Volunteer Recruitment & Engagement Specialist

About The Observatory

The Observatory is a free public encyclopedia and life guide dedicated to helping people better understand the critical issues shaping our world. Through expert-written articles, in-depth research, and accessible analysis, the Observatory serves as a trusted resource for lifelong learners, educators, students, journalists, and curious minds everywhere.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the Volunteer Onboarding Manager regarding new applicants and interview scheduling
• Conduct interviews for prospective volunteers, including editors, proofreaders, researchers, writers, digital marketing specialists, and other support roles
• Evaluate volunteer applications and provide feedback to the Volunteer Coordination Team
• Help ensure a positive, welcoming, and consistent applicant experience
• Support volunteer onboarding and engagement initiatives
• Participate in volunteer lifecycle activities, including periodic check-ins and growth plan conversations when applicable
• Auxiliary with maintaining volunteer records and organizational documentation
• Collaborate with the Volunteer Coordination Team on recruitment, onboarding, retention, and engagement efforts
• Attend virtual meetings and complete assigned action items as availability permits

Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal, interviewing, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to maintain a consistent weekly availability for scheduling interviews and volunteer conversations
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a remote team
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through
• Interest in volunteer engagement, people operations, community building, or human resources
• Commitment to the Observatory’s mission of public education and knowledge-sharing

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, volunteer coordination, human resources, or related fields
• Experience building positive relationships with diverse individuals and teams
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail, and Google Meet)
• Experience working remotely or within distributed volunteer organizations