Pint of Science Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation that aims to increase science appreciation among the Australian people. Our flagship annual festival not only serves as a way to bridge the gap between science/research and the Australian public, but also as a medium for researchers to practice science communication and for volunteers to further develop skills that can facilitate their career progression.
How to apply?
Have a read through the information below and see what best suits your interests, skills-sets, and time commitments.
If you're after a leadership role on the National Team, get in touch by responding to the relevant Position Description.
If you're after a supporting role on the National Team get in touch by responding to the relevant Position Description.
If you're after a volunteering opportunity on one of the Local Teams to deliver the annual May festival, or you're interested in joining the National team but haven't quite found the right fit, fill out our Expression of Interest to tell us a little about yourself and what roles you could be interested in.
Why volunteer with us?
We believe in the growth of others. We value the contributions from each of our volunteers and strive to give back in the forms of mentoring and professional development.
Whether you are a recent graduate looking to gain experience to strengthen your CV, a professional looking to change careers and want to put new skills into practice, a passionate individual wanting to help further science communication, or just want to volunteer for a good cause, Pint of Science AU is the place for you.
Who are we looking for?
Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT have be a scientist. We are looking for motivated and dedicated volunteers with diverse skills to offer, a willingness to learn, and a desire to collaborate with people from different backgrounds.
You can choose to be part of the National Team, where your commitment to Pint of Science extends beyond the annual May festival. Here, you’ll play an important role in shaping national initiatives. Interested in developing long-term strategies and improvements for Pint of Science? Interested in learning how a not-for-profit organisation operates? Interested in contributing your financial or accounting skills to a good cause? Then you’re the perfect fit for the National Team. We have both leadership roles and supporting roles available to help Pint of Science stay in operation. If you don't quite spot something up your alley, but you still want to get involved at this level - get in touch!
Or you can choose to be part of one of the Local Teams. In an events environment, your peak commitment period is in the months leading up to and including the May festival. Want to be part of a team that sees through a festival event or project from start to finish? Or maybe you’ve never volunteered before and want to try it out with a supportive organisation? Then consider volunteering for one of our Local Teams. Read on for a description of what they do...
Which roles are available?
We have a range of roles available across the National and Local Teams.
National Team
We have both leadership roles and supporting roles available to help Pint of Science AU stay in operation.
Media & Communications (Media, Social Media, Website, and Graphic Design)
Help spread the word about the awesome work of #PintAU across media, social media and our website! And help us develop better internal comms practices too.
Operations (Festival Planning, Local Team Support, Merchandising and Logistics)
Help organise and mentor our local teams to make sure they hit their deadlines so that we can have a successful festival all across the country. Or help to ensure our awesome merch reaches our volunteers and audience every festival.
Strategy and Policy (Strategic Partnerships, Volunteer Support, Evaluation, Policy Development, Action Planning)
Help figure out what we could be doing better, and how to do it better. This includes helping bring in financial support to fund our projects by working with stakeholders; helping support and train our amazing volunteers by designing and implementing training programs; helping evaluate what we do by analysing and reporting on the data; helping us be a more inclusive organisation that reaches a diverse volunteer and audience base by developing and implementing inclusive policies; and helping us think about the things we'd like to achieve as an organisation in the future, and how to get there.
Finance
We're a GST registered not-for-profit. Help us ensure we do all the right things for the ATO, and that all our volunteers get reimbursed quickly.
Local Teams
Our Local Teams operate in the events environment in the lead up, and during, the annual May festival. They are supported by the National Team to deliver the Pint of Science festival all across the country.
City Coordinator
The City Coordinator leads and coordinates the local team to deliver the local festival. Working closely with the Operations team, this leadership role delegates activities and tasks across the group of engaged volunteers.
Depending on the size of the city, this role may include some on-the-ground activity (such as going to venues to secure bookings) but for larger cities should primarily be a coordination role.
Note that some cities may choose to merge the City Coordinator and City Assistant Coordinator into two equal roles of 'City co-Coordinators'.
Team Leader/Assistant Coordinator
The City Assistant Coordinator responsibility assists the City Coordinator with general management tasks. They may assist with on-the-ground tasks for smaller cities (such as securing venues for the festival), or may be purely a management role in larger cities.
The City Assistant Coordinator should be across all aspects of the local festival and is able to step in and act as the City Coordinator should there be a need.
Note that some cities may choose to merge the City Coordinator and City Assistant Coordinator into two equal roles of 'City co-Coordinators'.
Venue Manager (Includes Speaker Liaison)
The Venue Manager is responsible individual for a venue for Pint of Science, you will have a variety of tasks to ensure the successful running of the event. This includes keeping in regular contact with the venue, organizing and coordinating with speakers and volunteers, leading a small team to run the event for three nights, making sure that all necessary reporting and stocktaking has been completed, and maintaining appropriate branding while in uniform. It is important to stay organized and on top of these responsibilities in order to ensure the smooth operation of the event.
Local Volunteer
The Local Volunteer role is for those who want to be a part of the volunteer team but are not able or yet ready to take on a greater responsibility such as a venue manager.
It is still expected that Local Volunteers assist with tasks, and to complete anything they commit to, but this role allows more flexibility in task responsibility.