Wales (and Languages) Programme Coordinator

Full details at :_Wales_%26_Languages

Wikimedia UK is the national platform for open knowledge, bringing together practical and policy expertise about Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. We work with world-leading cultural and educational institutions to increase access to knowledge, and develop information literacy skills.

We support a range of minority and minoritised language communities and their associated Wikimedia projects, including indigenous languages of the UK. We have actively collaborated with the Welsh Wikimedia community for many years and are committed to continuing this support, while also extending our offer to other languages.

We are therefore recruiting for a Wales and Languages Programme Coordinator to join our small and friendly staff team. You would have a focus on supporting the development of Welsh open knowledge projects and communities but would also provide support and Wikimedia expertise to other language communities. An ideal candidate would have Welsh language skills, together with community development and partnership building experience, and a commitment to opening up access to knowledge and information.

Please note, that if you are applying for part time hours then the role would be focused on Wales only, with additional language activities incorporated only into a full time role.

Applications (CV and cover letter) to be sent to Sara Thomas (Programme Manager) -

Closing date end of day 11th November 2024.

Hours: Offered as either part time (exact hours to be agreed, supporting Wales only), or full time (35 hours per week) with broader language remit

Location: Flexible within the UK, with regular travel to meet with partners and communities in Wales (and possibly further in the UK), and meetings in London between four and six times a year.

Reporting to: Programme Manager

Salary: Starting salary £30,000 per annum pro rata depending on experience

Pension: WMUK offers a pension scheme, with a current employer contribution of 6%

Benefits: 25 days annual leave plus public holidays (pro rata)

Main Duties

1. Programme Development and Delivery

• Lead on the development and delivery of Wikimedia UK's programme in Wales, in collaboration with the Programme Manager and the Director of Programmes and Evaluation
• Develop and deliver a range of activities, such as Wikipedia editing events, media donations, and conferences, in partnership with other staff and external stakeholders
• Seek potential opportunities for new projects and partnerships
• Work with other staff to identify funding opportunities for existing or potential projects

2. Relationship Management

• Develop and manage relationships with existing and potential partner organisations in Wales
• Play a role in maintaining a collaboration with Wikimedia Community Ireland, and other relevant Wikimedia affiliates who support language development. This may include engaging with the Language Diversity Hub

3. Community Engagement and Development

• Seed and develop new contributor communities within target language groups, developing a range of activities appropriate to their needs
• Identify and develop partnerships with community groups working in Welsh or other target languages
• Develop engagement opportunities for new and existing Wikimedia projects contributors including content generation opportunities (campaigns), editing events, editor meetups and similar; and provide support for community-led activities
• Support the development of community organisers who can be involved in delivering activities in Wales; and where appropriate, provide support for online community governance processes.
• Deliver (or support the delivery of) training for new and existing volunteers
• Support the volunteer grants programme in relation to activities in Wales
• Pilot and evaluate different models of community engagement and development of our language communities, in consultation with the Programme Manager and the Director of Programmes and Evaluation
• Support other staff within the Programmes team in their own work with language communities

4. Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact

• Report regularly on programme plans, outputs and outcomes, in collaboration with other staff in the Programmes team
• Handle documentation and record all relevant programme metrics. Update CRM records for partnerships, volunteers and activities

5. Communication and Dissemination

• Write blog posts, create case studies, and generally contribute to the promotion and dissemination of our work and impact, in collaboration with the Communications team
• Engage in public speaking opportunities on behalf of Wikimedia UK in promoting our work in Wales, as required
• Engage with other Wikimedia organisations, sharing our language work expertise

Experience

• Experience in the Welsh cultural, education or open knowledge sectors
• Experience of managing partnership projects
• Experience of organising events
• Experience of working effectively with volunteers and supporting volunteer development
• Experience of developing and/or delivering training or skills development opportunities
• Experience of supporting minoritised groups
• Experience of working directly with schools (desirable)

Skills, abilities and attributes

• Learner level of Welsh (or higher)
• Collaborative, supportive approach
• Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to involve and inspire volunteers in person and remotely
• Project reporting and communicating outcomes
• Passionate about the mission and values of Wikimedia UK
• An understanding of the Wikimedia volunteer communities (desirable)
• Existing knowledge or transferable skills appropriate to technical on-wiki activity, or willingness to learn. Example items include mass upload, data cleaning, wiki templates, etc
• Flexibility, adaptability to opportunities as they arise

Wikimedia UK holds equity, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our organisation. We particularly welcome applications from potential candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups, such as those with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act. As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer a guaranteed interview to any disabled candidate who meets the essential criteria for the post. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please state this in your covering letter.

If shortlisted, we may share with you some of the interview questions in advance to help you better prepare.