Radio Observatory Outreach/Community Engagement

About Us

Titan Astronomical Observatory is a Florida-based nonprofit working to acquire and modernize a 10-meter radio telescope and make it remotely accessible to students, educators, and the public through an online dashboard.

We are incorporated as a nonprofit, have our core governance in place, an option contract signed with the seller, a site secured, and an engaged community of 400+ people following the project. We are now focused on implementation: fundraising, telescope relocation, and preparing for operations. You can learn more on our website at https://titanobservatory.org

Role Overview

We are looking for Volunteer Outreach or Community Engagement Team Members to help us grow and engage the community around Titan Astronomical Observatory during our critical early stages.

You will work closely with the Executive Director to design and run practical outreach efforts: keeping our existing supporters informed, reaching new audiences (students, educators, astronomy clubs, and STEM enthusiasts), and making sure people who are excited about the project know how to get involved.

This is a collaborative role in a newly formed nonprofit. You’ll get context, draft together, and then gradually take ownership of specific channels or outreach projects as you get comfortable.

Key Responsibilities

Depending on your skills and interests, responsibilities may include:

• Community communications
  • Help draft and schedule periodic project updates (newsletter-style emails, Idealist updates, Discord/community announcements).
  • Maintain a simple content pipeline so supporters regularly hear what’s happening (milestones, photos, ways to help).
• Outreach to schools, clubs, and organizations
  • Identify and maintain a list of potential partners: astronomy clubs, university departments, K–12 teachers, STEM programs, and science centers.
  • Help draft and send concise outreach emails introducing Titan and exploring interest in future collaboration, student projects, or remote observing opportunities.
  • Track responses and follow-ups in a simple shared document or CRM-lite system.
• Online presence & social channels
  • Contribute ideas and drafts for website copy, blog-style updates, or social posts (for example: short explanations of what a radio telescope is, progress on the 10-meter dish, behind-the-scenes photos).
  • Help keep messaging consistent across channels and tuned to non-experts while staying scientifically honest.
• Support for fundraising and campaigns
  • Coordinate outreach “bursts” around key moments (fundraising launches, major milestones, telescope move).
  • Assist in tailoring messages for different audiences (individual donors, schools, technical volunteers).

We will start with a small, well-defined set of tasks and adjust the scope as you get more comfortable and as we see what works.

What We’re Looking For

You might be a good fit if you:

• Enjoy talking about science or education in plain language and are comfortable writing short, clear messages.
• Are organized enough to keep track of conversations, follow-ups, and small moving pieces without dropping things.
• Are willing to iterate: try something, look honestly at what worked, and adjust.
• Communicate clearly, ask questions when something is unclear, and are open to feedback and collaboration.
• Are interested in astronomy, STEM education, public outreach, or nonprofit work. (No formal background required.)

Helpful but not required:

• Experience in outreach, communications, community management, or marketing.
• Experience working with tools like Brevo, simple CRMs, or managing basic social media for an organization.

Reliability, judgment, and willingness to learn matter more than specific titles.

Time Commitment

• Approximately 4–8 hours per week, remote and flexible.
• Regular check-ins (weekly or biweekly) with the Executive Director to:
  • Set priorities for the week or month
  • Review drafts and outreach plans
  • Look at what’s working and what isn’t

We care more about consistent engagement and honest communication about your bandwidth than hitting a specific hour count every week.

What You’ll Gain

• A meaningful role in shaping how a unique scientific project is presented to the world.
• Concrete outreach experience you can point to in future roles or applications.
• Insight into how a real observatory project moves from idea to implementation, and how communications and outreach fit into that.
• Close collaboration with organizational leadership and the chance to see your ideas quickly turn into real-world action.

How We’ll Support You

You’ll work directly with the Executive Director, who will:

• Provide background on the project, our audience, and our constraints.
• Share examples, templates, and context so you’re not starting from a blank page.
• Involve you in discussion around messaging and outreach strategy instead of just handing off tasks.
• Help you scope your responsibilities so they’re sustainable alongside your other commitments, and adjust them over time based on your interests and capacity.

You’ll have room to experiment, to propose your own ideas, and to be honest if something feels off or like it isn’t the best use of time.