Environmental Defense Fund Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 156 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Which role are you interviewing for?
30 roles · 156 reportsCandidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Environmental Defense Fund.
Environmental Defense Fund
Scientist
Mid Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Presentation Panel
Interview formats
Behavioral Presentation
After submitting my application with a referral from a colleague, I got a phone interview with the hiring manager in under two weeks. This was followed by an hour-long interview with leadership and then a 30-minute presentation with a Q&A session with the larger science team. The whole process was thorough but pleasant. It definitely requires some research and homework.
Confirmed questions1 question
- What aspects of this role are missing from your current position?
Environmental Defense Fund
Major Gifts Officer
Mid Average Positive experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral
I started with a screening call with the HR manager. After that, I had a 1v1 interview with the Development Director. The whole process was pretty quick from the screening call to the interview. The screening call was basic, and the interview was much more in-depth.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Can you tell me your top 3 strengths?
- Can you share your experience with events?
- Describe a time you handled a high-stress situation.
Environmental Defense Fund
Manager
Manager Average Neutral experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Background check
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The recruiter was great, really communicative and helpful with tips. The actual interview with the hiring manager was messy. One interviewer didn't show up, and the hiring manager was sick and unfocused. The questions were vague and not really relevant to my skills, making it hard to use the STAR method. We barely discussed the actual projects for the role. The manager didn't seem to take many notes. I felt qualified but maybe not what she was looking for. I also wondered if they were using me to benchmark salaries, especially since the job has been posted for a long time. The recruiter let me know four business days later that I didn't get the job, with no feedback from the manager. Felt like a waste of time, especially for a remote comms manager role with a salary under 100K and expecting international hours.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- Can you start by telling me about yourself? How have you worked with international colleagues, and what did you take away from that specific project you mentioned?
- Tell me about yourself. What's your experience with international colleagues? What did you learn from [a very specific project that you worked on at previous job]?
- What did you learn from [a very specific project that you worked on at previous job]?
Environmental Defense Fund
Project Coordinator
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen Background check Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The whole hiring journey took around three months from start to finish. I initially applied on their website. About a month after that, a really nice recruiter reached out and set up my first 30-minute chat. This interview happened about a week after we first connected. Then, I had another interview, lasting an hour, with the people who would be my direct managers. Following that, I had a third one-hour interview with my future directors. Each of these interviews occurred within a week of the previous one. Throughout this time, my HR contact was super helpful and kept me updated, answering all my questions. After that, we moved onto checking references, sorting out salary, and doing background checks. It was a long process, but totally worth it in the end.
Confirmed questions3 questions
- What makes you want to join the EDF?
- Can you tell me about your strengths that are relevant to this position?
- How do you cope with stressful work situations?
Environmental Defense Fund Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Environmental Defense Fund interview reports.
“What's your estimate for the total number of CFL bulbs in San Francisco?”
Read reports →“Could you explain the concept of rate of return in a way a 10-year-old would understand?”
Read reports →“Could you explain the science behind climate change in three sentences, as if you were speaking to a bright 12-year-old?”
Read reports →“What approach would you take to calculate the total number of lit exit signs in Manhattan?”
Read reports →“What would you say to someone who doesn't believe in climate change?”
Read report →“Can you explain the current relationship between economics and environmental policy in the US?”
Read report →“Can you explain NPV or IRR in a way a ten-year-old would understand?”
Read report →“Could you calculate the energy consumption of a site and estimate the savings that would result from LED retrofits?”
Read report →“Could you perform a simple energy efficiency calculation to determine the cost savings from replacing X light bulbs of X wattage, assuming they burn X hours?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 156 Environmental Defense Fund interview reports.