Wikimania Scholarships & Volunteer Associate

Summary

Join the Wikimedia Foundation as a Wikimania Scholarships & Volunteer Associate! This 5-month contract (May-August 2025) involves 20-30 hours/week supporting the Wikimania 2025 event in Nairobi. You will coordinate scholarships, communicate with scholars, and assist with volunteer management. The role requires strong administrative skills, event experience, and excellent communication abilities. Travel to Nairobi for a site visit and the event itself is mandatory. You'll work closely with the organizing team and report to the Senior Manager, Movement Communications and Event Volunteer Coordinator. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the global Wikimedia community.

Requirements

• Strong administration and record keeping skills
• Use of tools such as email campaign platforms and records systems
• Good communicator with the ability to deal with people from all walks of life, good customer or audience facing skills
• Experience of working with a diverse range of people
• Can do attitude to problem solving
• General Conference and Event experience
• 3-5 years of experience with event coordination
• Experience working directly with a diverse set of volunteers across different regions
• Experience managing using of tools such as email campaign platforms and records systems
• Experience with coordinating a high volume communications

Responsibilities

• Support the Wikimania 2025 Core Organizing Team with the facilitation and coordination of scholarships awarded to individuals for attending Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi
• Support communication with successful scholars on requirements needed for travel, visas and accommodation
• Communication and coordination with scholars on volunteer role opportunities at Wikimania. Previous experience working with volunteers is expected
• Attend Scholarship coordinating weekly call on every Tuesday 06:00 pm EAT and Core Organizing Team weekly call on 7 pm EAT
• Building the FAQ for guidance of answering potential inquiries
• Answering any ad hoc questions with guidance from the Senior manager and the Core Organizing Team
• Collaborating in the making of and sending out a ‘Wikimania Guide for Attendees’ to give essential and helpful information about when they arrive, Singapore customs and culture and their time at the event
• Attendance at Wikimania 2025 to support scholars while they are at the event with queries and questions. Dates are August 6th to 9th
• Post event evaluation, reporting and review of the scholarship process
• Attend Core Organising Team or sub committee meetings sometimes at weekend and evening, to work through action items and updates
• Support the Scholarship sub committee with any necessary admin work and coordinating the committee’s work and facilitate some of the work including internal and external communications
• Contribute to post event surveys and debriefs
• Working with the event team to help develop the content for and facilitate training and information sessions
• Attend pre event training for all event support that will be on site at the event
• Help manage documents via Google Docs and spreadsheets
• Work with volunteers on keeping information up to date on the Wikimania pages and communication channels regarding Scholarships
• Help to liaise arrival and departure of volunteers with designated local agents
• Help coordinate scholars volunteering activities during the event including helping to organize the volunteer rotas during Wikimania and being there at the event to help with any last minute changes or trouble shooting

Preferred Qualifications

• Global working
• Understanding of the East Africa regions events and conference industry
• Mission Driven: You believe in the power of inclusive communication and movement building to make free knowledge accessible to everyone
• Openness and Curiosity: We work on new and interesting problems in public and collaborative ways
• Resilience: Working together for outcomes, willingness to change course when warranted and motivated by high standards
• Positivity: Sharing a culture of constructive criticism and respect
• Team-oriented: Natural inclination for team collaboration and for helping colleagues succeed
• Intentionally inclusive: Strong personal values related to participation, equity, and diversity in global movements

Benefits

• The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is US$25/hour to US$40/hour with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay
• For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire