Volunteer Recruitment & Engagement Specialist

Volunteer Recruitment & Engagement Specialist

Organization: The Observatory

Website: https://observatory.wiki

Location: Remote / Online

Commitment: Flexible (approximately 3–5 hours per week)

Duration: Ongoing

Position Type: Volunteer

About The Observatory

The Observatory is a free public encyclopedia and life guide dedicated to helping people better understand the critical issues shaping our world. Through expert-written articles, in-depth research, and accessible analysis, the Observatory serves as a trusted resource for lifelong learners, educators, students, journalists, and curious minds everywhere.

Powered by a global network of volunteers, editors, researchers, subject-matter experts, and partner organizations, the Observatory is committed to making high-quality knowledge freely available to all.

Position Summary

The Observatory is seeking a Volunteer Human Resources Specialist to help strengthen the volunteer experience across recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and lifecycle support.

Working closely with the Volunteer Onboarding Manager and Volunteer Coordination Team, you will interview prospective volunteers, help guide applicants through the onboarding process, support volunteer engagement initiatives, and contribute to creating a positive and welcoming volunteer experience.

This role is ideal for individuals with experience or interest in human resources, volunteer management, recruiting, people operations, communications, or community engagement who want to apply their skills to a mission-driven educational initiative.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the Volunteer Onboarding Manager regarding new applicants and interview scheduling
• Conduct interviews for prospective volunteers, including editors, proofreaders, researchers, writers, digital marketing specialists, and other support roles
• Evaluate volunteer applications and provide feedback to the Volunteer Coordination Team
• Help ensure a positive, welcoming, and consistent applicant experience
• Support volunteer onboarding and engagement initiatives
• Participate in volunteer lifecycle activities, including periodic check-ins and growth plan conversations when applicable
• Assist with maintaining volunteer records and organizational documentation
• Collaborate with the Volunteer Coordination Team on recruitment, onboarding, retention, and engagement efforts
• Attend virtual meetings and complete assigned action items as availability permits

Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal, interviewing, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to maintain a consistent weekly availability for scheduling interviews and volunteer conversations
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a remote team
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through
• Interest in volunteer engagement, people operations, community building, or human resources
• Commitment to the Observatory’s mission of public education and knowledge-sharing

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, volunteer coordination, human resources, or related fields
• Experience building positive relationships with diverse individuals and teams
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail, and Google Meet)
• Experience working remotely or within distributed volunteer organizations

What You’ll Gain

• Meaningful experience supporting a mission-driven educational organization
• Opportunities to develop interviewing, recruiting, onboarding, and volunteer engagement skills
• Collaboration with a global network of passionate volunteers and professionals
• Professional networking opportunities
• Experience working within a structured volunteer coordination system
• Opportunities for professional references based on contributions and tenure
• Flexible scheduling and fully remote participation

If you are passionate about people, community-building, volunteer engagement, and helping knowledge reach a wider audience, we encourage you to apply.

Join us in helping build the future of free public knowledge.

How to Apply

Please send a brief cover letter and résumé to volunteer.info.observatory@gmail.com. We look forward to learning more about you.

Important Note: The Observatory is a volunteer-driven organization and is unable to provide employment sponsorship, work visas, immigration support letters, or similar documentation for immigration or employment purposes.