A Developer Advocate in an NGO context combines traditional DevRel skills with the specific mission of the non-profit. The core requirements are similar to those in for-profit companies, but with an added focus on community engagement for social impact.
Core Responsibilities
Community Liaison: Act as the bridge between the internal technical team and the external developer community, ensuring the developers’ voices and issues are heard by the organization.
Technical Content Creation: Produce documentation, tutorials, blog posts, and code samples to make it easier for developers to use the NGO’s tools, platforms, or data for their work (e.g., humanitarian projects, data analysis for social good).
Education and Outreach: Present at conferences, meetups, and online forums to spread awareness and drive the adoption of the organization’s technology.
Feedback & Improvement: Research and address problems developers encounter, bringing these insights back to the engineering team to enhance the platform.
Advocacy & Engagement: Develop strategies to engage with target audiences, building networks with other service providers and community organizations to support the NGO’s mission.
Essential Qualifications and Skills
Technical Proficiency: A strong background in software development, programming languages, and a solid understanding of the relevant technologies or platforms the NGO utilizes.
Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential for creating clear content, presenting to diverse audiences, and interacting with people on both personal and professional levels.
Empathy and Community Focus: The ability to listen to and understand the needs and issues of the developer community, fostering a supportive environment.
Project Management: Skills in program design, project management, and monitoring to ensure initiatives stay on schedule and budget.
Mission Alignment: A genuine interest in and understanding of the specific social or humanitarian issues the NGO addresses. This passion is crucial for effective advocacy within the non-profit sphere.
Problem-Solving: The initiative to research, analyze, and solve problems encountered by the developer community.
Educational Background
A Bachelor’s degree is often required, but relevant work experience in development or advocacy can be just as important.
Some organizations may prefer a graduate degree or specific certifications depending on the program’s complexity.
Experience
Experience requirements vary, but typically range from 2-5 years of work experience for standard roles, with more senior positions requiring 5-10 years or more. Experience in a similar field, such as human rights or international development, can be advantageous.
You can search for specific opportunities on job boards like Impactpool or typical NGO career pages to see current requirements.