Careers

Come work with Big Ideas!

Big Ideas is an early-stage social innovation competition that provides the funding, mentorship, and platform to launch your social venture. We currently have a number of roles available and are seeking student associates passionate about social innovation and entrepreneurship. See full list of available positions below and apply today! If you have any questions or are interested in applying for any of the open roles below, please email your resume and cover letter to bigideas@berkeley.edu

Open Positions

Civic Innovation Fellow: Berkeley Civic Innovation Challenge
Timeframe: September 2025 – February 2026
Stipend: Provided (amount TBD)
Location: UC Berkeley Campus & City of Berkeley
Hours: Part-time (~6 hours/week, with flexibility)

Overview:
UC Berkeley’s Big Ideas Contest, in partnership with the City of Berkeley and UC Berkeley campus leadership, is launching the Berkeley Civic Innovation Challenge—a pilot initiative designed to strengthen city–campus collaboration. This 1–2 day event (planned for late January 2026) will bring together interdisciplinary student teams to develop creative solutions to real-world civic challenges identified by city leaders. Top teams will earn a fast-track into the final round of the Big Ideas Contest.

We are seeking a highly motivated and organized UC Berkeley student (upper-level undergraduate or Masters) to serve as the Civic Innovation Fellow for this initiative. The Fellow will play a central role in shaping and executing this high-impact, high-visibility event, serving as a key liaison between the City of Berkeley, campus stakeholders, and student organizations. The ideal candidate will be a UC Berkeley student with a passion for CivicTech and/or interest in pursuing a career in public administration, local government, or community development.

Responsibilities:

Serve as a primary liaison between Big Ideas, City of Berkeley, and campus partners
Co-develop and frame civic challenges and co-design event programming
Support overall planning and execution of the Berkeley Civic Innovation Challenge
Manage logistics, including scheduling, venue planning, materials, and communications
Engage and coordinate with leading UC Berkeley student entrepreneurship groups
Contribute to promotion and outreach through campus networks, and social media

Preferred Qualifications:

Current UC Berkeley undergraduate or graduate student, ideally with a background in public policy, city planning, urban studies, political science, or related fields
Familiarity with campus entrepreneurship programs or startup ecosystems (e.g., Big Ideas, NSF I-Corps, SkyDeck, Berkeley Changemaker, etc.)
Strong communication, organizational, and time management skills
Experience in event planning, student leadership, or community-based work
Comfortable working independently and collaboratively with diverse stakeholders

Benefits:

Leadership role in a high-impact, high-visibility civic initiative
Direct collaboration and networking opportunities with city officials and campus leaders
Valuable professional experience in program development, innovation strategy, civic engagement and public service
Modest stipend

To Apply: Please submit a brief statement of interest (max 250 words) and a resume to pdenny@berkeley.edu with the subject line “Civic Innovation Fellow: [FULL NAME]”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a target start date in mid-September.

Big Ideas@Berkeley Social Media Student Associate

Big Ideas@Berkeley Social Media Student Associate will provide social media and general support to the Big Ideas Contest. Duties include, but are not limited to:

Developing creative, new social media campaigns and writing social media posts
Writing blog posts, Q&As and press releases about our latest research and reports
Assisting with website updates, newsletters, and media outreach
Design work on infographics and other collateral.
Working collaboratively with other Blum Center work study students to achieve common goals

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to bigideas@berkeley.edu

Big Ideas@Berkeley Web and Digital Systems Student Associate

Big Ideas@Berkeley Web and Digital Systems Student Associate will design, manage, and update digital content across the website (WordPress) and marketing automation platform (Mailchimp). Duties include, but are not not limited to:

Manage, update, and troubleshoot all Big Ideas website and digital platforms.
Ensure the layout of the content is accessible and intuitive.
Create design prototypes, including graphic design, site navigation, and content layout.
Promote, staff and support Blum Center & Big Ideas events.

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to bigideas@berkeley.edu

Big Ideas@Berkeley Admin & Outreach Student Associate

Big Ideas@Berkeley Admin and Outreach Associate will provide basic contest, admin, and outreach support to UC Berkeley Big Ideas Staff.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Working on various projects related to the UC Berkeley Big Ideas Contest
Assist with marketing and outreach for all Big Ideas programs and initiatives
Updating student records in Salesforce Cloud database
Drafting internal reports and public documents.
Conducting research related to innovation & entrepreneurship.
General clerical duties
Maintaining the Blum Center’s public work spaces in a general way for student and departmental use.
Staffing and supporting Blum Center & Big Ideas events (occasional weekend and evenings).

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to bigideas@berkeley.edu.