Community Manager Role

Who’s a community manager?#

A community manager for an Open Source scientific Python project is a dedicated and enthusiastic contributor who plays an important role in building and nurturing a thriving community. They act as a bridge between the project and its community members, creating an inclusive and collaborative environment. This person has a strong understanding of scientific Python and open source principles. They actively engage with community members, address their needs, offer support, and encourage their active participation. By organizing community events, facilitating discussions, and promoting knowledge-sharing, they ensure that the project’s community remains vibrant and connected. The community manager is passionate about Python programming and committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the scientific open source software community.

What is the role of a community manager?#

• Designate time for engaging community. (Social media, hosting events)
• Empowering others to become leaders.(Setting example, having initiatives)
• Guidance for conflict resolution.
• Making the community “Welcoming”. (Having resources that make people want to stay, Good communication)
• Being a communication channel between users and developers (Understanding the user’s needs to be able to participate in the road map.)

Why do you need a community manager?#

• A community manager acts as a bridge between the project and its community members. They facilitate communication, engagement, and collaboration, ensuring that users feel heard, valued, and supported. By fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity, a community manager helps to create a strong and loyal user community.
• A community manager plays a critical role in building and sustaining an active and vibrant community around the project. They organize and promote community events, facilitate discussions, and encourage knowledge-sharing. This helps to foster connections, drive participation, and create a positive and collaborative atmosphere within the community.
• A community manager serves as a trusted resource for community members, offering support, answering questions, and resolving conflicts. They act as a point of contact, providing guidance, feedback, and assistance when needed.
• A community manager helps to promote the project’s values, goals, and mission. They advocate for the project and its benefits, both within the existing user community and to potential new users. This can lead to increased visibility, growth, and adoption of the project.
• A community manager plays a crucial role in gathering user feedback and insights. They act as the voice of the community, conveying user needs, preferences, and concerns to the project team.

How to find community manager for your project?#

• Find what do you need exactly - Determine scope, figuring out roles and responsibilities for the role
• Familiarity with the domain of the project and science
• Outreach in adjacent OS communities, conferences and events for potential candidates
• Exploring the possibility of delegating the responsibilites to maintainers