Global Policy Generalist

About Anima International

We’re an international organisation operating in Denmark, Poland, Norway, France, Bulgaria and the UK. We exist to advocate for animals. We do this by shaping public opinion, improving industry practices, and advancing animal protection laws. Backed by evidence, careful reasoning and decades of experience, we use a wide array of tools to make the world a better place for the animals:

• Groundbreaking global investigations which expose animal suffering hidden behind the walls of factory farms
   
• Negotiations with companies to make them ban the most cruel practices
   
• Political advocacy to secure legal milestones for animals
   
• Influencing markets to introduce animal-friendly approaches

We also share our expertise with other organisations to build a stronger, more effective movement.

What do you gain by working at Anima International?

• Meaningful work – you will help build a world free from animal suffering.
   
• Time – you will be able to focus full-time on helping animals.
   
• High degree of flexibility – much of the work is remote and you will organise your working hours and workflow yourself.
   
• Trust – we expect you to make mistakes as a given and learn from them.
   
• Autonomy – you will experience freedom and independence in your decision-making.
   
• Transparency – you will have access to the work and decisions of others.
   
• Honest work culture – you will know what your colleagues are doing and what they really think.
   
• Knowledge – you will learn and receive support from people who have been fighting for animals for many years.
   
• Opportunity to grow – you will learn every day and be encouraged to experiment beyond your skill set.
   
• Ability to influence the organisation – we encourage our people to openly speak their mind and thus you will be able to impact what kind of organisation we are.
   
• A laugh – animal advocacy can be dark at times, we think that having a fun atmosphere is key to balance this.
   
• Transparently set compensation – Our salaries are not negotiable and are based on a transparent algorithm that is the same for each role.

Following a 3-month probation period, you will transition to a fixed-term contract. Upon successful completion of this term, you will be offered a permanent employment contract. A minimum monthly salary of 3,391.88 EUR (our salary base for people resident in Belgium) will apply from the beginning of the probationary period. The salary base may change due to your previous experience related to the position, or your experience in animal advocacy (+3% for each year). In addition, the salary increases with your seniority in Anima International according to the following model:

+ 7% – for every year worked at Anima International during the first 5 years of work

+ 5% – for every year worked at Anima International during the next 5 years of work

+ 3% – for every year worked at Anima International during the next 5 years of work

+ 2% – for every year worked at Anima International during the next years of work

About your role

Because of the ‘Brussels Effect’, legislation passed in the European Union also affects much of the rest of the world. This means an already huge impact for animals in the EU can also result in global change. We’re looking for someone ready to seize this opportunity and become (if they aren't already) obsessed with understanding and using the power of the EU to create change for animals.

While Anima International has successfully worked with national governments and policymakers for years, we want to extend this work to the EU level. This will be our first role entirely dedicated to EU policy.

You will work closely with Kirsty, Anima International’s President (who will be your supervisor) to build this new area of work from the ground up. You will have a very high level of autonomy and will help us shape the future of our European policy work.

It might be useful to think of this opportunity as becoming a co-founder of our new 'Global Policy' team.

No previous experience is required for this role. While experience will be valued (and reflected in the salary), we welcome applications from both seasoned professionals and passionate newcomers who align with our organisational culture.

What do we require from you?

• Strong belief in the mission of our organisation. Working for us should not be thought of as a ‘career step’. We want people who are motivated by our mission above all.
   
• Flexible availability. Just like we offer a high degree of flexibility in terms of working hours, we need you to be flexible as well. You should be willing to work the occasional weekends and late evenings to allow for time-zone differences and unexpected events.
   
• Not being an asshole. We expect you to treat others with respect, decency and compassion – even the occasional adversaries.
   
• A preference for hard work. Activism is our passion and one of the main motivations in life. To fit our culture, you have to be a person that is proactive and enjoys work.
   
• Growth mindset. Nobody knows how to fix the world, so we need you to keep learning. We constantly strive to be better at our activism, but also as people.
   
