Join the Youth STEM Matters Executive Team

Work collaboratively to develop & deliver the journal’s strategic direction 🎯

 

Role Overview

The Executive Team at Youth STEM Matters is a group of 7-10 young people who, led by the Editor-in-Chief, develop the journal’s strategic direction, and lead projects which make the journal the most impactful and inclusive platform it can be for youth globally to share their STEM research, ideas & innovations.

We’re looking for a diverse team of young people, who each have different skillsets and strengths, and collectively have the skills required to be responsible for the success of the journal. You don’t need to have experience in a similar role, but you’ll be super committed to our mission.

All Executive Team members complete our Team Member Skills Development Programme when they join, and will be committed to also joining our Executive Team Development Days.

Approximate Time Commitment: 5-6 hours per week

What’s Involved

The Executive Team develop and deliver Youth STEM Matters’ strategy. This is a varied role which will see you working collaboratively with a range of members in the Youth STEM Matters Team, and sharing your views through interactive virtual calls.

In addition to what’s outlined in our What’s Involved section, in this role, you’ll…

  • Contribute to fortnightly Executive Team (virtual) meetings, brainstorming sessions and workshops

  • Develop Youth STEM Matters’ strategic direction and strategic plan

  • Lead projects which help achieve Youth STEM Matters’ strategic aims

  • Identify, define and solve problems across the journal, to make the journal the best it can be, taking a collaborative approach towards working with Team Members and Operational Leads during projects

  • Champion youth in STEM, and the application of STEM to tackle the world’s biggest challenges

  • Make decisions which are in the overall best interests of Youth STEM Matters, Youth STEM 2030 and the team, ensuring Youth STEM Matters continues to work in a way which is in line with our values, and is in pursuit of our mission

  • Create a positive atmosphere within the Youth STEM Matters Team, which promotes inclusion of all and allows all team members to contribute

  • Shape the agenda and, where relevant to your portfolio, attend meetings of the International Advisory Group

  • Take responsibility for a portfolio of different areas of the journal’s strategy. The Executive Team (collectively) needs to cover the following strategic areas:

    • Publication - Science Communication

    • Publication - Research

    • Digital systems

    • Data measurement & reporting (across impact, inclusion, operational success, etc.)

    • Access & Inclusion

    • Policies - ethics, inclusion, etc.

    • Print Edition Coordination

    • Training and Team Member Development

    • Quality & Improvement

    • Marketing and Outreach

    • Impact Monitoring

    • SDGs

    • Events Coordination

    • Partnerships

      This is not a list of distinct roles - rather, a list of responsibilities, from which each Executive Team member has responsibility for several, making up a portfolio.

Key Skills & Qualities

  • ✅ Able to share your views and listen to those of others in a collaborative space

  • ✅ Take an inclusive and participatory approach towards leadership (i.e. progressing projects with the team, not to the team)

  • ✅ Project management, or willing to develop this skillset

  • ✅ An awesome team player, who is able to step up as a leader

  • ✅ Organised approach, including forward planning team projects

  • ✅ Can delegate effectively, to best utilise Team Members’ skillsets and create opportunity for growth

  • ✅ Supportive and keen to help build a community

  • ✅ Able to see the ‘bigger picture’ (i.e. long term impact, unintended consequences, synergies/trade-offs) through strategic level thinking when making decisions

  • ✅ Trustworthy

  • ✅ Genuinely want the best for the journal, Youth STEM 2030 and the Youth STEM Matters Team

  • ✅ Self-motivated and proactive about leading projects that will allow the journal the most impactful it can be

  • ✅ Expecting to be able to commit to this role for at least 1 year

Plus, all of the key skills and qualities that make a great Youth STEM Matters Team member…

  • ✅ Committed to being an active member of our team, and enthusiastic about getting involved in all aspects of the Youth STEM Matters Team (find out what’s involved)

  • ✅ Passionate about our mission of empowering youth to use STEM to tackle global challenges

  • ✅ Collaborative approach towards team-based projects

  • ✅ Proactive and keen to share your views and skills with others

  • ✅ Eager to explore new STEM and sustainability-based topics

  • ✅ Able to manage your time, to balance Youth STEM Matters with your other commitments

  • ✅ A positive attitude towards receiving and implementing constructive feedback - we do a lot of ‘learning by doing’, so it’s okay (and normal!) to sometimes fail, and important you’re open to our team supporting each other to improve

  • ✅ Enthusiastic about learning new skills, willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and committed to putting in the effort! The success of Youth STEM Matters is down to you - the Team - so if there’s one thing we’re looking for, it’s this!

 

Previous Experience

We’re looking for all Executive Team members to have some past experience in at least one of the portfolio areas listed above in the ‘What’s Involved’ section, and a strong interest in working on at least two further portfolio areas. Currently, we are especially keen to hear from people who have past research and/or scientific publishing experience.

You don’t need to have experience in a similar role, but you do need to be up for the challenge of leading a global youth-led scientific journal. This means being willing to try new things (and sometimes fail, but ready to try again), committed to developing your skills, and most of all - being passionate about young people having a meaningful voice in tackling the world’s biggest challenges through STEM!

 

Apply Now!

Apply by Thursday 11th January, 5pm GMT

Other Roles Available

  • Team Member

    A committed team of volunteers who support our authors, using their skills to give youth a platform

  • Operational Lead

    A range of Operational Leads run the day-to-day publication process within the journal

  • Executive Team

    A group of 7-10 Executive Team members develop & deliver the journal’s strategic direction