JobDescriptions

This describes the current state of things as of early 2022. Many items have been consolidated under a smaller set of people than in past years - there are certainly opportunities to break things out if we get more folks on staff.

OLF Corporation Officers

These are members of the Board of Directors of the Ohio LinuxFest Corporation, the 501(c)(3) that puts on the OLF Conference.

President

• Responsibilities
  • Chairs meetings of corporate officers
  • Signs contracts with suppliers (hotel, AV provider, etc.)
  • Officially represents corporation when necessary
• Requirements: Extensive experience with OLF, ability to understand business arrangements with other entities, ability to sign contracts (aged over 18), trustworthy.
• Position currently held by: Beth Lynn Eicher

Vice-President

• Responsibilities
  • Signs contracts with suppliers (if President unavailable)
  • Officially represents corporation when necessary (if President unavailable)
• Requirements: Prior experience with OLF, ability to understand business arrangements with other entities, ability to sign contracts (aged over 18), trustworthy.
• Position currently held by: Warner Moore

Treasurer

• Responsibilities
  • Collects and deposits funds from sponsors, bugs sponsors for payment if they are late
  • Pays suppliers (hotel, AV provider, OLFI instructors, etc.) promptly
  • Files official paperwork (tax returns, state corporation forms) promptly
  • Signs contracts with suppliers (if President unavailable)
• Requirements: Prior experience with OLF, demonstrated fastidiousness about completing paperwork, experienced in handling money, ability to understand business arrangements with other entities, ability to sign contracts (aged over 18), trustworthy.
• Position currently held by: Michael Schultheiss

Staff

Staff members are involved in planning the OLF Conference year round. Staff positions are generally responsible for a team of people, in the planning phases to develop the conference, during the conference, or both.

Staff positions are unpaid, although they get a free staff pass to the conference.

Conference Chair

• Responsibilities
  • Oversees all aspects of the conference, including supporting and delegating to other chairs.
  • Manages staff meetings.
  • Primary liaison with hotel. Also serves as liaison with catering, AV, other suppliers, and sponsors when needed.
  • Assists other Chairs where needed - picks up any other tasks that someone else hasn't covered.
  • Is not permitted sleep, or a life.
• Requirements: Previous conference experience, especially with OLF. Proven ability to juggle 900 balls while on a unicycle that's on fire. This position is appointed by the Board of Directors.
• Position currently held by: Vance Kochenderfer

Speaker Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Solicits speakers for CFP
  • Manages CFP process for most speakers (including selection and acceptance), also invites proven speakers to fast-track selection
    • "Main Track"
    • Friday "Early Penguins"
    • Fills open slots on "Open Source Solutions Stage" that aren't taken by sponsors
    • Is not responsible for: OLF Institute, Birds of a Feather, workshop speakers
    • May refer non-selected speakers to Birds of a Feather Chair for consideration
  • Helps identify keynote speakers, makes selections w/staff input and issues invitations
  • Develops conference schedule (keynotes, main tracks, Early Penguins)
  • Speaker wrangling (making sure speakers get registered, book travel, sign releases, arrive safely, etc.)
  • Obtains slides from speakers and reviews for appropriateness
  • Works with volunteers as needed
• Requirements: Someone who has been to OLF and/or has conference staff experience, plus an interest in working with speakers. Should be knowledgeable about FOSS topics. Willing to deal with many people and herd cats.
• Position currently held by: Jared Szechy

Public Relations Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Develops appropriate content for outlets
    • Press Releases
    • Flyers
    • Social media (in conjunction with Social Media Chair)
  • Ensures regular delivery of content to appropriate forums
  • Is primary point of contact for media
• Requirements: Preferably someone with previous PR experience, knowledge of media contacts. Must have good English skills.
• Position currently held by: Susan Rose

