JOIN TEDxZurich TEAM
open positions
Since 2010, TEDxZurich has been a platform for spreading ideas that matter — locally and globally. For the past 15 years, we’ve brought people together to celebrate curiosity, spark conversations, and inspire action through independently organized TEDx events. Guided by the core values of TED — open-mindedness, inclusion, truth, generosity, and a deep belief in the power of ideas — we’ve built a community of changemakers, thinkers, doers, and dreamers.
Today, TEDxZurich is entering an exciting phase of renewal. We’re redefining our activities, reshaping our strategy, and rebuilding the organization for its next chapter. This is your opportunity to be part of that transformation — and help lead it.
What’s in it for you?
- Join a global movement and contribute to a meaningful mission
- Collaborate with passionate, purpose-driven individuals
- Develop your leadership, strategic, and operational skills
- Expand your network and gain visibility in Zurich’s innovation and creative community
- Attend and help shape all TEDxZurich events — and make them unforgettable
As Design Engineer, you sit at the intersection of design and code. You translate TEDxZurich’s visual identity into living, performant interfaces — the website, the season microsites, the digital touchpoints that carry our season theme into the world. You care as much about kerning and motion easing as you do about clean components and accessible markup.
You will work closely with the Head of Design, as well as the Marketing & Communications stream to build, maintain, and evolve the digital presence of TEDxZurich. This is a role for someone who can hold a Figma file and a code editor open at the same time, and who believes the details and the user experience matter on both sides of the screen.
Your responsibilities
- Website & digital build: Develop and maintain the TEDxZurich website and seasonal microsites, ideally with modern static frameworks (Astro, Next.js, or similar), as well as with an emphasis on typography, motion, accessibility, and performance.
- Design system in code: Translate the visual identity into reusable components, design tokens, and documentation, so that the brand scales consistently across digital surfaces.
- Prototyping & iteration: Quickly prototype interactive ideas, from scrolling behaviors, micro-interactions, motion concepts, to testing how the season theme can live online before committing to production.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Work within an interdisciplinary team and get involved in tasks related to visual direction, content workflows, and on-site digital experiences (e.g. screens, signage CMS).
Are you a perfect fit?
- You are fluent in English.
- You are comfortable shipping production frontend code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript) and have hands-on experience with at least one modern framework (Astro, Next.js, SvelteKit, or similar).
- You have a designer’s eye — you care about typography, spacing, motion, and accessibility, and you can read a Figma file fluently.
- You are familiar with version control (Git) and modern deployment workflows (Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify).
- You enjoy working in tight loops with designers, treating the browser as a design surface rather than a rendering target.
- You are organized, self-directed, and able to ship in small, iterative releases.
- You are intrinsically motivated and can transmit that passion to the team.
- You are passionate about TED’s mission and believe in the power of ideas to change the world.
- Ideally, you have experience working with volunteers or are highly motivated to learn.
Commitment
This is a volunteer role, requiring around 8 hours per week (20%). The intensity varies throughout the year and depends on the design and event cycle. You will need consistency, perseverance, and a strong sense of ownership over your craft.
Ready to co-create the next chapter?
If this role resonates with you, please send your CV along with a short paragraph explaining why you’re interested and what TEDx means to you to info@tedxzurich.com. Only applications submitted via email will be considered. This role is available immediately.
As Graphic Designer, you bring the TEDxZurich season identity to life across every visual surface, from social media and newsletters to printed programs, signage, and merchandising. You work hands-on within the visual system set by the Head of Design, producing the steady stream of assets that carry our voice into the world.
You will collaborate closely with the Head of Design and the Marketing & Communications stream, contributing both craft and ideas. This is a role for a designer who loves the doing the layouts, the type choices, the export queues, and who takes pride in consistency, polish, and turnaround.
Your responsibilities
- Campaign & social design: Produce visual content for Instagram, LinkedIn, newsletters, and the website, working within the season’s visual identity to keep the feed consistent, considered, and on brand.
- Editorial & print: Design printed materials such as programs, invitations, signage, lanyards, and merchandising, with attention to typography, paper choice, and production detail.
- Templates & toolkits: Build and maintain reusable templates (Figma, InDesign, Canva where appropriate) so that other team members can produce on-brand assets independently.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Work within an interdisciplinary team and get involved in tasks related to visual direction, content calendar, and on-site graphic needs around event time.
Are you a perfect fit?
- You are fluent in English.
- You have a strong portfolio in graphic design — ideally spanning both digital (social, web assets) and print/editorial work.
- You are fluent in the standard tools (Figma, Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and comfortable preparing files for both screen and print production.
- You have a sharp eye for typography, hierarchy, and layout, and can hold a consistent visual voice across many small pieces.
- You are reliable on turnaround and able to manage multiple small briefs in parallel.
- You thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy working with cross-functional teams.
- You are intrinsically motivated and can transmit that passion to the team.
- You are passionate about TED’s mission and believe in the power of ideas to change the world.
- Ideally, you have experience working with volunteers or are highly motivated to learn.
Commitment
This is a volunteer role, requiring around 8 hours per week (20%). The intensity varies throughout the year and depends on the design and event cycle. You will need consistency, perseverance, and a strong sense of ownership over your craft.
Ready to co-create the next chapter?
If this role resonates with you, please send your CV along with a short paragraph explaining why you’re interested and what TEDx means to you to info@tedxzurich.com. Only applications submitted via email will be considered. This role is available immediately.
