Position Summary

About the Social Impact Leadership Accelerator

The Social Impact Leadership Accelerator is a 4-month team-based training and project development course for social impact leaders who are looking for tools, structure, and support to turn their big ideas into a sustainable project. Through interactive training sessions with other teams across Asia and the US, independent team tasks, and individualized coaching, team members learn how to:

• Collaborate effectively as a team
• Identify their target community and project goals
• Develop impact-driven programs with effective evaluation plans
• Communicate their value to community stakeholders and funders

The Accelerator is part of VIA’s larger vision of an interconnected global community of project teams, startups, and nonprofit organizations all working towards positive social impact.

Our Vision for the Program Development Fellows’ Role

Fellows are a critical part of our vision of an interconnected ecosystem of changemakers. The Fellowship is an opportunity to develop professional recruitment, team mentorship, sustainable project design support, and virtual facilitation skills. Fellows practice these skills as they support teams from Asia and the US who are developing social impact projects that address a need in their local communities and thereby contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Skills Fellows Develop

• Mentorship – Develop mentoring relationships with team leaders; integrate into teams to give feedback, share resources, and connect to new networks
• Facilitation – Learn how to facilitate interactive virtual sessions with both individual teams and the entire cohort
• Project Management – Learn useful tools like Program Logic Models and needfinding tools; help ensure that teams achieve their project development milestones
• Cross-Cultural Skills – Learn about social impact initiatives in a new cultural context
• Team Development – Learn how to support teams through conflict and work alongside a dynamic group of Fellows and VIA staff
• Sustainability – Learn how to think critically about the three pillars of sustainability (people, planet, profit) in the context of social impact initiatives
• Virtual Work Skills – Learn how to build relationships in a virtual and distributed environment; Help teams manage time effectively when accommodating different time zones and work styles; use tools for effective remote work (Slack, content & community building platforms, etc.)
• Recruitment – Learn how to assess applicants to ensure a strong and diverse cohort

Resources

• In Times of Crisis, Coordinators Put People First – Note that the title of this position was formerly “Accelerator Coordinator” but we have shifted to a Fellowship model to reflect the intensive training and mentorship Fellows both receive from VIA staff and provide to Accelerator teams.
• Past Fellows
• Social Impact Leadership Accelerator page
• Team Nexplore Final Speaker Series Event recording (moderated by Fellow Laura Galang)

Responsibilities

• Serve as a Fellow for 1-2 accelerator teams
• Attend and facilitate meetings with the program leadership team approximately 2-3 times per month. Calls with the full cohort are pre-scheduled, and all other meetings are scheduled as best suits participants, Fellows, and staff schedules. Calls may occur before, during, or after regular business hours in order to accommodate time zones across the US and Asia.
• Participate in recruitment of accelerator teams including reviewing applications, participating in group interviews, and contributing to final selection of teams
• Moderate and help teams design their culminating Speaker Series events to highlight the teams’ social impact project
• Provide written feedback to teams’ submissions on the online community building platform
• Contribute to VIA’s research efforts by providing reflections on participant learning outcomes and content delivery methods
• Design and facilitate the post-program celebration call to recognize participants for their successful completion of the accelerator program
• Communicate with participants and VIA staff in a timely manner via relevant online platforms
• There may be additional opportunities to practice relevant skills within the VIA community if Fellows have interest and availability – for example, by supporting VIA conferences & events, grant review, curriculum design, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

Successful Fellows:

• Are flexible and willing to support the Fellow team and participants with unexpected changes
• Have strong organizational skills; ability to work independently and in a team
• Are able to serve as an effective bridge between program participants and VIA staff
• Have an interest in training and supporting future social impact leaders
• Have a strong interest in and/or experience working with social issues/social entrepreneurship in Asia or the US
• Are fluent in English and comfortable with supporting English language learners. Non-native English speakers are welcome and encouraged to apply.
• Are strong oral and written communicators, especially in cross-cultural contexts
• Have experience acting as an advisor, mentor, coach, or group leader
• Have access to a computer, webcam, speaker, microphone, and high-speed internet access that enables you to communicate with others via video call. VIA does not supply or reimburse Fellows for these items.

Location: This is a 100% remote position that can be done from anywhere in the world as long as you can be available for all training, program planning sessions, and all-cohort calls; have a good internet connection, and are able to use the US version of Zoom.

Fellowship Timeline

All dates are in US Time

• Fellowship Application Period
  • January 14, 2024: Application deadline
  • January 15-19: Application Review & Interview Invitations
  • January 29 – February 8: Interviews & Selection
  • February 9: Applicants notified of results
  • February 16: Deadline for accepted candidates to confirm participation

• Fellow Training & Accelerator Preparations
  • February 23: Training call 1
  • March 8: Training call 2

• All-Cohort Sessions
  Fellows must be available to participate in all all-cohort sessions (usually scheduled for 2 hours in the evening US time / morning Asia time).
  
  • All-Cohort Calls
    • Call 1: March 15
    • Call 2: March 22
    • Call 3: March 29
    • Call 4: April 5
    • 1 week break (April 12 – Eid, Songkran, Maha Thingyan)
    • Call 5: April 19
    • Call 6: April 26
    • Call 7: May 3
    • Call 8: May 10
    • 2 week break to complete project work and assignments
    • Call 9: May 31
  • Speaker Series: June 7-8, 2024
  • Celebration Call: June 14

Benefits

• Professional Development – VIA supports the Fellows’ professional development and provides mentorship to strengthen their skills in:
  • Mentorship
  • Virtual Facilitation
  • Project Management
  • Cross-Cultural Communication & Collaboration
  • Team-Building and Development
  • Sustainability
  • Critical Analysis and Application of Sustainability and Social Impact Frameworks
  • Virtual Work Skills
  • Promotion & Recruitment
• Per Diem – Fellows will receive a per diem to support their participation in both training activities and program facilitation ($643 USD, based on VIA’s per diem policy).
• Recognition of Achievement – Fellows will receive an official certificate of recognition upon successful completion of the Fellowship. We are also happy to provide letters of recommendation based on your performance as a Fellow.

Finally, Fellows come away from the program with lifelong personal and professional connections to VIA’s international network.

Equal Opportunity Statement

VIA is committed to providing an inclusive work and learning environment for applicants, participants, fellows, volunteers, contractors, and employees. VIA does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression (including sex stereotyping), transgender status, age, religion or religious creed (including religious observances, practices, dress and grooming standards), physical, intellectual or mental disability, medical condition, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, AIDS/HIV status, marital or domestic partnership status, military service, veteran or military status, military caregiver status, status as a victim of domestic violence, assault or stalking, weight, height, criminal history (including arrests and records of conviction), political affiliation, position in a labor dispute, application or participation in a public assistance program, or any other characteristic or status protected by federal, state or local laws. Discrimination based on the perception of someone being in a protected class or affiliating with someone in a protected class is also unlawful.