Careers and volunteering

Some of the CSES team at the inaugural Chelmsford Science Festival

Urgently seeking new CSES Secretary

Are you looking for a flexible, low-commitment way to get more involved in the work of CSES and promoting STEM more generally? Do you have a couple of hours you could spare each month?

If so, then the role of CSES Secretary could be for you. We are urgently seeking candidates to fill this vital position. Please do consider putting yourself forward.

The formal role has a few key responsibilities with a very low time commitment (some more details on this below), but you would be able to take part in and volunteer for other activities organised by CSES if you wish, such as the Science Festival, TEXPO, Saturday Club and events in schools. As such, this is an excellent opportunity for someone looking for flexibility. It is also great for someone looking for career development, as the role can be high-profile, with excellent networking and collaboration opportunities with major local organisations.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please contact us.

Please note that we are also recruiting for the role of CSES President.

What you'd get from the role

  • Engagement with local technology companies
  • Making a difference to the local community through STEM
  • Working with Anglia Ruskin University and Essex County Council (among others)
  • Liaison with other bodies such as the IET, IMechE, IOP
  • Being a core part of a friendly team with plenty of social opportunities

What you'd need to do as a minimum

  • Attend monthly committee meetings (1.5 hours, weekday evening) and record actions / basic notes
  • Circulate notes after the meeting – no need to type up formal minutes
  • Collect agenda items from the committee and prepare / circulate an agenda prior to the next meeting
  • On occasion, arrange external meetings (find suitable times)
  • Annually, prepare the agenda for and take notes at the AGM

The work required outside of meetings is minimal – we estimate at most a further 1 hour per month on average. We have put tools in place (such as an automated spreadsheet for taking notes/actions and email lists for internal circulation) to reduce the administrative burden as far as possible, but would welcome further ideas to save time and effort!

Full training will be provided. No formal secretarial or administrative experience is required, but you will need basic IT proficiency (Microsoft Word and Excel) and general organisational skills. Please note that you must be legally eligible to become a trustee of the Society, which is a registered charity.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please contact us.

And finally, we would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Amy who has been an excellent Secretary for the last 6 years, and who has contributed so much to the Society in that time.

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