Utilize your skills for social impact

Maybe you're watching the news or concerned about your own country. You want to do something, but don't work in sustainability.  

Our volunteers come a variety of backgrounds - business, engineering, international relations, psychology - and work together for one goal: shape a more sustainable future.

We think we're pretty cool

We understand that volunteers are dedicating their spare time to work with us. We want you to enjoy being part of the team - so team building, professional development, and social events are core to the volunteer experience.

We're not kidding about changing the world

Assembly members are essential for SDSN Youth to function on a global scale.
You'll meet passionate young people from around the world.

Join the team to amplify their work,  help them accelerate their impact, one Saturday at a time.

Read stories from our volunteers

Case Study: Faith's story as a SDG Coordinator

"We knew that to make an effective change within the university community, we needed to work hard and reach out to every student on campus at the undergraduate and postgraduate level...I have learned to lead better and engage in a more effective way. I have met people with different ideas and plans and I am always amazed at how young people have so much embedded in them."

Read more >>

Case Study: Laura's story as a Local Pathways Fellow

"One year after, I look back at the Fellowship feeling grateful and inspired. Some elements of my project concept note have been incorporated in the work of 500 x La Paz. Even though the pandemic has paused on further steps of my project, I have learned a lot and hope to apply this knowledge to this and future projects of mine. As an urban journalist, I have also written a piece about the challenges of and potential solutions for my project area."

Read more >>

Case Study: Haripriya's story as a SDG Coordinator

"What is best about this initiative,” Haripriya recounted, “is there are insights shared by people from all walks of life - they could be scholars, policymakers, professionals, educators, and whatnot - and we make sure that our questions are never biased to any of our personal perspectives."

Read more >>
See all stories

Admin, Operations, Process Mapping

The glue that keeps the team together.

Operational roles are essential to keeping things run smoothly.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Financial modelling and budgeting;
  • Managing processes or designing new ones;
  • Ensuring the teams meet any compliance needs such as auditing or reporting;
  • Or co-designing the operating model

Communications, Marketing

Your role is to ensure our message is actually communicated to the end audience.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Graphic or poster design;
  • Video creation;
  • Web design or development;
  • Creating slide decks or proposals;
  • Branding or marketing strategy;
  • Or social media.

Community, Hub Engagement

Your role aims to understand the needs, challenges and goals of your community, and provide support to address them - in order to engage the program community.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Community interviews/surveys to understand their needs;
  • Mapping out needs to activities;
  • Running community webinars or workshops;
  • Running social events;
  • Or collating resources.

Fundraising

The Fundraising Team is pivotal to expanding SDSN Youth.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Grant and donor research;
  • Profiling investors;
  • Creating fundraising collatoral such as pitch decks;
  • Investor outreach and engagement;
  • Or donor reporting

Learning & Development

Learning & Development team members aim to upksill volunteers so that they are best equipped to grow professionally and personally.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Create their own training material;
  • Partner with external parties or find external individuals to run training;
  • Conduct surveys to understand learning needs;
  • Or run workshops/webinars to deliver them

Partnerships

Working together is important for us to achieve the SDGs - the goal is to identify how we can effectively collaborate.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Skill, gap and market mapping for potential partners;
  • Engaging with potential partners via scoping calls;
  • Managing stakeholder relationships;
  • Working closely with Strategy & Ops to identify what new partners are needed;
  • Or ensuring we are always delivering on our agreements.

Pilots, Growth, New Ventures

The Strategy Team and Growth Teams identify New Ventures that may help increase SDSN Youth's impact or ability to fundraise.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Assess the feasibility and value of a pilot project and implements it, before it can be considered as a flagship SDSN Youth program.

Programming, Product

The design of the programs...how do you create a great experience for your program members, and also allow them to reach their goals?

Example Responsibilities:

  • Program member survey or focus groups;
  • Running the programs and interacting with the program members;
  • Taking a step back to look at whether or not the program is helping deliver the theory of change;
  • Or researching best practices of how to better improve the program.

Recruitment, HR

The Recruitment/HR team is in charge of finding new volunteers to join the team, and engage current ones.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Interviewing and shortlisting candidates;
  • Running social events or building HR capabilities;
  • Running town hall events;
  • Recruitment marketing;
  • Or managing HR policies

Strategy Advisory

You would support the Global Director in addressing strategic challenge statements in the teams, and working with the Team Leads to solve them.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Running discovery workshops;
  • Market research;
  • Co-creating journey maps, personas or service blueprints;
  • Or helping the Team Leads put together a strategic framework or short/med/long term strategy.

Team Management

Drive a vision. Leadership roles that manage our team of volunteers.

Example Responsibilities:

  • Keeping track of team KPIs & metrics;
  • Connecting team goals to organizational goals;
  • Coordinating the team, and empowering the team;
  • Unblocking and helping problem solve with the team;
  • Or ensuring there is visibility to leadership and the public on your impact.

Application Process

We have a 5-step process for positions at SDSN Youth.
1. Written application + CV
2. Online Assessment
3. Phone screen
4. Team Interview
5. Offer!

Interview Tips

The application process allows us to better understand you as a person. We want to learn about your goals, your experience and motivations - and give you a peek into our team culture, aspirations, and vision as well.

Interviewing is simply a way for our teams to understand 1) whether you are a good fit for the role, and 2) whether you would fit the team culture - nothing more! Just be your authentic self and have a clear idea of why you are the best person for the role.
Written Applications + CV
This section shows us a glimpse of your skills and motivations for the role. Focus on a few examples that demonstrate the role's required skills. Show us that you understand our mission.
Online Assessment
The online assessments will vary per role. Typical assessment types are:

Video questionnaire
Being a remote network, open communication is critical to the network. We don't always get to meet our team in person - so we want to see how you communicate over video.All about how you solve a problem

Portfolio
If you've picked a design or marketing role, we'll ask you to show us your style of design (via sample work) or ask you to walk us through a recent project you've worked on. We want to understand how you designed a solution for the target audience.

Example case interview
Typically for strategic roles. We'll give you a hypothetical scenario, and ask you how you would go about approaching it. We want to understand how you would seek inputs and work with other people, in order to solve a problem.
Phone screen
Phone screens help us understand logistical information i.e. your availiability, professional goals, location or whether you are interested in multiple teams/roles.
Team Interview
Typically run with your future team members or team lead - could be combination of skills-related questions and behavioural, this is a last check for us to see whether you have the right experience/values. This interview allows you to ask questions about the projects you'll be working on, the team culture, etc.
Offer!
If we both agree that you would be a great fit (and you are interested in the team), we'll extend an informal offer and onboard you into the team.

Partner

Leverage our global network to accelerate your impact. Work with one of the world’s largest youth-focused networks working on the SDGs.