Since EYFA activities have become more fluid, with staff sharing the different tasks and coordination responsibilities related to our projects, we are looking for someone who is willing to take on both of the above roles. We also ask that the person is under 30, and has some experience or knowledge of activism in eastern Europe. The EYFA office is located in Amsterdam, and staff generally work a 4 day week.

EYFA is an organisation where people can learn the procedures involved in acquiring funding and the general admin tasks of running an organisation, so don't be put off if you don't already have all the skills that we mention here. What we do ask for is a willingness to get involved and an interest in tackling social justice issues from a grassroots level.

WHAT DO EYFA COORDINATORS DO?

The work of EYFA coordinators is a combination of conceptual and practical work involving different tasks from developing projects, writing applications and reports, communicating with funders, organising meetings, financial management, in addition to answering phones, making coffee and watering plants. To give you a clear idea about what the work consists of, we've divided the description in three inter-related parts:

1] co-ordinating EYFA activities and EVS exchanges,

2] communication tasks,

3] running of the EYFA office.

1 ] Co-ordinating EYFA activities and EVS exchanges:

Developing and organizing EYFA activities and planning EYFA EVS exchanges; as well as supporting projects and campaigns within the EYFA network and beyond. Coordinating an activity usually requires involvement from the beginning until the end, and it roughly includes following steps:

• developing an idea/concept for a project or EVS exchange,

• setting up a framework for it and checking out possibilities [finding partners, logistics, funding, etc.],

• fund-raising,

• preparing meetings, program and arranging logistics,

• communicating with involved partners and volunteers,

• implementation, including doing the bookkeeping for the project/activity [simultaneously coordinating different aspects of a project organization: logistics, program, finances..],

• reporting, evaluation, follow up, etc.

2 ] Communication:

Communicating about EYFA and other projects to other networks/groups. This involves editing our newsletter, updating the website, preparing publications and communicating with various groups and individuals. All this, besides being an update on EYFA activities, should be used to disseminate general information on political activism, current issues, meetings and campaigns.

3 ] Running the EYFA office:

Everyone in the EYFA office is expected to get involved with developing future plans for EYFA and to take part in running the office. Besides regular tasks such as checking mails, answering e-mails, writing letters of inquiry on various practical issues, cooking a VEGAN lunch, cleaning the office and watering the plants; collective running of the EYFA office asks for joined efforts in administration; writing of funding applications for EYFA office core activities and EYFA annual reports that cover all EYFA activities and projects. In general, working in the EYFA office requires very good communication, close cooperation and mutual support for everyone in the office.

INTERESTED ?! THEN..

The main requirements are:

- Availability of desirably 24 months, including a trial period,

- Availability to start from somewhere around January-March 2010
- Good communication skills, and fluent English, in verbal and written communication,
- Self-initiative, ability to be a self-starter and work well independently as well as in the group,
- Good organizational skills, planning, time scheduling,

- Experience of work in non-profit and non-hierarchical groups, campaigns or direct action groups,
- Basic computer skills,

- Willingness to take equal part and responsibility in consensus based organization,

Helpful assets:
- Experience in fund-raising,

- Good graphic and design skills,

- Highly networked in international activist community (with a particular interest in eastern Europe),

- Not afraid of a little bureaucracy,
- Familiarity with what EYFA does.

STILL INTERESTED?

Send us your CV and a letter of motivation, and a list of references. Or, if you are in the Netherlands contact us to pass by the office for a coffee.

After reading all letters of motivation, we will choose the most motivated and the most motivating people and ask them to do an assignment and an interview. The assignment is to see how that person is able to put a project together and what kind of projects/activities that person is planning to initiate and support from the EYFA office. After looking through the assignments we will invite several people to come to Amsterdam for an interview. And after that, we will have a new coordinator in the office.

Deadline for applications- 1st September 2009

Thank you.

important note: Unfortunately, this position can not help to get any visa or residence permit in The Netherlands, as all EYFA staff are 'volunteers' and not 'employees'.