Join SGAC as Business Development Officer

Join the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) leadership as our first business development officer! This full-time, high-level, in-person role provides a unique opportunity to work closely with the SGAC Executive Director in maintaining and expanding the business of SGAC partnering with major space agencies and companies from the space sector, and gaining invaluable experience for boosting your professional development.

About SGAC

SGAC is an international non-governmental, non-profit (US 501(c)3) organisation with more than 27,000 members worldwide, which represents university students and young space professionals to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia. The organisation was born out of the UNISPACE III recommendations in 1999 and has strong relationships with the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs and the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Summary

The SGAC Business Development Officer is a full-time, time-intensive and highly rewarding role.

The role of the SGAC Business Development Officer is to support the Executive Director in building and managing SGAC’s partnerships with key players in the space sector for our regional and local events and project groups. This role is part of the SGAC Leadership and as such will contribute to leading the organization alongside the Co-Chairs, Executive Director and Operations Officer.

In time, the person selected for this role might be promoted to a further higher position within the organization, subject to especially successful performances throughout the years as reviewed by the SGAC Executive Director and Co-Chairs.

Duties and Responsibilities

The SGAC Business Development Officer will be responsible for a broad range of activities in the organization that are crucial to its day-to-day operation. 

This person will:

  • Be the main point of liaison between the SGAC office and SGAC’s regional and local events managers, including managing matters related to sponsorship, coordination, and strategic thinking
  • Be the main point of liaison for SGAC’s scholarships partners
  • Be the main point of liaison for SGAC’s project groups’ partners alongside the project groups’ partnership managers
  • Lead and manage the following positions directly reporting and accountable to the SGAC business development officer: regional partnership managers, project groups partnership managers, events coordination team leads, scholarships team leads, and education and professional development platform leads.
  • Support the co-chairs, executive director and operations officer in managing the organization, including preparing and executing SGAC’s strategic plan

With these activities, the SGAC business development officer will:

  • Expand the reputation, role, and involvement of SGAC in the global space sector alongside the Executive Director. This will include an emphasis on growing SGAC’s partnerships and sponsorships in the Asia Pacific, Africa, South America, and the Middle East.
  • Seek, maintain, and foster collaborations with industry organizations, space agencies, government, and academia, to secure resources and support for SGAC to achieve its mission and objectives. This includes acting as the final decision-maker for business decisions entrusted to the role, including but not limited to reviewing and finalizing the closure of key SGAC collaborations and partnership opportunities.
  • Work with the Treasurer and Executive Director to prepare the SGAC annual budget, and meet all necessary financial reporting and compliance requirements in accordance with SGAC jurisdictions (U.S.A. and Austria).

This position reports and works under the supervision of the SGAC Executive Director. Specific deliverables and milestones for the role will be determined in the contract for this position.

Benefits

  • An annual gross salary of up to 25,000 EUR depending on experience at recruitment.
  • One annual performance-based bonus equivalent to a month’s salary.
  • Austrian social security, healthcare and public holidays (SGAC is a registered employer in Austria and all SGAC employees are hired under standard Austrian contracts).
  • A travel budget up to 8, 000 EUR to represent SGAC at relevant conferences and events across the world, this may include, but not be limited to, the International Astronautical Congress, the Space Symposium, SATELLITE, International Astronautical Federation Spring Meetings, SGAC regional workshops, and SGAC local events.
  • Attendance at high level UN Events such as the annual meetings of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Space, and other prestigious international events within the space community such as those mentioned in the previous point, depending on available budget.
  • Opportunities to network closely with high-level leaders from the global space sector.
  • Special opportunities to contribute to SGAC’s briefings to the United Nations and other industry, agency, and academic organizations in the international space sector.
  • Meeting and working with fellow young space leaders from around the world.
  • Unparalleled leadership opportunity and platform to lead teams from around the globe, building leadership and management skills that will boost your career like no other job.
  • Contribute to the growth and sustainability of the organization, in particular to SGAC’s brand and image on the international stage.
  • Possibility to grow within the organization based on especially successful performances.

Necessary Qualifications

  • SGAC membership: registration on the SGAC website and between 18 and 33 years old at the time of the recruitment
  • Citizenship of a UN member or observer state located in the region (as listed in the SGAC bylaws)

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business development, international relations, or space related field
  • Prior experience in business development, fundraising, youth development, international relations, and/or in a space-related field is preferred
  • Experience and familiarity with SGAC are preferred
  • Experience and familiarity with the space sector and its stakeholders are preferred

Skills and Qualities:

  • Fluency in English, both written and spoken. Additional language skills are a plus
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with individuals at all levels within global organizations, including high-level representatives from industry, government, academia, and space agencies.
  • Strong communication skills, particularly with experience in public speaking and appealing to audiences with a diversity of backgrounds and experience
  • Cross cultural and communication awareness: ability to establish and maintain professional working relationships with people from a variety of international and cultural backgrounds
  • Ability to be responsive to communication, with fast response times in email and other forms of communication
  • Proven success in meeting deadlines, with the ability to work independently and lead teams under pressure during fast-turnaround needs. Project management experience is a plus
  • Ability to lead and manage large teams, with experience in leading volunteering teams is a plus
  • Ability to manage conflicts and challenging situations
  • Strong working knowledge and experience with computer and cloud applications, such as Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, WordPress, Slack, Ninja Forms, Zapier, Mailchimp, Zoom, and G-Suite, are required
  • Ability to flourish with minimal guidance, be proactive, and handle uncertainty

Other Requirements:

  • Must be able to be based in Vienna, Austria, and be able to travel internationally for about 15% of the time. SGAC will be able to sponsor the work permit of a qualified applicant.

Time Commitment

This is a full-time paid position requiring some availability on evenings and weekends. As the organisation is volunteer-run and our volunteers are based across time zones all over the world, sometimes it will be required to adjust the working hours to meet organisational needs, and also to contribute more than a typical “9-to-5” office environment and 40-hour work week to meet deadlines. Passion for what SGAC does is key to the organisation’s success! 

Selection Process

A search committee comprised of the following members will be involved in the selection and interviewing of candidates:

  • The SGAC Co-Chairs
  • The SGAC Acting Executive Director
  • The SGAC Deputy Executive Director

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send your application to Hamza Hameed, SGAC Chair, and Antonino Salmeri, SGAC Co-Chair, at [email protected] with the following documents as attachments:

  • Your CV (maximum 2 pages) (Indicate Nationality and Date of Birth)
  • A Letter of Intent (maximum 1 page)
  • List of three past experiences and how they have prepared you for this role (maximum 1 page)
  • Contact information of 3 references
  • Recommendation letters demonstrating successful business experience are a plus

Only complete applications which are submitted in a timely manner will be considered. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are invited to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Contact

In case you have any questions pertaining to the position or application process, do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].