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Nonprofit Remote Digest - Issue #332
The Wikimedia Foundation is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the “growth, development, and distribution of free, multilingual content.” The Wikimedia Foundation operates and supports some of the world’s largest reference projects that are edited collaboratively, including Wikipedia, one of the most highly visited websites across the globe.
Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. — wikimediafoundation.org
The nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation provides the essential infrastructure for free knowledge.
Events Specialist
The Wikimedia Foundation is seeking an Event Specialist, to advance the Wikimedia movement’s vision of every human being able to freely share in the sum of all knowledge; as well as its strategic direction - that by 2030, Wikimedia will become the essential infrastructure of the ecosystem of free knowledge, and anyone who shares our vision will be able to join us.
**Please note that this is a remote position that can be based anywhere in or outside of the U.S.**
As an Event Specialist, you will be responsible for supporting the production and coordinating logistics of WMF funded/hosted events like: the annual community flagship event Wikimania and our technical events like the annual Wikimedia Hackathon. The events are located in different parts of the world each year, and are key opportunities for our community of volunteers from all over the world to connect and collaborate on the movement’s goals. You will be a primary liaison between staff, contractors, volunteers, committees and local host teams who collectively plan, organize, and run these events.
You will assist in the execution and support of an international, diverse and equitous events ecosystem. You will be the lead in developing and supporting the scholarship process, where international event participants apply to attend WMF hosted/funded events. This includes travel and visa support, being a point of contact for participant questions; triaging to relevant program manager as needed.
You will bring precision, long range planning, attention to detail, energy, enthusiasm, patience, compassion, a natural interest to work with people from around the world, and a capacity to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and experience levels.
You will be a key member of the Wikimedia Foundation’s Community Events team, which is a relatively new team. You will be an active “builder” of processes and procedures that will benefit the team and the community we serve. These processes and procedures must be sensitive to the ethos of the movement and to a growing international community, as well as compliant with Wikimedia Foundation procedures. Your perspectives and experience will guide an evolving approach to convenorship in what is primarily an online community.
You are responsible for:
Scholarship program management:
Develop, maintain and administer systems that facilitate scholarship application, submission, the review process,
Travel & visa support for scholarship recipients
Management of scholarship recipient data within relevant systems
Scholarship committee; support member application process, identify scholarship chair and committee
Coordinate between stakeholders to ensure that a scholarship system, database, web site, and other software is in place for handling submission, review and scholarship award
Answer all inquiries in coordination with others on team via the mailing lists OTRS system, or on-wiki discussion pages (Scholarships, registration, general questions as needed.)
Registration:
Managing selected registration system for WMF hosted events
Managing the registration desk and volunteer team on-site at events
Produce regular registration reports and updates for relevant stakeholders
Supporting event production:
Vendor research & on-boarding
Being the point of contact for venue contacts
Administrative support
Creating and maintaining onsite manuals and accurate production schedules as required
Managing the production and transportation of name badges, lanyards, and other supplies for WMF organized events (Wikimania & Technical events)
Coordinating AV, staging, signage, internet and catering needs
Tracking budget costs
Meeting space planning and allocation
Working closely with members of the Community Events team:
Supporting financial administration
Scholarship program development across events
Event logistics and production support for WMF events
Maintain the events team calendar of funded/hosted events
Skills and Experience:
International Event Coordination – a proven background in international event planning and coordination. Experience in all aspects of planning and coordinating internationally-attended conferences especially managing visa & travel arrangements;
Project Management – proven track record and affinity with project management principles and best practices is going to be important in this role to ensure that all elements are organized and event and production teams stay on schedule;
Budget Administration – you will support maintaining financial administration of event planning and execution, so budget and financial management skills are vital to be successful in this role;
Cross Cultural Communication Skills – effective and thoughtful written and verbal communication skills are essential in this role as liaison between many types of stakeholders;
Collaboration Skills – our events are collaborative in their design in accordance with our movement’s focus on volunteer leadership, in order to create a positive experience for participants;
Community Support – working and navigating (internet based) communities that are self-governed by means of committees, organizations and working groups.
Qualities that are important to us:
Creativity in approaching challenges
Ability to work with volunteers and facilitating work that is mainly led by the community
Sensitivity to a culturally diverse range of stakeholders
Strategic and long term vision
Adaptability to change and resilience to ambiguity
Self-organization, independence, efficiency and ability to meet deadlines in a remote culture
Positivity and confidence in working with volunteers facing the sometimes stressful tasks associated with large event management
Additionally, we’d love it if you have:
Affinity or experience with Wiki communities and are aware of the Wikiverse
Knowledge on open source event management systems and processes (registration, conference planning)
Fluency in at least one other language in addition to mandatory professional competency in English.
The Wikimedia Foundation is...
...the nonprofit organization that hosts and operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge, free of interference. We host the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive financial support from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.
The Wikimedia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
U.S. Benefits & Perks*
Fully paid medical, dental and vision coverage for employees and their eligible families (yes, fully paid premiums!)
The Wellness Program provides reimbursement for mind, body and soul activities such as fitness memberships, baby sitting, continuing education and much more
The 401(k) retirement plan offers matched contributions at 4% of annual salary
Flexible and generous time off - vacation, sick and volunteer days, plus 19 paid holidays - including the last week of the year.
Family friendly! 100% paid new parent leave for seven weeks plus an additional five weeks for pregnancy, flexible options to phase back in after leave, fully equipped lactation room.
For those emergency moments - long and short term disability, life insurance (2x salary) and an employee assistance program
Pre-tax savings plans for health care, child care, elder care, public transportation and parking expenses
Telecommuting and flexible work schedules available
Appropriate fuel for thinking and coding (aka, a pantry full of treats) and monthly massages to help staff relax
Great colleagues - diverse staff and contractors speaking dozens of languages from around the world, fantastic intellectual discourse, mission-driven and intensely passionate people
*Eligible international workers' benefits are specific to their location and dependent on their employer of record
More information
Diversity and inclusion information for Wikimedia workers, by the numbers
How to Apply
https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/2112453?gh_src=4d7e22c31