TED

TED is a global community — and so is our staff. We are headquartered in New York but the collaborative and global nature of our work means we have staffers, advisors and volunteers worldwide.

About the role

TED’s mission is to discover and spread ideas that spark imagination, embrace possibility, and catalyze impact. We open minds and inspire action through ideas, connecting people from every corner of the world. Our community prioritizes talking across differences and finding common ground. In 2024, TED content was watched and heard more than 1.89 billion times educating and inspiring the world. Our agenda is to make great ideas accessible to spark conversation and action. Everything we do is driven by this goal because we believe ideas change everything.

Values

• Optimism: We believe tomorrow is full of possibility and can be better than today. We are open to amplifying ideas from anyone, anywhere that inspire us to create the future we want to live in.
• Vision: We value ideas and individuals that are forward-looking. We celebrate a sense of wonder and discovery. And we share what we find as an invitation for people to never stop learning.
• Impact: We strive to see change at all magnitudes. We believe a great idea can change someone’s perspective, daily ritual, or even life. We also believe the right idea can bring people together to change the world.

Talent development

Our global team is the talent behind TED’s transformative content, events, conferences, and programs. We are audacious in our thinking, open, and curious about ideas. Learning and Professional Development are priorities as we support career growth for staff through tools like:

• Individual Development Plan (IDP)
• TED’s Mentorship Program and Learning Series
• LinkedIn Learning
• TED@Work Learning Program

Culture and connection

• Culture Committee: Creates opportunities for engagement and connection, bringing our global team together virtually throughout the year and in person during Core Weeks in NYC.
• All Hands Meetings: Quarterly meetings produced TED-style in our theater at TED HQ and shared virtually for remote employees. These gatherings include program updates, innovations, and news about conferences and events.
• All-Staff Week: A week-long event at the end of Q4 featuring staff presentations, professional development workshops, and social gatherings to celebrate successes and strengthen team bonds.

Inclusive workplace

To ensure a dynamic employee experience for our global team, we partnered with Stanford SPARQ, a “do tank” that uses behavioral science to reduce disparities and bridge divides. With SPARQ, we formed two “do tanks” made up of TED staff:

• One focused internally on the employee experience and internal processes.
• One focused externally on aspects of TED’s work.

These groups have driven transformative recommendations to foster a more inclusive workplace.

Employee Resource Groups

TED ERGs are staff-led groups that support belonging, fellowship, and allyship. Anyone is welcome to participate. Active ERGs include:

• YoPro@TED: A group for Young Professionals and allies, fostering career development and cross-team learning for early-career employees.
• Queer@TED: A group for TED staff who are members or allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, providing a forum for support and advocacy.

Benefits

• Health and wellness: Comprehensive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, along with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and mental health resources.
• Family support: 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Retirement: 401k program with employer matching and options for traditional or Roth contributions.
• Commuter benefits: US employees can purchase pre-tax commuter and parking passes through WageWorks.
• TED access: Complimentary TED Live subscription to watch all past TED Conferences.
• Time off: Flexible paid time off to prioritize wellbeing and restoration.