Long-Term Volunteer Opportunities

Coordinator Positions (2024-2025)

The BEST Management Team is looking for current university students, recent university graduates, or young working professionals to join our team for the 2024-2025 school year.

Available positions:

  • Marketing Coordinator

  • Alumni Coordinator

  • Student Leader Coordinator

  • Coach Coordinator - preferable 2nd year ETA 

  • Tournament Policy Coordinator

  • Debate (Program/Tournament) Coordinator

  • Balkan Voices Coordinator

Interested? Here are a few things you need to know:

  • Coordinators must be at least 18 years old.

  • Coordinators must be at least a 2nd year in university. 

  • Application requirements differ for each position. 

To apply:

  • Send a cover letter to info@bestfoundation.bg explaining your motivation to be a BEST coordinator. Please tell us which volunteer position you are applying for, why you love BEST, and why you are a good fit for the position. You may apply for up to two positions. We will be accepting applications until the positions are filled but we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

  • Include the position that you are applying for in the subject line of the email (ie: “Marketing Coordinator Application”)

  • Check each position for special requirements! If a position lists “Special Application Requirements” you must submit these with your cover letter.

Marketing Coordinator

Responsibilities:

  • Assist BEST Executive Director and marketing team with overall vision and communication strategy to drive increased engagement with existing and potential stakeholders;

  • Help the team in creating and telling stories on social media and other print media

  • Work closely with the team on setting project plans for material development 

  • Connect the foundation with media outlets for published stories and visibility

  • Handle post and video design for print and digital media

  • Manage and ensure timely delivery of all social media posts

  • Promote BEST events on social media and send press releases to media

  • Manage the department’s interns and distribute assignments as needed

  • Produce two major video projects one in December, and the other in May. 

Requirements: 

  • Basic knowledge in Social Media Management, Content creation, and planning;

  • Basic knowledge of copywriting and writing in different journalistic genres;

  • Ability to work with software similar to Canva, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, CapCut, etc;

  • Team leadership abilities;

  • Time management abilities;

  • Creative and critical thinking. 

Benefits:

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills; 

  • Build connections with various people. 

Suitable for: University students in marketing disciplines

Alumni Coordinator

Responsibilities

  • Organize an alumni database and plan for long-term Alumni engagement with the BEST community; 

  • Create a LinkedIn Alumni Group and work on its growth;

  • Organize in cooperation with the Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator the first-of-its-kind “Alumni Performance events”; 

  • Create a Database of Alumni who are willing to be invited to perform at the Alumni Performance events, Quizzes, or Team Building activities with Fundraising Goals for Companies; 

  • Communicate with the alumnus;

  • Help the Judge Coordinator with communicating with Alumni for judging. 

Requirements

  • Must have competed in BEST;

  • Should be a social person.

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for: Second-year university students or working professionals. Preference to BEST Alumni and previous SLs.

Student Leader Program Coordinator 

Responsibilities:

  • Plan and manage all aspects of the student leadership program;

  • Work closely with the Student Leader Intern;

  • Review and enhance the SL procedure manual including yearly checklist and procedural steps. 

  • Prepare program proposal agendas for Student Leader Training, Student Leader Program Wrap-up Seminar, and eventual other events including workshops

  • Hold Mid-year Check-in online meetings with SLs;

  • Have a list of activities for year-around remote engagement for SLs;

  • Collect feedback from SLs and fellow MT members and use it to help design project proposals;

  • Submit a report after SL Training, Mid-year proposal submission, and a final report at the end of the year. 

  • Must be available to attend all BEST Tournaments and hold SL meetings then

  • Expected to start duties July 15, 2024. 

Requirements: 

  • Should be a social person;

  • Should behave appropriately in front of students;

  • Should have leadership skills;

  • If Bulgarian, the person should be an SL Alumni who graduated the program. 

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for: Second-year university students in social science or humanities disciplines, or working professionals. Preference to BEST Alumni and previous SLs.


