Proton Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

About Proton 

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default

Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right. Since then, we've built the world's largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar—tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe. In some situations, Proton has literally helped save lives!

We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top ~1% of applicants. Our 500+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritize impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-caliber people, this is it. Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our open-source projects here!

You will help shape how Proton shows up in the world, not just as a product, but as a movement. Working closely with key stakeholders, your manager, and the wider Social & Community team, you'll strategize and deploy systems, spaces, and experiences that turn curious users into committed advocates, and committed advocates into a global privacy fandom. This role blends strategic thinking, community execution, culture intuition, program delivery, and organic engagement. You'll help define how Proton builds belonging at scale across a digital community hub, micro-communities, ambassador tiers, events, and real-world touchpoints, owning delivery end-to-end on the programs within your scope.

If you understand that community is not a channel but a force multiplier, and that belonging is built through design, storytelling, and human connection, this is your role.

This role is part of the Social & Community team at Proton - a small, high-impact group of 5 people that builds Proton's brand the way modern cult brands do it: with a human voice, community-first engagement, and sharp, timely creative that people actually want to share. What makes the team special is our relentless ambition: we move fast, take principled stances when it matters, and pair rigorous performance thinking with internet instincts, earning the kind of audience feedback most brands never get ("genius level trolling," "10/10 Proton marketing team," "great marketing," "social media masterclass," "best repost I've seen in a while" "deserves a raise") or getting compared to Wendy's. If you want to do career-defining work with a team that's trusted to experiment, backed by a mission people care about, and measured on real impact, you'll fit right in. 

Check out some of our 2025 highlights: Google would never,  Rumour has it …, Ghibli Trend Gone Wrong, Spyyyyyy Messenger, No, but I bet you do Youtube.

• Support the build-out of the Proton Community Hub, Proton's own space for discussion, feedback, education, and connection.
• Help develop the systems, frameworks, and rituals that scale belonging and participation, contributing to standards and best practices the wider team adopts.
• Define and support the day-to-day of how members join, contribute, get recognized, and stay engaged.

• Develop ambassador journeys, contribution loops, rewards, and governance, with trade-off decisions made autonomously within your scope.
• Source, onboard, activate, and nurture ambassadors who passionately represent Proton online and IRL.
• Work with marketing, social, and product to connect ambassadors to brand and product moments.

• Reddit, Discord, Telegram, Matrix, LinkedIn groups, and emerging platforms.
• Foster real conversations, create rituals, and shape touchpoints that feel human.
• Identify community needs early and be the connective tissue between users and internal teams.

• Monitor sentiment, support crisis response under team-level coordination, and help ensure brand safety.
• Help maintain policies, moderation standards, and community guidelines.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to turn community insights into roadmap input.

Mentor and contribute to team standards. Share expertise with more junior team members and contribute to the practices the Social & Community team operates by.

• 5+ years in community management, ambassador programs, or developer relations
• Proven communication and copywriting experience
• Hands-on experience contributing to community hubs or ambassador programs 
• Experience facilitating user communities or event-driven community activation
• Strong communication skills; able to motivate and engage groups
• Comfortable owning end-to-end programs autonomously within a team's scope, while collaborating closely with a manager on broader strategy
• Strong analytical skills and ability to make decisions with trade-off analysis
• Based in the US and familiar with US online culture

Bonus points for

• Experience with developer relations and community building at large-scale companies.
• Strong familiarity with and passion for open-source ecosystems, privacy, security, or internet culture
•  Experience with community tools (Discourse, Dev., Guild, Orbit, Commsor, Common Room, etc.)

What We Offer

• Work that Matters: millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments. The work you do here is real, and the impact is measurable. (read more about our impact here)

• Stock Options: at Proton, we all have the opportunity to be owners of the company. From day one, you have a real stake in what we're building. When Proton wins, you win.

• Technology: you'll get the right hardware and the right software you need to do your best work.

• Learning & Development: we invest in your growth because sharp people make us better. Proton is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your career because you'll be thrown into real challenges, with real ownership, from day one.

• Employee Benefits: your wellbeing isn't an afterthought. We offer strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support so you can bring your best self to work every day

• In-Person Collaboration: Amazing things happen when passionate, smart, and purposeful people get together in the same room. With offices across Geneva, Zürich, Barcelona, London and more, you'll spend most of your time collaborating face-to-face with people who genuinely care about what they're building

• Flexible Working: you own your schedule. Set hours that work for you and your team — because outcomes matter more than when the clock says you started.

Check our social media to learn more about Proton: 

X, LinkedIn ,Reddit , Instagram, YouTube

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion 

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability or socio-economic background feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected. 

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know. 

Candidate privacy notice 

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG (Proton, we, us or our), your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with its Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills. 

If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymise it. Should you have any inquiries about how we use or manage your information or if you wish to access, correct or delete your data, please contact our privacy team at careers@proton.ch.

Proton does not accept unsolicited CVs from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer, even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton. 

To learn more about our privacy policy, please visit our privacy policy page.

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