Nominations Open for the SGAC Co-Chair Election 2024

As the term of SGAC Chair, Hamza Hameed (Pakistan), is coming to an end, SGAC is excited to announce that nominations are now open for a new Co-Chair. The new Co-Chair will work alongside the incoming Chair, Antonino Salmeri (Italy), and the Executive Committee to shape the future of SGAC.

Deadline for Applications: 1 March 2024, 23:59 CET

Summary

SGAC is led by two Co-Chairs, each elected for a two-year term and serving in an unpaid, voluntary capacity. 

The SGAC Co-Chair positions are time-intensive but highly rewarding roles. The Co-Chairs are responsible for overseeing the leadership, strategy, and management of the overall SGAC organisation. 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 by volunteers around the world. 

The role of Co-Chair is akin to a Chairperson of a Board of Directors in a company, in charge of leading the SGAC Executive Committee, and having overarching responsibility, accountability, and leadership of all the activities of the SGAC staff, volunteers, contractual obligations, and financial activities.

Key responsibilities of the position are to work closely with the other Co-Chair to:

• Lead SGAC as the head of the organisation in official representation at events and meetings, in external communication to our partners, sponsors, stakeholders, and the general public, and internally to our staff, team, volunteers, and members.
• Provide strategic decision-making and direction for the organisation, from developing and executing SGAC’s short and medium-term strategic plan to day-to-day decision-making throughout the whole organisation.
• Act as the final decision-maker for decisions within SGAC, including but not limited to reviewing and finalising the selection of key SGAC positions and scholarship opportunities, and casting the tie-breaking vote in decisions of the Executive Committee.
• Uphold and ensure accountability in all SGAC activities according to the Statutes, Bylaws, and all policies of the organisation, and ensure they are kept up to date and relevant to the organisation.
• Mentor, train, coordinate, and manage the activities of the Regional Coordinators and the members of the Executive Office, appointed officers, teams, project groups, and standing committees established by the organisation towards meeting the mission and objectives of the organisation as defined by our Statutes and Bylaws.
• Motivate and provide positive morale and enthusiasm to the SGAC members (especially active volunteers).

Responsibilities and Duties

The Co-Chairs are responsible for a broad range of operational activities in the organisation that are crucial to its day-to-day operation. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring SGAC meets and complies with all relevant governmental, legal, taxation, and financial auditing and reporting requirements in all relevant jurisdictions.
• Reviewing and approving every financial spending as an accountable signatory of the organisation.
• Reviewing and approving the SGAC global organisational budget at the end of the financial year.
• Reviewing and updating the SGAC Strategic Plan annually.
• Managing staff employment and contracts.
• Managing issues, conflicts, and reporting arising from formal and informal mechanisms within SGAC, such as breaches of the SGAC Code of Conduct.
• Leading and managing the teams directly reporting and accountable to the Co-Chairs, including, but not limited to, the Regional Coordinators (including the Regional Teams and NPoCs), the Treasurer and the Finance Team, General Counsels, Policy & Advocacy, Education & Professional Development, and the Alumni Team.
• Inform and consult the SGAC Advisory Board, Honorary Board, and the U.S. Board of Directors on strategic and governance matters.

Exact duties and meetings requiring Co-Chair’s involvement change based on the operational requirements of the organisation. Examples of duties/meetings carried out in the past include:

• Lead the annual General Assembly and monthly meetings of the Executive Committee to ensure continued transparency, coordination, and reporting of the organisation.
• Monthly meetings with the Treasurer to ensure the organisation’s budget and finances are within strategic goals and remain 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.
• Participate in Chair – Staff meetings twice a week.
• Lead 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 and annual review of all SGAC internal policies.

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 and to delegate them where appropriate.

Co-Chairs are elected for a term of two years and are not eligible to serve a second term. After the 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 secure the nomination of at least two Regional Coordinators
• Applicants who are not part of the SGAC Executive Committee need to secure the nomination of two Regional Coordinators and either one of the Co-Chairs before 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 SGAC experience, especially in a position of leadership.
• 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 (COPUOS) and its objectives.
• Have preferably hands-on experience in activities for young adults and space-related projects.
• Be a leading example of upholding the SGAC Statutes and Bylaws and the SGAC Code of Conduct.
• 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 in person.

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 unparalleled opportunities for leadership skills and career development with an international nonprofit/nongovernmental organisation in the space sector. 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 of up to $2,000 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, Hamza Hameed, at [email protected] with the subject heading [LAST NAME, 2024 Co-Chair Election].

Your application package should include the following information:

• Your CV (with headshot photo, date of birth, and nationality) attached as a PDF
• 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
• A plan highlighting your goals for the duration of your term and your vision for SGAC
• The names of the Regional Coordinators and/or current Co-Chairs supporting your application (if applicable) in the email body ONLY

NOTE:

• You should include the names of your supporters in the email body instead of the application documents, as most nominators prefer to remain anonymous to the voting pool.
• Nominators 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 be the Regional Coordinators serving on the SGAC Executive Committee during the voting period (March 2023). Any Regional Coordinators with a conflict of interest as defined in section 7 of the SGAC Bylaws must withdraw from the vote.
• Prospective candidates are highly encouraged to reach out to the current Chair, Co-Chair, and members of the Executive Committee during the preparation of their application.  Once nomination closes, any communication with the Co-Chairs and the Executive Committee regarding the Co-Chair election process not through formal Elections Oversight Committee channels is strictly forbidden.  

Elections Timeline

* 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.

About SGAC

The Space Generation Advisory Council in Support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications is a global non-governmental, non-profit (US 501(c)3) organisation and network which aims to represent university students and young space professionals ages 18-35 to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia. The SGAC network of members, volunteers and alumni has grown to more than 23,000 members representing more than 165 countries. Learn more here.