Event Coordinator/Facilitator

Work on Climate (WoCl) is a leading non-profit focused on building the workforce to solve climate change equitably and justly. You probably know us for our online community that has helped thousands of people find jobs and start companies, highlighted in most major business press, from Fast Company to New York Times. However, our work goes even farther, seeking to mobilize the entire workforce as a force for system-wide change.

Being part of our volunteer team means more than just joining a community. It’s an invitation to create real-world impact by confronting urgent climate challenges with the skilled minds ready to solve them. Together, we’re bridging the talent gap to build the climate-focused economy we envision.

About the team

Today, our events team is geo-located internationally and meets once weekly on Mondays at 9am PT. We are upgrading all our events to truly connect people who can help each other, and build lasting work relationships and collaborations. Help us create and run these kinds of events!

About the role

Event coordinators are responsible for managing ~1 event every six weeks. These might be in partnership with other organisations or part of an existing Work on Climate series, but always involve coordinating with external presenters and delegating tasks to other volunteers.

Time commitment

5 hours/week consistently for the next 6+ months (We’d like a minimum of 6 months, and love it when volunteers stay on longer). Ability to commit to some specific events at specific times.

What’s in it for me?

In addition to playing a critical role in enabling the climate talent transition, you will get to:

• Engage directly with influential organizations and speakers in the climate space
• Build a strong climate network in your area of interest
• Collaborate with top-notch teammates passionate about climate
• Expand your event management and public speaking skillset
• Add a great line to your resume! Employers know and respect us.

What will I do?

You will collaborate with other volunteer teams at WoCl to deliver events and workshops. These events are designed to educate and help community members on their climate career path, whilst giving community members the time and space to create relationships with other climate professionals.

• As a Volunteer Event Coordinator/Facilitator, your primary focus will be on planning, coordinating, and managing logistics for events, including providing input on topics, structure, identifying speakers or participants, and helping with audience development and event marketing.
• You will also be involved in live events, addressing challenges as they arise, and troubleshooting issues. (Events typically align to US and European time zones)
• You should be comfortable leading activities during events, such as moderating panel discussions, facilitating workshops or breakout sessions, managing Q&A sessions, and keeping participants engaged and on track.

What skills and commitment do I need?

You will need to be highly organized and have basic management skills;

• Experience designing, scheduling and managing logistics for virtual events, including helping to identify appropriate topics, audience and speakers or vendors.
• Accountability-keeping skills; ensure all tasks related to an event are completed from pre-event to post-event tasks.
• Ability to show up consistently and reliably for weekly calls to build relationships, carry project work forward, and brainstorm with the team required.
• Excellent individual and group communication skills, ability to work with people of different work and communication styles.

Common Challenges

• Event management involves many different tasks, executed on different platforms, with a group of other volunteers.
• Communication challenges may arise between WoCl and presenters, creating roadblocks in critical workflows.
• Executing events requires thinking on your feet, attention to detail and being flexible/adaptable to change. For example: a speaker may cancel, the zoom microphone might not work, or someone might not be able to find the zoom link.
• Operating within a globally distributed team and navigating asynchronous work can often be challenging for team collaboration. Asynchronous work requires the ability to adjust expectations for collaboration and response time.

I’m interested! What do I do?

Yay! We’re excited to learn more about you. Please fill out this application form to tell us about your skills and interests in volunteering with our awesome team. If you are selected for an interview, our team will be in touch in 1-2 weeks.