Vacancy: Science & Wisdom LIVE Project Manager (Events, Development and fundraising) 

0.8 FTE (4 days per week)

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Science & Wisdom LIVE (SciWiz) is a project of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre (JBC) that started in 2020. It has quickly grown into a fully-fledged team with 4 part-time team members and circa 10 volunteers. We are currently looking for a Project Manager to join our team, starting in April 2023. 

The Project Manager role is 0.8 Full time Equivalent (28 hours per week), with a pro-rata 33 holiday days per year (inclusive of all bank holidays). The Project Manager curates and organises event programming, collaborates with the e-Learning Project Manager to develop courses, develops and implements achievable fundraising strategy and initiatives and directly manages other members of the SciWiz team and volunteers 

About the organisation: 

Science & Wisdom LIVE brings inspiring meditation practitioners in conversation with leading scientists to address the challenges of contemporary society and come to new possible solutions. We believe the dialogue between science and contemplative traditions  inspire positive action and informs an ethical response to the issues  of our times, grounded in the human values of cooperation, compassion and equality, and informed by scientific research.  

Jamyang Buddhist Centre London is a dynamic spiritual centre in the heart of the city with a thriving programme, meeting the  needs of its diverse community: from traditional Buddhist teachings and ritual to a wide range of secular and community projects . Jamyang houses the centre’s team and volunteers and the headquarters of Science and Wisdom LIVE. It also has income generating businesses such as a Guest House, event spaces and venue hire, and a café. Alongside a core team of bright and committed team members,  we  support a community of live-in and non-residential volunteers and a small Sangha of ordained monastics 

Jamyang Buddhist Centre is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and actively seeks diversity within its team, recognising the richness and benefits of applicants of all identities and backgrounds. We welcome applications from all, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and physical ability. 

Who are we looking for? 

We are looking for a passionate individual who is engaged and excited about the interface between science and contemplative traditions and can demonstrate solid programming and project management experience of  at least 4+ years. Excellent knowledge of Outlook, SharePoint, Microsoft Office, and Teams is a must, as well as Zoom hosting and its technicalities, Eventbrite, and WordPress. Experience with or knowledge of Asana or a similar project managing tool is essential. . Ideally you would have some fundraising experience or bring connections into the project that would help us with fundraising in the future. 

This is a dynamic role that requires a high level of independence. You have worked in event programming and know the drill of speaker invitations, building panels, event planning and hosting. You are interested in building partnerships with other organisations and ideally you bring some experience in fundraising. You have a good knowledge of PR and Communications and are a native or near-native English speaker with excellent writing skills.  

Ideally, you hold a MA or PhD and are very familiar with academic standards, protocols, and language, and have some knowledge or experience with e-Learning. A familiarity or interest in Buddhism is quite essential. 

The ideal candidate will be able to inspire, inform and lead a diverse team, while working collaboratively with peers within the project and the wider organisation. Leading effective meetings, team leadership skills and positive solutions-based approach to work are all essential candidate attributes. 

We request that each person make a sincere effort to treat other team members, volunteers, community members, and students with compassion and generosity to create a peaceful, positive and caring environment for everyone. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Event Programming: curating our event programming and hosting events, introducing us to high quality speakers and networks, which may include occasional evening/weekend work (we currently have 4-6 live public events per year).  

1. Strategy and Development (including Fundraising): as our education program and events evolve, we are looking for someone who will actively contribute valuable input and oversight on our strategy and financial development,  takes and active role in fundraising, and  spearheads new partnerships and educational developments within Science & Wisdom LIVE. 

1. Team Management: co-managing a team of 2 part-time colleagues and 10 volunteers.  Take the lead on meetings or assist in other collaborations internally, always in dialogue with the other project managers. This role reports to the Director of Jamyang Buddhist Centre in a weekly meeting (or, in her absence, to the Operations Manager). 

1. Academic development & Liaison with Universities: curate programming to support launch of future e-courses and act as bridge with academia – we aim at developing the e-learning programme of JBC and Science & Wisdom LIVE on an academic level to develop partnerships with university. We have current contacts in place with several universities, and these contacts will need to be nurtured, maintained and expanded upon. 

1. Administration: maintain the financial, and general administration of Science & Wisdom LIVE, including Excel documents on speaker fees, outgoing costs, and budgets. Liaise with the accounts department to make payments. Update the website where necessary. Connect with the assistant project coordinator on updates on all social media channels, Planable, Mailchimp, YouTube, FlowCode, the SciWiz website,  

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS 

• Successful track record with event programming, and project & team management  
• A minimum of 4 year’s experience in conference organisation and/or event organisation 
•  Academic familiarity – being able to speak the language of academic professionals 

• Able to cultivate and nurture the development of new partnerships 
• Excellent track record of spoken and written English (C2 proficiency level minimum)  
• Ability to function and deliver in both strategic  and hands-on frameworks  
• Experience with administration: HR, financial (budgeting), and general administration 
• Solid experience in working with MS Office, Zoom, WordPress, and preferably Asana, Mailchimp, Eventbrite and visual platforms such as Canva or Adobe Photoshop is a plus.  

PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES 

• Experience managing volunteers 
• Experience or familiarity with e-Learning  
• Experience with fundraising  
• Ability to write educational documents on an academic level 

• Interest in, or familiarity with, Buddhism. 
• A connection with Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT)/Jamyang Buddhist Centre London/Science & Wisdom LIVE  

HOURS OF WORK 

The position is part time (4 days per week). Position requires occasional evening and weekend work (we have 4-6 live events per year that mostly happen in the evenings or weekends). 

LOCATION OF WORK 

Mix of remote and on-site (headquarters at Jamyang Buddhist Centre London).  

SALARY AND BENEFITS 

£29000 p/a (£23,200 for 0.8 fte).  

Depending on qualifications. 

Additional benefits: 

UK pension scheme  

Generous holiday allowance inclusive of bank holidays 

Access to all of Jamyang’s and Science & Wisdom LIVE’s classes and events free of charge 

Free lunch meals provided onsite on working days 

20% team discount in the Jamyang shop 

Cycle to work scheme available 

TO APPLY: 

Accepting CVs and Submissions: before April 24, 2023 

Interviews: beg-mid May 2023 

Prospective Start Date: 15th of June 2023 

Every candidate needs to demonstrate permission to work in the UK. Jamyang Buddhist Centre London and its subsidiary projects are unable to support visa applications for candidates. 

Applications: 

Please send the following in your application  

• One-page motivation letter outlining why you’re right for this role and this role is right for you, in which you highlight relevant experience, and make sure that this reflects your C.V. Please mention 1 example of an event you’ve organised within the past 5 years. 
• Create an example of a future event you’d like to organise for Science & Wisdom LIVE that has potential to be turned into an e-learning course. Make sure you look on our website (see past events; also our e-learning page) and copy our short event format (max. 3 speakers plus one moderator for a 2-hours long evening dialogue between scientists and contemplative practitioners). 

• Include a C.V. of the past 5+ years. 
• Please add three references including full name, phone number, email address, and mailing address. 

Please send these 4 documents (motivation letter, example future event proposal, C.V. and 3 references) to: director@jamyang.co.uk before April 24, 2023.