• Strong interest in a high-feedback culture. We have a culture of honest and direct communication. We talk openly about our strengths and weaknesses on a daily basis because we want to be the best. You will know what your colleagues really think of you and be encouraged to speak your mind.
   
• Ability to reason and communicate your thinking, especially in written form. In order to thrive in our organisation you must be able to think carefully, try to back up your ideas with reasonable evidence, and above all be open to being proven wrong and changing your mind.
   
• Fluency in English. Fluency in another European language will be an asset but is not required.
   
• Ability to work in Brussels. This offer is open to candidates who are either currently based in Brussels, or are willing to move there for the job. We consider it very important to be immersed in the ‘Brussels bubble’. You'll regularly attend local events and informal meetings to build our network. Being physically present is the best way to understand the current political atmosphere.

Only in truly exceptional circumstances – such as candidates with decades of EU institutional experience and established policy relationships – we might consider someone based elsewhere. Most applicants should not consider themselves exceptions to this requirement.

We are happy to do whatever we can to help you in relocating, depending on your needs and our ability. If you have any questions about what we can help with, don’t hesitate to write to us!

You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian. While all of our events provide only plant-based meals, we are open to anyone who wants to fight for a world that is free from animal suffering. We won’t turn down any help. 

What will you do?

• Help define our EU policy strategy – together, we’ll decide what we want to do to create change for animals in the EU.
   
• Closely monitor EU politics and Brussels news – particularly regarding animal welfare.
   
• Develop a deep understanding of the workings of EU institutions – including but not limited to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union.
   
• Build relationships with decision-makers and allies – such as MEPs, Commission staff members, permanent representatives, trade bodies, think tanks, research institutes, and other lobbyists.
   
• Represent Anima International at events – such as conferences and closed-door discussions.
   
• Work closely with Eurogroup for Animals and other NGOs working for animals in the lobbying space.
   
• Build and strengthen coalitions centred on mutual policy interests.
   
• Manage and develop Anima International’s policy communications – including social media and working with traditional media.
   
• Work with local advocates – you’ll help them influence their national governments (and thereby the EU).
   
• Take risks – whether negotiating in high stakes meetings, or deciding on a strategy, in this role you will need to be comfortable with stepping out of your comfort zone.
   
• Strategise – it’s not easy to change the world. You will be asking yourself endless questions. You will be responsible for lobbying strategy which requires careful planning and the ability to think ahead. 
   
• Build culture – you will help build and reinforce our culture, so we never lose what makes up the strength of Anima International.
   
• Embrace reality – you will make it your mission to understand the world as it is, rather than as you would like it to be.
   
• Experience frustration – you will feel frustrated about things you could do better or things that are not working in the organisation or your team, and use this frustration as an opportunity to refine and elevate our organisation.
   
• Question ideas – you will question common knowledge, especially your own ideas, so that our results are always as good as they can be.
   
• Optimise your performance – you will continuously deepen your knowledge – both about particular areas of animal advocacy and about how the world works – and enjoy this process.
   
• Prioritise action – you will act even when there is not sufficient data.
   
• Abandon projects – you will change your objectives when it makes sense, no matter the time already invested.
   
• Respect and trust others – you will be there for others and trust their intentions. You will support them when they succeed and when they fail.
   
• Seek information independently – you will be responsible for acting very independently which will require you to obtain and verify data.
   
• Make mistakes – you will embrace your mistakes without being ashamed, with the desire to learn from them.
   
• Try again and again and again – the decision makers we want to reach often don’t want to improve animal welfare. Others may simply not have time for you. In this role you will need extreme persistence in order to gain traction with stakeholders. 
   

Do you think this role is too challenging and you're not fit for it?

You may be thinking that this role would be interesting for you, but you won’t make the cut. 

We encourage you not to worry and fill out the application nonetheless, especially if you meet our requirements (even on a basic level) and you think this position could bring you a lot of joy. Leave the judgment about your competence to us. You may even learn something useful along the way. 🙂

We're hosting informational webinars about this role and our recruitment process – sign up below and find out why you should give it a try.

What will help you go through the recruitment process successfully?

