3 Interesting Nonprofit Jobs

The nonprofit sector may not sound glamorous to some, but nonprofits can be innovative and creative as they seek ways to create value and achieve the organisations mission. Here are some emerging jobs in the nonprofit world. 

According to Fast Company, “Culture, especially in small organizations where the staff is regularly connecting with community members, can make or break a nonprofit, just as it can a corporation.”

 

Chief Culture Officer

Many nonprofit organizations value their culture enough to create a position to promote employee engagement and productivity, maintain core cultural values, and bring a sense of vitality to the office environment.

 Chief Culture Officers motivate employees through recognition of contributions and inspiring an innovative atmosphere. Culture officers aren’t just a makeover of the human resources department. They are something entirely new and different.

Average salary: While consistent numbers are hard to come by for this innovative job, salaries can range from about $20,000 a year to six figures as a top executive. The average pay for Chief Culture Officers is $76,000 according to ZipRecruiter.

Education requirements: Most executive positions require at least a bachelor’s degree, and this position is no different. Degrees in communication or human resources may also be ideal.

 

 

Chief Data Scientist

According to a 2012 article in the Harvard Business Review, data science is the sexiest job of the 21st century.

It’s hard to beat that kind of tagline, but what does a data scientist even do?

With the massive amounts of data collected online, many organizations have more information than they can handle. As "Fast Company" explains, “… data holds the potential for incredible learning and knowledge.”

Data scientists organize a nonprofit’s information, analyzes outcomes, patterns, or trends, and helps incorporate that information into decision-making.

 

Average salary: PayScale puts the range of senior data scientist pay between $93,000 and $160,000 per year, but you may see lower numbers in the nonprofit sector.

Education requirements: You’ll need advanced information technology training, as well as better than average analytical and business insight.

 

 

Chief UX Designer

As more and more of our daily transactions and interactions take place on-screen, the experience we have as users becomes more relevant to an organization’s success.

 User experience (or UX) is so valuable that many organizations have created positions on their executive teams for someone to focus on positive user experience.

 

If you don’t think user experience is relevant to nonprofits, try using the donation forms on several nonprofit websites, or find your way to the information supporters might need. For a nonprofit, a good user experience can translate directly into financial support.

 Average salary: PayScale indicates a range between $48,000 and $110,000 per year for all user experience design positions, while a User Experience Director can make more than $130,000 a year.

 

Education requirements: You’ll need to have at least a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a field like software engineering, computer science, or web development.

 

Keep in mind that these job titles can change. If they appeal to you, look for job descriptions that include the overarching themes mentioned. Not every nonprofit uses the same terms for each job listed here.