civilsociety-dev/content/contribute/positions/cstf-community-development.md

---
title: "CSTF Community Development Manager"
summary: "Build and nurture vibrant communities around digital self-determination, open-source technology, and civil society empowerment."
date: 2025-08-23
showDate: false
showWordCount: false
showReadingTime: false
---

{{< lead >}}
Lead community building efforts to create thriving networks of individuals and organizations committed to digital self-determination and technological autonomy.
{{< /lead >}}

## Position Overview

The Civil Society Technology Foundation (CSTF) seeks a dynamic Community Development Manager to build, nurture, and grow our global community of technologists, civil society advocates, and organizations working toward digital self-determination.

As a volunteer-led US 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, CSTF empowers individuals and communities to reclaim control over their digital lives through open-source, self-hosted technologies. Our Community Development Manager will be instrumental in creating pathways for meaningful participation and collaboration within our ecosystem.

## About CSTF

The Civil Society Technology Foundation operates on the principle that digital technology is, in its essence, a common good. We collaborate to remove barriers to creating, sharing, and using software through:

- **Open software development** - Building tools like our flagship Wild Cloud project
- **Educational resources** - Creating accessible learning materials for digital autonomy  
- **Community engagement** - Fostering networks of technologists and civil society advocates

Our work is guided by core principles including self-determination by design, transparent governance, contribution-based membership, and the belief that healthy ecosystems win through genuine utility to communities.

## Primary Responsibilities

### Community Platform Management
- Manage and moderate our community forum at [forum.civilsociety.dev](https://forum.civilsociety.dev)
- Create welcoming onboarding experiences for new community members
- Facilitate productive discussions around digital self-determination, open-source development, and civil society technology
- Develop community guidelines that reflect CSTF's principles of transparent governance and consensual participation

### Community Growth & Engagement
- Develop and implement strategies to grow active participation in CSTF communities
- Create programs to recognize and celebrate community contributions across multiple forms (code, documentation, advocacy, education)
- Organize virtual and in-person events, including workshops, meetups, and conferences
- Foster connections between community members with complementary skills and interests

### Partnership & Ecosystem Development
- Build relationships with aligned organizations in the open-source, digital rights, and civil society spaces
- Facilitate partnerships and collaborative projects between CSTF and other community organizations
- Represent CSTF at conferences, events, and in other community spaces
- Create bridges between technical and non-technical community members

### Content & Communication
- Develop community-generated content including success stories, case studies, and member spotlights
- Coordinate community contributions to educational resources and documentation
- Manage community communication channels and ensure information flows effectively
- Support community-driven initiatives and amplify member achievements

## Required Qualifications

- **Community Experience**: 3+ years of community management or development experience, preferably in technology or civil society contexts
- **Communication Skills**: Excellent written and verbal communication abilities for diverse audiences
- **Facilitation**: Proven ability to moderate discussions, resolve conflicts, and facilitate productive collaboration
- **Mission Alignment**: Deep commitment to digital self-determination, open-source principles, and community empowerment
- **Cultural Competency**: Experience working with diverse, global communities and understanding of different participation styles

## Preferred Qualifications

- **Open Source Background**: Experience with open-source communities and development processes
- **Technical Understanding**: Familiarity with self-hosted infrastructure, federated systems, and digital privacy concepts
- **Event Organization**: Experience organizing community events, both virtual and in-person
- **Civil Society Knowledge**: Understanding of civil society organizations, digital rights advocacy, or community organizing
- **Multilingual**: Ability to communicate in multiple languages to support global community growth

## Key Success Metrics

- Growth in active community participation and member retention
- Increased quality and frequency of community-generated content and contributions
- Successful community-driven initiatives and collaborative projects
- Strong community feedback scores and satisfaction metrics
- Effective onboarding and integration of new community members
- Development of community leadership and distributed governance structures

## Community Engagement Strategies

### Contribution Recognition
- Implement systems to recognize diverse forms of contribution beyond just code
- Create pathways for community members to take on leadership roles
- Celebrate achievements in ways that align with our principle that "contribution defines membership"

### Educational Community Building
- Organize learning circles around digital self-determination topics
- Facilitate peer-to-peer teaching and mentorship programs
- Create study groups for community members exploring self-hosted technologies

### Advocacy & Outreach
- Support community members in becoming advocates for digital rights and technological autonomy
- Coordinate community participation in relevant conferences and events
- Facilitate community input on CSTF policy positions and public statements

## Organizational Culture & Values

This role requires deep alignment with CSTF's core principles:

- **Contribution Defines Membership**: Understanding that participation is earned through action and multiple forms of contribution should be valued
- **Transparent Governance**: All community governance must be visible, accountable, and auditable
- **Interoperability via Consent**: Standards and collaboration emerge from alignment, not imposition
- **Healthy Ecosystems Win**: Success measured by genuine utility to communities, not vanity metrics
- **Critical Adoption over Blind Use**: Helping community members make informed choices about technology trade-offs

## Compensation & Structure

This is a volunteer leadership position with the Civil Society Technology Foundation. As we grow and secure funding, this role may transition to a paid position based on organizational capacity and community development success.

## How to Apply

CSTF is committed to building strong, inclusive communities that reflect the diversity of civil society. We welcome applications from individuals with varied backgrounds who share our vision of technological self-determination.

To express interest in this position:

1. Join our community at [forum.civilsociety.dev](https://forum.civilsociety.dev)
2. Review our [principles and mission](/about/) to ensure alignment
3. Introduce yourself in a reply to [this forum post](https://forum.civilsociety.dev/t/seeking-community-development-manager/19) (or message the post's author) to describing:
4. Participate in ongoing discussions to demonstrate your community engagement style

We operate with transparent, distributed governance and welcome collaborative input on this role's development and community strategy.

## Contact

For questions about this position or CSTF's community development reply to [this forum post](https://forum.civilsociety.dev/t/seeking-community-development-manager/19).

Join us in building vibrant communities where technology serves people through shared ownership, collaborative development, and mutual support for digital self-determination.