As Partnerships Manager, you will support TEDxZurich’s growth and sustainability by helping drive fundraising efforts, manage partner relationships, and execute sponsorship initiatives. Working closely with the Head of Partnerships, you will help build and maintain a strong pipeline of sponsors, foundations, and strategic supporters.
This role is for a proactive, organized, and relationship-driven individual who is passionate about creating opportunities, supporting meaningful collaborations, and ensuring partnerships are effectively delivered. You will play a key role in strengthening TEDxZurich’s network across Switzerland’s business, marketing, sponsoring, and foundation communities. If you are a persistent go-getter who follows through and brings opportunities to completion, this role is for you.
Your responsibilities
- Corporate business development: Identify, pitch, and secure new corporate sponsors. Tailor sponsorship packages to match partner marketing objectives with the TEDx ethos.
- Foundation Grant Management: Lead the research and application process for relevant foundations and public grants, crafting compelling, impact-driven funding proposals.
- Account & relationship management: Serve as the primary point of contact for partners, ensuring all contractual deliverables (branding, ticketing, engagements) are executed flawlessly.
- On-site activation: Oversee partner presence and hosting on the day of the main event (or other smaller events when partners are present), ensuring a premium experience for our supporters.
- Cross-functional alignment: Collaborate with the Marketing, Operations, and Speaker teams to seamlessly integrate partner initiatives into the broader event ecosystem.
Are you a perfect fit?
- German native speaker with business-fluent English (Swiss-German comprehension is highly valued).
- Proven experience in sales, corporate sponsorship, business development, or fundraising—preferably within the Swiss market.
- An established local network across Switzerland’s corporate landscape, marketing agencies, or philanthropic sectors.
- A persuasive communicator capable of pitching to C-level executives and foundation boards.
- Self-starting and execution-driven, with the organizational skills to manage a pipeline independently.
Commitment
This is a volunteer position requiring approximately 8 hours per week (20%). While weekly hours are flexible, the role requires consistency throughout the season, with peak intensity occurring during the partner onboarding phase and in the immediate lead-up to the main event.
Ready to co-create the next chapter?
If this role resonates with you, please send your CV along with a short paragraph explaining why you’re interested and what TEDx means to you to info@tedxzurich.com. Only applications submitted via email will be considered. This role is available immediately.
As Audience Experience Liaison, you will be the guardian of how TEDxZurich is experienced from the moment guests step onsite. Working closely with the Curator, you will coordinate, develop and deliver the Audience Experience across the entire event journey. This role is for a thoughtful doer: someone who combines creativity and structure to turn the TEDxZurich concept into a unique, inclusive and coherent experience for our audience.
You will support the Curator in shaping the Audience Experience vision and ensure it is consistently translated into concrete elements across all departments. From design and accessibility to activities and volunteers, you will connect the dots by asking the right questions, ensuring the audience experience is intentional and flawlessly delivered.
Your responsibilities
- Coordination & delivery of Audience Experience by working hand in hand with the Curator to support the development of the overall Audience Experience concept and take ownership of its coordination and delivery. Ensure the vision is clearly understood and implemented throughout the planning and execution of the event.
- Cross-departmental support: challenging all departments (catering, production, design, partnerships, volunteers, etc.) to embed the Audience Experience perspective into their work, ensuring consistency with the overarching concept.
- Partnerships team support when activities or booths are involved, ensuring any partner activations align with the overall concept and the TEDx ethos.
- Lead the development and host the delivery of audience-facing activities, ensuring they are engaging and aligned with the overall narrative of the event.
- Ensure the inclusion of accessibility and diversity in each aspect of the audience experience.
- Coordinate AE leads who are focused on design and location-related elements. Ensure these areas work together seamlessly to create an inclusive, welcoming, and meaningful experience for all attendees.
- Define volunteer expectations & delivery supporting the Audience Experience. Brief, guide and support them so they understand their role in shaping how the audience feels and moves through the event, and ensure smooth delivery on the day.
Are you a perfect fit?
- You are fluent in English; German is a plus.
- You have experience in the production and delivery of events.
- You have experience or a strong interest in event experience, hospitality, cultural projects, service design and community-building.
- You are empathetic and audience-centric, with for how spaces and people come together.
- You are organised and reliable, able to coordinate multiple departments while keeping the overall direction in mind.
- You are proactive and collaborative when working closely with a Curator and cross-functional teams.
- You balance creativity with execution.
- You are passionate about TED’s mission and believe in the power of ideas and experiences to change perspectives.
Commitment
This is a volunteer role, requiring an average of 10 hours per week, with intensity peaking in the months leading up to the event and on the event days themselves. You will need consistency, ownership, and a strong sense of responsibility for the audience journey.
Ready to co-create the next chapter?
If this role resonates with you, please send your CV along with a short paragraph explaining why you’re interested and what TEDx means to you to info@tedxzurich.com. Only applications submitted via email will be considered.
Got Ideas Worth Changing? We Need YOU.
We’re TEDxZurich, and we’re always looking for passionate individuals to join our team. Maybe you didn’t see the perfect role listed, but your skills and enthusiasm could be just what we need. Whether you’re a social media whiz, a design guru, a master of logistics, or simply have a burning desire to make a difference, we want to hear from you.
TEDxZurich is a volunteer-driven organisation, and we believe that everyone has something unique to contribute. So, tell us your story. Show us your passion. Let’s create something extraordinary together.
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join us as
a volunteer!
Get hands-on experience and contribute to TEDZurich as a volunteer. Help create an unforgettable event, connect with like-minded individuals, and be part of something truly special. Your enthusiasm and support are key!
