Nominations Open for the SGAC Co-Chair Election 2022

As the term of SGAC Chair, Harriet Brettle (UK), is slowly coming to an end, SGAC is excited to announce that nominations are now open for a new Co-Chairperson. The new Co-Chair will work alongside incoming Chair, Anthony Yuen (Australia), and the Executive Committee to shape the future of SGAC.

Deadline for Applications: 1 March 2022

Responsibilities

SGAC is led by two co-Chairs, each elected for a two year term. Obligations that come along with the position are time-intensive and time-sensitive on most occasions, and it is up to the Co-Chairs to divide the responsibilities of the position between themselves.

Day-to-day management of the organisation is supported by a small team of paid staff from SGAC’s office in Vienna, Austria and remotely across the world. The role of Chair is akin to a Chairman of a Board of Directors in a company, in charge of leading the SGAC Executive Committee, and have overarching responsibility and leadership of all the activities of the SGAC staff, contractual obligations and financial activities.

The responsibilities of the position are to work closely with the other co-Chair to:

  • Oversee the overall leadership and management of the global SGAC organisation
  • Represent and act as the head of the organisation in external communication, including to our members, stakeholders, partners, sponsors, and the general public
  • Lead the official representation of the organisation at events and meetings
  • Provide strategic decision making and direction for the organisation
  • Develop and execute the organisation’s short and long term strategic plan
  • Lead the annual General Assembly and meetings of the Executive Committee to ensure continued transparency and reporting of the organisation
  • Cast the tie-breaking vote in decisions of the Executive Committee
  • Uphold the Statutes and Bylaws of the organisation, and ensure they are up to date and relevant to the organisation
  • Manage the organisational structure, positions, and task delegation to meet the mission and objectives of the organisation
  • Review and finalise the selection of key SGAC positions and scholarship opportunities
  • Mentor, assist and coordinate the activities of the Regional Coordinators towards meeting the objectives of the organisation
  • Oversee and mentor the members of the Executive Office, appointed officers, teams, project groups and standing committees established by the organisation
  • Motivate and provide positive morale and enthusiasm to the SGAC members (especially active volunteers) and other organisations

Exact tasks and meetings requiring Chair involvement change based on the operational requirements of the organisation. Examples of duties/meetings carried out in the past or currently include:

  • Review and approval of the SGAC budget and spending
  • Monthly meeting with the Treasurer to ensure the organisation’s budget and finances are within strategic goals and remains solvent
  • Lead SGAC presence at events and meetings, alongside the Chair and Executive Director (ie. Space Generation Congress, Space Generation Fusion Forum, SGx, Space Generation Workshops, local and regional workshops, and Advisory Board Meetings) either in person or virtually
  • Represent SGAC in external meetings
  • Execute action items resulting from subsequent meetings
  • Work closely with the General Counsel on SGAC legal documentations and contracts
  • Participate in Chair – Executive Director meetings twice a week
  • Meet and mentor key SGAC team members to enable their activities
  • Draft Agenda and lead Executive Committee meetings once a month
  • Participate in the Elections Oversight Committee presiding over internal elections and review of application submissions
  • Lead the preparations for the SGAC General Assembly, including participation in the SGAC Statutes and Bylaws Review Team meetings

Chairpersons are elected for a term of two years, and are not eligible to serve a second term. After the Chair term is completed, they are invited to join the Advisory Board for one term to ensure successful knowledge transfer and succession planning within the organisation.

More information about SGAC’s activities is available on our website. The SGAC Statutes and By-Laws provide an overview of the governance structure of SGAC.

Time Commitment: 10-20 hours per week

Qualifications, and Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the position, the candidate must meet at least one of the following requirements:

  • Be a current Regional Coordinator or have been a Regional Coordinator in the past 12 months and secure the nomination of at least two other Regional Coordinators
  • Be a current member of the Executive Office and/or SGAC Team and secure the nomination of at least two Regional Coordinators
  • Applicants who are not part of the SGAC team need to secure the nomination of two Regional Coordinators and the current Chair or Co-Chair prior to application.

The names and contact details of the Regional Coordinators and Chairs are available on the SGAC website.

Additional requirements for this position include:

  • Citizenship of a UN member State
  • Aged between 18 and 35 years old at the time of the election and during the 2 year term in accordance with the SGAC bylaws. The age limit is calculated from the 18th birthday to the 36th birthday of the nominee.
  • Membership of SGAC (registration on the SGAC website)
  • Demonstrate proven leadership and teamwork experience
  • Possess strong cross-cultural communications skills in English and preferably in other United Nations (UN) official languages
  • Have a good understanding of space and cross-cultural issues
  • Be familiar with the work of the UN and its objectives
  • Have knowledge of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) and its objectives
  • Have preferably hands-on experience in activities for young adults and space-related projects
  • Be the leading example in upholding the SGAC bylaws and statutes
  • Must be held to the highest level of accountability in the organisation and be able to declare any potential conflicts of interest should a situation arise

Additional skills (Preferred but not required):

  • Business development/fundraising and management experience
  • Ideally be able to attend SGAC events and meetings

By applying for this role, you accept that the list of candidates and election results are public, and will be posted online for transparency purposes.

Benefits

This is an unpaid, volunteer position with many opportunities for leadership skills and career development with an international nonprofit/nongovernmental organisation. As Co-Chair, you will have many opportunities to network with leading senior space sector leaders in government, industry, and academia. In addition, SGAC Co-Chairs are allowed one funded trip up to $2000 to an SGAC event during the second year of their two year term in accordance with the SGAC Chair Travel Policy.

Application Process

Please email your application to the attention of the outgoing SGAC chair, Harriet Brettle, at [email protected] with the subject heading [LAST NAME, 2022 co-Chair Election].

Your application package should include the following information:

  1. Your CV (with headshot photo, date of birth, and nationality) attached as a PDF
  2. A Letter of Intent addressing the selection criteria above and outlining why you wish to be Co-Chair, including examples of past leadership skills and how you can improve the organisation over the next two years
  3. The names of the Regional Coordinators and/or current Chair supporting your application (if applicable)
  4. A 1-2 page document highlighting your goals for the duration of your term and your vision for SGAC

NOTE:

  • We suggest you include the name of your supporters in the email body instead of the application documents, as most nominators prefer to remain anonymous to the voting pool.
  • Regional coordinators can nominate more than one application, and have the right to vote for the most eligible candidate during the election irrespective of their nominations.
  • The voting pool for the election will include regional coordinators serving on the SGAC Executive Committee during the voting period (March 2022).

Elections Timeline

Nominations Open

01 January 2022

Nomination Close

1 March 2022 at 23:59 CET

Question and Answer Period with SGAC RCs and other Executive Committee Members*

1 – 15 March 2022

Voting Period

17 – 25 March 2022

Announcement of Results

1 April 2022

* During the Q&A period, applicants may be asked to respond to questions from the RCs and Executive Committee Members. A timely response a few days after each set of questions is shared with the applicants is expected.