For more information: https://bestfoundation.bg/about/student-leaders  

Coach Coordinator

Responsibilities:

  • Expected to help with and be present at other tournaments; 

  • Coordinate Coaches attending the Coach Training event (weekend long) in September;

  • Leading and organizing Coach Training; 

  • Announce tournament date and application deadlines to coaches and be the first point of contact for any questions and concerns; 

  • Ensure all application and registration material is sent out to coaches on time;

  • Review coach training material and schedule training sessions;

  • Timely replies to all email inquiries from Coaches; 

  • Follow up with team members about project tasks and remind Coaches about upcoming deadlines;

  • Assist in creating tournament schedule ensuring all speakers and workshops are assigned;

  • Regularly check the tournament website page and the portal and ensure all information is updated and links are active.

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for: Fulbright ETA

Tournament Policy Coordinator

Responsibilities:

  • Handle reports and rule reinforcement during tournaments;

  • Handle all related communication to policies;

  • Run plagiarism check before tournaments;

  • Implementing any policy changes voted by MT in the summer 

  • Assist during judge and coach trainings

  • Support the Tournament Administrator/Debate Coordinator during tournaments when questions arise regarding resources/ citations or specific rules.

Requirements:

  • Behave unbiased towards everyone;

  • Basic knowledge in working with Microsoft programs;

  • Be part of every tournament; 

  • Be responsible.  

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for: Anyone with legal or speech & debate background

Debate Program Coordinator

Responsibilities:

  • Serve as debate content and curriculum leader including training debate specifics to coaches and students;

  • Lead debate motions planning committee and submit debate motions to the Management Team 1 month prior to tournaments at the latest;

  • Plan and lead online workshops and events during the academic year;

  • Seek out and facilitate international debating opportunities;

  • During tournaments:

    • Answer any motion-related questions and concerns at the tournament;

    • Train judges for debate;

    • Announce motions;

    • Assist Debate Tournament Coordinator as needed

Requirements:

  • Have debate knowledge;

  • Argumentative person;

  • Basic knowledge of Microsoft programs. 

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for:

  • BEST and/or Bulgarian Debate Association alumnus with debating background and knowledge of parliamentary debating styles, particularly World Schools Debate, or

  • Law/Political Science university students

Debate Tournament Coordinator

Responsibilities:

  • Serve as a primary contact point and decision maker during tournaments;

  • Participate in debate motions planning committee;

  • Participate in online workshops and events during the year; 

  • Set up, manage, and execute debate tabulation platform including coordinating with the Tournament Administrator regarding registration;

  • During tournaments:

    • Participate in Judge Training for debate;

    • Assign debates and select judges prior to every round;

    • Tab results and calculate sportsmanship/sweepstakes/individual speaker points in conjunction with Tournament Administrator

Requirements:

  • Have debate knowledge;

  • Argumentative person;

  • Basic knowledge of Microsoft programs. 

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for:

  • BEST and/or Bulgarian Debate Association alumnus with debating background and technical proficiency in Excel, Google Suite, and TabbyCat Online Software;

  • University students

Balkan Voices Coordinator

Responsibilities: 

  • Review and enhance the Balkan Voices procedure manual

  • Handle application and registration process for Balkan Voices

  • Ensure all application and registration material is sent out to coaches on time

  • Review coach training material and schedule training sessions

  • Follow up with team members about project tasks and remind everyone about upcoming deadlines

  • Work closely with BEST Management and AUBG representatives on preparing suitable activities for the event

  • Create a tournament schedule ensuring all speakers and workshops are assigned

  • Regularly check the tournament website page and the portal and ensure all information is updated and links are active

  • Administer pre and post-event surveys and produce reports

  • Write a final closing report for the BV grant. 

Requirements:

  • Be a communicative person;

  • Have a knowledge in organizing events;

  • Leadership skills;

  • Basic knowledge of working with Microsoft programs. 

Benefits: 

  • Gaining practical experience in tournament management and communication; 

  • Working in an international and highly professional environment; 

  • Participation in all tournaments, trainings, and camps of BEST Foundation (travel and food covered); 

  • Building leadership skills.

Suitable for: University students in various disciplines, preferably second year or higher.