Join Volt Europa’s Haiilo Moderators team
Volt is looking for level-headed, fair-minded volunteers to join the Gardener team, the moderators of Haiilo. Gardeners are the frontline layer of Volt's integrity system. The people who keep everyday discussion constructive, safe, and true to Volt's values, before a disagreement ever needs to become a formal case.
Haiilo works best as a pro-social space rather than an attention-driven one. Gardeners are how that ambition becomes real, day to day, not censors, but facilitators who nurture discussion and hold a clear, consistently-applied line.
What you'll do
As a Gardener, you will:
Share, remind, and uphold the Haiilo Community Guidelines and Code of Conduct within your Hub(s).
Review reported posts and comments, and apply Volt's moderation framework - from a calm first notification through to removal, temporary restriction, or escalation.
Always tell the person affected which guideline or Code of Conduct rule was breached and why - a moderation decision without a visible reason is not considered complete.
De-escalate tensions, in public and in private, and favour education over punishment for first-time or lower-level incidents.
Get a second opinion from a fellow Gardener before removing content on ambiguous grounds, and refer genuinely unclear or severe cases up to the Community Leads without delay.
Document every decision consistently, including in a secure shared log, since Haiilo itself does not retain deleted content, so patterns of repeat behaviour can be seen and addressed early.
Help keep the rules themselves transparent, contribute to a plain-language, publicly accessible rulebook, explain the reasoning behind policies, and flag where the rules need to catch up with what's actually happening on the platform.
Recognise when something is a national-Hub matter versus a European one, and escalate promptly wherever that line is unclear, this is one of the most common sources of disputes.
Treat moderation as the early, preventative layer of Volt's integrity work, your goal is to stop small problems from becoming Integrity Commission cases, not to replace that process.
Who we're looking for
This role suits people who stay even-tempered when things get heated, who can hold a consistent line under pressure, including from members or chapters who argue 'the rules don't apply to me', and who genuinely respect both free expression and the person on the other side of a removed post.
Strong candidates will bring:
Sound, fast judgement under ambiguity, and the humility to check with another Gardener when unsure.
Willingness to operate transparently, to explain a decision in writing and have it reviewed by peers without taking it personally.
Discretion and respect for the confidentiality of reports and the people involved.
A constructive, non-punitive instinct, seeing moderation as restorative and preventative, not as a court of first instance.
Familiarity with (or genuine willingness to learn) the Code of Conduct, the Integrity Syllabus, and the Haiilo Community Guidelines.
Additional languages beyond English are a strong asset, especially for national-Hub coverage.
Hard requirements
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Be an Individual Member of Volt Europa in good standing.
Complete Gardener onboarding before moderating independently, covering the Code of Conduct, the relevant Integrity Syllabus provisions, and the escalation thresholds.
Not hold a role that creates a conflict of interest with moderation duties, unless approved by the responsible Co-Leads.
Be available, at times, on short notice, first responses to reports need to be timely.
Commit to a minimum of 3 months service period.
In addition
EUR-Gardeners are appointed by the European Community Team, in consultation with relevant Hub or thematic community leads, following an interview, and act under the supervision of the European Haiilo Community Co-Leads and the General Secretary Office.
Every moderation decision is reviewable. Members can request a second opinion from another Gardener; where two independent reviews disagree, the decision is overturned. Suspensions can be escalated further to the European Arbitration Committee.
Gardeners are never expected to be the sole decision-maker on severe or ambiguous cases, escalation to Community Leads, and where relevant the Integrity Commission, is built into the process, not a sign that you've failed to handle something.
Why apply
Public discourse online is under strain across the political spectrum. Volt is trying to build something different. A digital space that elevates people and ideas rather than outrage and engagement. Gardeners are where that ambition either holds up or doesn't, you'll be translating Volt's values into real, everyday calls.
This role is also still being actively shaped. Volt is working on clearer thresholds, a published rationale for each policy, a visible moderation trail, and a functioning appeals path, and Gardener feedback directly shapes how that design comes together.
Our moderation philosophy
Gardeners are asked to hold these principles in mind, not just the rulebook:
Engage with ideas, not with the person.
Elevate people; don't just police them.
Build bridges, not walls.
Acknowledge context and embrace nuance.
Be transparent and be direct - with the person moderated, and with the community.
Uphold our standards together - moderation is a shared responsibility, not a private one.
Zero tolerance for unlawful content.
Interested?
Apply by submitting this form, one of our team members will contact you for the next steps as soon as possible. Applications are being considered on a rolling basis.