• Familiarity with Effective Altruism principles.
• Studying our recommended materials list (see below).
• Attending the webinar we are hosting (see below).

List of materials that will help you get this job

To help you progress through the stages in our recruitment process, we have prepared a list of materials. They will be especially useful for those who do not meet our requirements or lack either experience in activism or role-specific expertise, but we encourage all candidates to read them. In the list you can also find webinars recorded by our staff so you can learn more about our organisation and recruitment process.

Webinars

We will be hosting webinars (with live Q&A sessions) so you can ask us all the questions you may have about Anima International, working with us, the position, and the recruitment process. You can submit your questions in advance here or ask them yourself during the meeting.

Click on the links below to join (our webinars will be hosted on Zoom video conferencing platform). We will post a link to the recording for people who couldn’t attend, so you can revisit this page later on to watch it.

Webinar schedule

16 April, 19:00 CEST

Gabi Jadłowska, People Operations Manager – Overview of our recruitment process

17 April, 18:00 CEST

Kirsty Henderson, President of Anima International – Overview of the Global Policy Generalist role

Pre-recorded: 

Are you afraid that you’re not good enough to work at Anima International? – a look at the various cognitive biases that make us poor evaluators of our own skills, and why we encourage you to apply even if you doubt yourself. This webinar was recorded during the recruitment for Open Cages, which is part of Anima International.

Important information about our recruitment process

We value your competence rather than credentials

The aim of the process is to get to know you, this is why we put heavy emphasis on tests.

We don’t rely on interviews and first impressions 

People who make a good impression during interviews are not always the best fit for the organisation – and vice versa. We prefer to talk to you after we’ve had the chance to get to know you. Answers from the initial interview will be transcribed and scored anonymously, you don’t need to dress up!

We aim to be fair and minimise bias

To avoid bias, our recruitment process in most of the stages is blind, anonymised and pseudonymised by someone not participating in the candidates’ evaluations. We put substantial effort into making sure we rate all applicants objectively.

We hope to reduce application obstacles and make the recruitment process dignifying

We will be hosting webinars for those interested to give a glimpse into what the role is about and how we work, and help combat performance anxiety. We also provide a list of materials for people who lack the necessary experience or expertise for the role.

Ideally, after the recruitment, we will try to provide feedback on our rationale and comment on stronger and weaker aspects of a candidate if rejected. Please note that the feedback feature may be limited by the number of participants due to limits in our resources. Most likely we will only be able to provide feedback to candidates who reach later stages of the recruitment process.

Participants will be compensated for the work trial and the interview.

Due to the structure of our recruitment process, it may be time consuming and demanding.

Timeline

• 1 April – 4 May 2025 – Apply – Time for you to apply.
• 10–19 May 2025 – Join us on a video call to answer a few brief questions – It will be scheduled at a time convenient for you and take 15-30 minutes.
• 24 May – 1 June 2025 – Do role-specific tasks and answer cultural fit questions – We will send you some tasks to complete in a questionnaire format.
• Reference check – We will ask you for contact information for a few professional references, such as former employers, supervisors, to talk about your skills and traits.
• 7–15 June 2025 – Join an interview – If you successfully pass the previous stages, we will invite you for an interview. You will be compensated for your time.
• 25 June – 25 July 2025 – Do a short work trial with us – If you successfully pass the interview stage, we will invite you to join us for a two-day work trial. You will be compensated for this.
• 26–30 July – Learn whether you are accepted – We will contact you to let you know about the final decision regarding your application.
• August 2025 – Get feedback from us – If you are interested, we will do our best to provide feedback to help you understand what we rated positively in your application and what we didn’t. We hope this will help you in getting another impactful position. This stage is heavily dependent on the amount of participants due to constraints in our capacity.

Please note: the timeline may slightly change due to unforeseen circumstances. We will do our best to make sure it won’t.

Deadline

We accept applications by 4 May 2025, 23:59 CET.

Technical aspects

You will be required to use the Zoom application to participate in the webinars and in the interview stages of the recruitment.

Contact information

If you have any questions about the role or the recruitment process, please email [email protected].