Social Media Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Makes posts to OLF's Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
  • Engages with people on these platforms
  • Works closely with Public Relations Chair
• Requirements: Familiarity with social media platforms. Willing to monitor and respond on a regular basis. Must have good English skills.
• Position currently held by: Susan Rose

Sponsorship Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Identify and approach potential sponsors
  • Present contracts to sponsors for signature
  • Manage the Expo
    • Determine booth layout
    • Be liaison between sponsors and hotel/AV
  • Inform Conference Chair/Treasurer of invoices that need to be issued
• Requirements: Outgoing, responsive, good salesmanship, patience, and a head for the benjamins
• Position currently held by: Beth Lynn Eicher

OLF Institute Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Coordinates with the Conference Chair
  • Help evaluate and select class proposals
  • Schedule classes
  • Be on-site during OLFI sessions
  • Instructor wrangling (making sure they get registered, book travel, sign things, arrive, etc.)
  • Student wrangling (make sure people check in and go to the correct room)
  • Run the event, including problem resolution
• Requirements: Prefer someone with a background in training and/or event coordination
• Position currently held by: Rafeeq Rehman

Diversity in Open Source Workshop Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Help generate PR for event
  • Identify and approach speakers for event
  • Run and moderate the workshop
• Requirements: Someone with interest in diversity issues and with experience moderating a lively discussion group
• Position currently held by: VACANT

Registration Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Coordinate and maintain the online registration system
  • Coordinate equipment for on-site registration
  • Manage on-site registration
  • Manage volunteer assistants on-site
  • Handle payments for walk-in registrants
• Requirements: Understanding of registration system (ShowClix), experience working with volunteers, ability to juggle many things at once.
• Position currently held by: Michael Schultheiss

Security Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Coordinate all security efforts for the conference
  • Work with the venue(s) as needed
  • Oversee at-conference staff of security volunteers
  • Primary coordinator of incident event report log
• Requirements: Previous experience with security at conferences preferred
• Position currently held by: Vance Kochenderfer (by default as Conference Chair)

Birds of a Feather Chair

• Responsibilities:
  • Maintain BoF schedule
    • Handle pre-applications
  • Answers BoF-related emails in a timely manner
  • On-site during BoFs to monitor and deal with any problems
• Requirements: Attention to detail, patience
• Position currently held by: Vance Kochenderfer

T-Shirt Coordinator

• Responsibilities:
  • Coordinates ordering of t-shirts
  • Monitors shirts on-site
  • Allocates staff shirts
• Requirements: Attention to detail, present during conference
• Position currently held by: VACANT

Volunteer Coordinator

• Responsibilities:
  • Recruiting volunteers
  • Keeping track of volunteer staffing
• Position currently held by: Vance Kochenderfer (by default as Conference Chair)

Volunteers

Volunteers may work on one (or more) planning committees or may work at the conference.

As with Staff positions, all Volunteer positions are unpaid, although some may come with some perks, depending on the level of work performed.

Security

This is an at-conference position

• Duties:
  • watch for problems
  • guard areas with cash or items of value
  • handle minor problems, escalate major problems

Room Checkers

This is an at-conference position

• Duties:
  • monitor room doors to make sure all have registered (tag) or have correct badging
  • Must be able to deal with conflict calmly.
    • ex. ("I'm sorry, you need to register over at that table, it's inexpensive.")

Bag Stuffers

This is an at-conference position on THURSDAY (day before the conference)

• Duties:
  • Move boxes
  • Sort and stuff bags for attendees

Speakers Assistants

This is an at-conference position

• Duties may include any of:
  • Assist Speakers in finding rooms or people as needed
  • Assist Speakers Chair in Speaker wrangling
  • Making sure questions at talks are spoken into a microphone
  • Introducing Speakers
  • Monitoring the "green room"

Registration Assistance

This is an at-conference position

• Duties:
  • Working the registration desk
  • Escalating problems to the Registration coordinator

Store

• Sales assistant
• Help attendees purchase shirts, registration upgrades, and more