Frequently Asked Questions

Questions? Please follow these steps to avoid slowing the application process.

Read the extensive job descriptions for the Action Organiser and the Political Education organiser (hyperlinked on the role description pages on wesmellgas.org)
Check the FAQs below.
Write us at apply@wesmellgas.org and we will answer your questions as soon as possible (up to 18th April 1PM CEST 2025).

We’ve structured the FAQs into 3 themes:

Applications
About the Collective
Working for We Smell Gas

FAQs: Applications

“What is the overall application process and timeline?”

Applications close on 20th April 2025.
Interview invitations will be communicated by 2nd May 2025. If your application is not held back, we will get back to you soon after.
Interviews will (mainly) take place between 6th and 8th May 2025. A second interview may be requested in the following week. If your application is not held back, we will get back to you soon after.
Offers will be made to selected candidates by 19th May 2025.
All candidates will receive an email informing them of the outcome of their application latest by the end of May

Please note that the above is our intended timeline we share for candidates to have a general overview.

“Will I hear from you if my application is not taken?”

Yes. We will inform everyone of the status of their application. If requested, we will do our best to give individual written feedback. Please note that we are a small collective with limited capacity, this may take a while, and we will prioritise giving feedback to applicants invited to an interview.

“Is it safe to share my information? How is my application treated?”

In general:

All We Smell Gas email accounts use ProtonMail connected to our own domain. If you use a safe email provider, the risk of information being intercepted is minimal
Application materials are only accessible to the four core collective members.
We only use secure messaging applications to communicate.

Additionally, if you are concerned about sharing information such as your full name, membership in specific groups, or involvement in specific actions, you may:

Leave out critical information (use pseudonyms, leave out details about actions). If there are specific things you would rather discuss in the interview, you can already mention this in your application letter or email.
Share a password-protected CryptPad instead of a PDF — we will use it directly without downloading your files.
Ask us to conduct the interview via Signal rather than Zoom.
Ask us for any additional advice on cyber security if necessary.

“What technical knowledge on fossil gas, hydrogen, and EU policy is expected from the outset?”

We generally prioritise skills, experience and political alignment over extensive technical knowledge.

However, a clear and critical analysis of the politics of energy production, and a basic understanding of fossil gas and hydrogen is expected for both roles. We generally expect candidates to come with a readiness to learn and research based on the needs of a specific task part of their role.

“Can I apply for more than one open position?”

Yes! If you think you may be suited to both roles:

Please include one or more additional paragraphs in your letter of motivation specific to the second role.
You may extend the word count by up to 400 words.
You may be invited for an interview for one or both roles and will be asked questions accordingly. If invited for both, we will ask you for your preference at the end of the interview.

If selected, we will make you an offer for a specific role, which you can then choose to accept or decline.

“Can I get an extension for my application?”

No. As we need to review all applications in the week following the deadline, we cannot guarantee that applications coming in after the 20th April will be considered. If you have further questions, please drop us an email.

FAQs: The Collective

“How is the collective structured?”

We operate as a 4-person, non-hierarchical, consent-based collective. Core (paid) members take on defined responsibilities and are accountable for completing them from start to finish. They can request task-based support from other members of the collective as needed.

“How is the collective funded?”

We have received various forms of funding over time, including:

Research grants,
Action-specific grants,
Core funding.

Core funding is generally given by foundations working on climate and climate justice, while research or action grants usually come from research institutions or NGOs. For all funding coming from institutions, we have a review process to decide wether we accept funding or not. Donations by individuals are welcome for specific events or activities, but are currently not part of the collective’s overall funding strategy.

“How is the collective’s budget used?”

The main part is allocated for people’s political work, with core members’ paid working days making up the bulk of the budget and the rest reserved for collaboration with other groups and individuals, as well as travel expenses. Project specific budgets are allocated to event organising, direct actions and media output, with administrative costs kept at a minimum.

“Who are the main audiences for the outputs of the collective?”

In alignment with the collective’s strategy, various outputs have different audiences, with a general focus on the European climate movement and adjacent actors.

For day schools and workshops the primary audience are politicised groups and individuals part of the climate movement that can benefit from deepening and detailing their understanding of imperialism and racial capitalism, and are interested in building cross-movement alliances.
For written outputs such as reports and op-eds, target audiences are often civil society actors (such as NGOs) and decision makers.
For videos, blog posts and resource sharing infrastructure, our primary audience are activists, researchers and left-wing general public that can draw on and amplify critical resources in the aim to strengthen and support anti-imperialist narratives on energy across movements.
For action organising (video and press) we often aim to reach wider publics to toxify the image of key actors and companies in the energy sector.

Please note that, while the collective will provide a clear structure for the next year, we will review the strategy once the new members have joined to draw on their experience, expertise and analysis to further strengthen our work.

FAQs: Working for We Smell Gas

“How flexible are the working hours?”

Generally, all members are required to work Monday to Wednesday for 8 hours (including 1h lunch break) during the day (time-zone dependent). This is to guarantee smooth collaboration between members and an overall sense of cohesion. Minor divergencies in terms of starting/ending time are accepted based on members' individual needs.

“Can I get a co-working space?”

Due to the limited funding, we cannot guarantee a co-working space for all members. The limited budget reserved for co-working will be distributed on a consent-basis according to collective member’s access to healthy working environments, internet, and so forth.

“How will I be supported in my work by other members?”

For the organising of direct actions (Actions Organiser) and of the dayschools (Political Education Organiser) there will be another member who will take a supporting role, helping with specific tasks (e.g. media output, budgeting, etc.). However, the overall responsibility will remain with the respective main organiser.

Each new member will also be assigned a former collective member as a mentor who can be contacted in a limited capacity for feedback or advice.

In general, while we believe clearly delineated responsibilities for entire projects are key for a healthy and accountable working environment, we expect all members to be supportive of each other and to help where needed.

Still got questions? Write to us!

WeSmellGas is hiring a Political Education Organiser

Brief Job Description: