notice period
Executive Director Role: FAQ
About the Transition
Why is the current Executive Director leaving? Is something wrong?
No. Sofia is stepping into a new founding role in the farmed animal advocacy movement at the end of 2026, after 3.5 years of building Hive full-time. The transition has been planned with the board and team; Hive is ahead of its 2026 goals, and a multi-year funding renewal is in process.
Will Sofia stay involved? How much freedom will I really have?
Sofia remains on the board (three members in total, deliberately hands-off) and provides a structured handover plus at least one hour of weekly mentorship in your early months, at your discretion. She will not be involved in day-to-day operations, and the board leaves execution to the ED.
What is happening with the Managing Director role?
Our Managing Director, Kevin, transitioned earlier this year into a part-time strategy advisory role, a planned change that lets him focus on AI and Animals field-building work while continuing to support Hive on strategy, mentoring, and funding. We have an internal candidate, Angel Lau, who is training for the MD role, and we will decide whether to offer her the role around October 2026. We will keep the final candidates updated about this. You will not discover surprises after you start.
Is this role genuinely open, or do you already have someone in mind?
It is genuinely open. There is no pre-selected or preferred internal candidate. We run targeted outreach alongside the public posting, and everyone, invited or not, goes through the same scored process with the same bar.
About Hive
Is Hive financially stable?
We are funded primarily by foundations, mainly Coefficient Giving and the Navigation Fund, with smaller grants from other grantmakers. A multi-year renewal with our largest funder is in process, and the incoming ED will be briefed on it in full during onboarding. We are relatively confident that Hive can raise at least our minimum budget for 2027 and beyond. Fundraising is a core, permanent part of this job, and regardless of the outcome of the renewals, the ED will have to keep fundraising throughout the year.
What does the team look like?
5 FTE plus around 9 long-term volunteers, fully remote across many time zones. The team runs day-to-day operations well and has been briefed on the transition. An external operations consultancy, Clockwork Operations, runs our back office operations. You can meet team members during the final stages of the process, and they will answer your questions candidly.
Do I need to be vegan or come from inside the movement?
We do not screen for diet. We do require deep alignment with Hive's mission to end animal suffering and a strong understanding of the farmed animal advocacy and effective altruism movements, because the ED represents Hive to funders, partners, and 5,000+ advocates from day one.
Role and Logistics
How does the pay work?
The range is USD 50,000 to 80,000, adjusted for cost of living under Hive's compensation policy. You will receive a personalized estimate early in the process based on your location, so you can decide whether to continue before investing serious time. This is a full-time employee role.
Where can I be based, and what hours do you expect?
Anywhere, provided you can overlap with 15:00 to 18:00 UTC on some days. If that window does not suit your time zone, we alternate meeting times. We ask for a minimum of 35 hours per week, with a preference for 40 hours, and we will not consider part-time candidates or those combining this with another substantial role. Occasional travel for conferences and team retreats is paid by Hive (about 3-6 times a year, depending on which conferences/events you decide to attend).
When would I start?
Flexible between October 2026 and February 2027. A long notice period will not count against you; the right hire matters more to us than a fast start.
What does success in the first year look like?
The job description sets out first-year milestones: deep onboarding and funder ownership in the first three months, your organizational design and 2027 plan presented to the board by month six, and your structure operating with targets on track by month twelve. Probation objectives are agreed in writing before you start, drawn from those milestones, so you know exactly what you are being assessed on.
The Application Process
What are the stages, and how much time will they take me?
- Application form: about 30-60 minutes. Short written questions plus your CV or LinkedIn.
- A paid work task totalling about 5 hours (at $30 per hour). A 7-day completion window.
- A structured interview of about an hour.
- Reference checks and a paid online work trial of 1 to 2 days for finalists (compensated at $30 per hour).
- A few conversations with the team and the board.
- Offer
We review on a rolling basis from the second week, applications close 9 August (23:59 UTC), and we aim to extend an offer in late September. We tell candidates where they stand at each stage, including our honest estimate of their odds before the final round.
Can I use AI in my application and tasks?
Yes, and we expect AI fluency in this role. However, please only use free models and tell us how you used them. Every question and task is benchmarked against leading models before launch, so output that adds nothing beyond what a model produces will score poorly, and key claims are probed in interviews and verified through references. Fluent, specific, first-hand answers win.
When will you contact my references?
At the final stage only, and we will confirm with you before reaching out if you ask us to. We know many strong candidates are currently employed; we treat your application as confidential throughout.
Will I get feedback if I am not selected?
Yes. Everyone who completes our application form and test tasks will receive generalised feedback; final-round candidates will get specific feedback. Strong candidates who are not hired are, with consent, connected to other opportunities in the movement.
I am not sure I meet every requirement. Should I apply?
Yes. We actively encourage applications from people underrepresented in animal advocacy, and we would rather assess you than have you self-reject. If you need accommodations at any stage, including extra time or an alternative format, tell us and we will arrange them.
I have a question this page does not answer.
Email hiring@joinhive.org and we will reply and add the answer here so every candidate sees it. You can also watch the recording of our role Q&A webinar, that will be linked to this page once it completes.
Ready to lead Hive?
Applications close 9 August 2026, 23:59 UTC. We review on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged.
Apply now Register for the webinar