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Community Technology Coordinator for the Trans Dimension in Greater Manchester

We are looking for a freelance part-time community development worker to help establish a Manchester version of our successful London Trans Dimension event listings site (https://transdimension.uk/), which is based on our PlaceCal technology.

We have received funding from Greater Manchester Systems Changers to deliver the Trans Dimension in Manchester. Part of this funding covers a community development worker (this role) who will do the vital ‘boots on the ground’ work of networking with and connecting trans friendly LGBTQI+ groups in Greater Manchester to the new site.

The role includes identifying and talking to trans friendly LGBTQI+ community groups across Greater Manchester to find out who they are, what challenges they’re facing with maintaining an online presence and promoting their events, and how those problems might be solved (or not!) using technology.

After this initial research and networking, you will help onboard groups so that their information and event listings appear on the new Trans Dimension Manchester site.

We are looking for a motivated and proactive individual with strong organisational skills. Basic computer proficiency is a must (we heavily use GSuite and Notion), but training will be provided for any additional systems we require you to use as part of the role.

Given the nature of the groups you will be working with, we are ideally looking for someone who is already embedded within the LGBTQI+ community in Manchester, as some pre-existing connections with this community will give you a head start in this role. For example, someone who is already involved in trans healthcare, queer nightlife, mutual aid collectives, or trans inclusive sports provision would be ideal for the role.

As a studio, our full-time week is 6 hours per day, 4 days per week (so 24 hours per week), and many of us work part-time or alongside other jobs. We all work from home and are based in the UK.

This contract is for 24 days of work at a rate of £200 a day (£4,800 total). We would like this work to be undertaken over a period of 3 – 6 months from commencement of the contract. This would amount to 1 – 3 days work per week, depending on the time period you work over — this may also vary over the duration of the time you work with us.

Role breakdown

Partnership Building (Essential)

Building and maintaining relationships with key organisers in networks across Greater Manchester
Working with our existing Trans Dimension network in London (developed in collaboration with Gendered Intelligence), and supporting us with future expansion to other areas
Tracking and identifying community groups that would benefit from their events on a shared calendar
Reaching out to existing connections and identifying new ones
Following up with organisers at appropriate touch points

Technical support for grassroots trans and queer organisers (Essential)

Discussing with organisers how they record their upcoming events
Identifying how they could have their events listed
Supporting organisers to get their events online in a format readable by PlaceCal

Reporting (Essential)

Creating issue and bug reports and suggestions for the Trans Dimension developers
Track the organising work to bring people onboard and contribute testimony to future funding applications
Fortnightly progress checkins with GFSC to review the process of the project and evaluate changes.

Creating social media posts about your work as you go
Creating short TikTok/Instagram videos about each group you work with
Helping groups write case studies and testimonials

About us

We’re a small predominantly trans, disabled, and neurodiverse studio trying to make a fairer society using activism, technology, and research. We are an atypical tech studio. Our work is based on anarcho-feminist principles, aims to be antifascist and antiracist, decolonise the tech sector, fight state violence, and work towards liberation of trans and disabled people among other things. Our big thing is about Community Technology Partnerships, working directly with communities to co-create solutions to the challenges they’re facing. Have a look at our website to understand more about who we are and what we do.

How to apply

We had someone lined up for this role who had to drop out at the last minute, so unfortunately we are not able to offer our usual 6 week window to respond to job adverts. We are therefore accepting rolling invites to the role, and will close this advert when we find the right person. We are ideally are looking for an immediate start.

To apply, send a couple of paragraphs about why you think you’d be suitable for the role and your relevant experience to jobs@gfsc.studio. Links to projects you’re involved in are great. We know that CVs encourage bias and don’t generally tell us very much about you or your skills, but if you feel like it would help you show us who you are, then we’re happy to receive one.

Don’t worry about making your application perfect - we’re more interested in getting a flavour of you as a person.

Please also let us know in your email if you have any access needs and we’ll do what we can to accommodate them.

Given the nature of our work we especially welcome applications from trans and non binary people, people of colour, disabled people, and other marginalised groups, especially those historically excluded from technology.

If you have any questions about the role or who we are, or if you’re not sure if you’re the right fit and want to talk it through, please reach out to Kim (kim@gfsc.studio) or Emma (emma@gfsc.studio) and we’d love to chat.