Join SGAC as Continuous Improvement Officer

Join the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) office in Vienna as our Continuous Improvement Officer! This full-time, high-level, in-person role provides a unique opportunity to strategise, support and improve the operational management of the organisation, working closely with the SGAC Operations Officer and the SGAC Executive Committee 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 Continuous Improvement Officer is a full-time and highly rewarding role based in Vienna, Austria.
The main responsibility of this Officer is to optimise SGAC internal processes by developing new tools, improving existing ones, and ensuring effective communication within the organisation.
The Continuous Improvement Officer will work alongside the Operations Officer with the goal of improving the experience of SGAC members by providing them with the right tools to effectively exercise their functions and collaborate.

This role is part of the SGAC Office and will contribute to leading the organisation alongside the Co-Chairs, Executive Director, Business Development Officer, and Operations Officer.

Duties and Responsibilities

The SGAC Continuous Improvement Officer will have the following primary responsibilities:

This person will:

  • Lead the design, development, deployment, and use of operational tools including but not limited to:

    • The SGAC Membership Database
    • The SGAC Intranet
    • The internal SGAC Slack Community
    • SGAC Google Drive Databases
    • And any other platforms as necessary
  • Identify new areas for further operational improvement and develop new tools to that end, including for example a set of metrics and tools to track the progress of, and measure success at SGAC
  • Redeveloping internal organisation charts, structures, and communication channels with a view towards promoting greater efficiency and effectiveness
  • Increasing efficiency in the execution of day-to-day operations and promoting synergies amongst the SGAC teams, in collaboration with the SGAC Operations Officer.
  • 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 Continuous Improvement Officer will:

  • Support overall strategic operational management and improvement.
  • Support the overall organisation of the annual General Assembly.
  • Support the Operations Officer in the execution of their operational tasks related to events, project groups, and COPUOS, with the goal to improve and streamline them.
  • Be the main point of contact within the SGAC Executive Committee to increase communications and identify synergies within the organisation.
  • Be the main point of contact for the SGAC HR Team and the Education & Professional Development Platform to oversee and support their activities.
  • Redesign the Membership Manager position and onboard up to two managers.
  • Support the Co-Chairs, Executive Director and Operations Officer in managing the organisation, including preparing and executing SGAC’s Strategic Plan
  • Participate in, and support the organisation of the SGAC Executive Committee meetings and the SGAC General Assembly
  • Participate in weekly meetings with the SGAC Co-Chairs and SGAC Staff to coordinate the activities and strategy of SGAC

This position reports and works under the supervision of the SGAC Executive Director and Co-Chairs. 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 one 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 of up to 3, 000 EUR to participate in relevant SGAC events.
  • Attendance at high level UN Events such as the annual meetings of COPUOS, and other prestigious international events within the space community.
  • 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 organisations 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 organisation, in particular to SGAC’s brand and image on the international stage.Possibility to grow within the organisation.

Necessary Qualifications

  • SGAC membership: registration on the SGAC website
  • Age between 18 and 33 years old at the time of the recruitment
  • Citizenship of a UN member or observer State

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 UN languages are a plus.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with individuals at all levels within global organisations, including high-level representatives from industry, government, academia, and space agencies.
  • 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 10% 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. 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 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 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].