NonZero is Hiring!
Help us expand our team—and our impact.
As regular readers know, the NonZero Newsletter is undergoing an expansion. Our output and our audience have been growing, and we plan to keep that up. The long-term goal is to evolve from a small, humble newsletter/podcast operation into a media behemoth that bestrides Planet Earth like a Colossus (yet, endearingly, is still humble!). So we figured we should do some hiring.
We’re looking to hire one full-time worker with a background in journalism and one part-time worker with a background in social media—and, maybe, in addition, a part-time worker who can help us create various kinds of video content and/or help us in other ways. Details about all three job categories are below. If you know someone who seems like a good fit, please forward this email to them. And if you think you’d be a good fit, feel free to send us an application!
The people we hire will be helping us get out news and analysis about a broad range of topics—from international conflict to domestic political polarization; from the political and social impact of AI to the challenge of using AI (and other digital things, like social media) mindfully and constructively in our daily lives; from transnational issues like climate change and bioweapons and the militarization of outer space (and, again, AI) to the “tribal” parts of human psychology that impede international cooperation on these issues.
Anyone who is going to be happy working here should find at least a sizable chunk of those subjects interesting and important—and, further, should identify with the mission that leads us to cover them. Namely: We want to help create a world in which people spend less time mired in conflict and more time collaborating to address common challenges—and we want to help people transcend the parts of human psychology that impede this kind of progress (and for that matter impede true happiness and spiritual fulfillment). We want people and nations and other groups to recognize how many non-zero-sum games they’re playing, and we want to give them knowledge and ideas that will help them play those games to win-win outcomes. Hence the name NonZero.
Below are the job descriptions and the instructions for applying. Again, we really appreciate anything you can do to spread the word about these opportunities. And we appreciate your ongoing support more broadly.
—Bob
Staff Writer
NonZero is looking for a journalist with excellent writing skills and a devotion to accurate reporting and honest and illuminating analysis. The staff writer would write feature articles; contribute short items to the Earthling, our flagship Friday newsletter; provide editorial feedback on pieces written by others; help generate story ideas; and possibly play a role in the production of Robert Wright’s NonZero Podcast. The staff writer will work closely with editor-in-chief Robert Wright and managing editor Connor Echols. This is a full-time, fully remote position. The salary is flexible and will depend on experience.
Candidates should have:
Interest and conversancy in some of the following topics: technology (including AI); psychology (including the “psychology of tribalism” and ways to overcome it); political polarization (in the US as well as other nations); international relations (including international law, transnational policy challenges, and global governance)
Excellent writing and analytical skills
Intense attention to detail
A clear understanding of the NonZero mission
At least a year of experience in a newsroom, magazine, or digital publication
An entrepreneurial spirit, in the sense of wanting to help turn a small operation into a bigger one that can have an increasingly large impact on the world
It wouldn’t hurt to have:
Experience with video and/or audio production
A knack for social media promotion
See below for details on how to apply.
Social Media Specialist
NonZero is looking for a social media whiz who can manage—and build up—our feeds on X and Bluesky, as well as on short-form video platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok. The social media specialist will work most closely with our managing editor, Connor Echols. This is a part-time contract position that will involve up to 20 hours per week of work.
Candidates should have:
Strong writing skills
Intense attention to detail
A clear understanding of the NonZero mission
A keen eye for video clips and article excerpts that have the potential to do well on social media
Experience managing social media accounts in a professional capacity
Interest and conversancy in some of the following topics: Technology (including AI); psychology; mindfulness; political tribalism; and international affairs/US foreign policy
It wouldn’t hurt to have:
An entrepreneurial spirit, in the sense of wanting to help turn a small operation into a bigger one that can have an increasingly large impact on the world
An interest in using AI to facilitate the production of social media content
See below for details on how to apply.
None of the Above
There’s a chance that we’ll take on a second part-time worker. But it’s hard to characterize this job, because its nature will depend on who fills it. If you strongly support the mission of the NonZero Newsletter and Podcast, and have ideas about how your skills and creativity could advance that mission but don’t feel you fit either of the two jobs described above, feel free to send us an email making your case, along with any supporting materials. As suggested in the second paragraph of this missive, above, we think the creation of new kinds of video content—including content that draws on the “raw material” of our podcast conversations—is one area for possible innovation. But there are other areas where we could use help (community building, for example), so feel free to be creative in defining an intersection between our needs and your strengths.
How to Apply
To apply for any of these positions, please send an email to nonzerojobs@gmail.com with a resume and a brief explanation (no more than 300 words) of why you’re the right person for the job. Samples of your past work, or any other materials in support of your application, are welcome. Be sure to include in your email’s subject heading the job category you’re interested in: “Staff Writer Application,” “Social Media Specialist Application,” or “None of the Above Application.” The deadline for applications is Sunday, January 19, at midnight US Eastern Time.
For more on our mission and our approach to it, see our about page. And if you want to do a deeper dive into the worldview that informs the mission, you can read any number of pieces written by EIC Robert Wright over the years, including this and this and this and this.