YLabs is seeking a highly motivated Youth Leadership Fellow to support in driving the national expansion of AskingforaFriend.org, a digital platform designed with and for young people ages 12-19 years, of diverse and historically marginalized identities in the US, to support learning about, finding, and utilizing stigmatized adolescent wellness resources, especially sexual, mental, identity-affirming, and GBV support. We initially created this platform through co-design with 300+ young people in California, but now we are ready to rapidly expand it across the US to meet the urgent needs of youth outside California. We want a young person who is as passionate as OR MORE about this to drive this expansion alongside our team of experts and international Youth Leader Fellows.
This position requires a minimum commitment of ASAP, from June to October, between 50-100% time, with the possibility of extension.
This is a full-time, independent contractor (consultancy) position based in Tanzania. The contract duration will be 10 months (1st April 2026-29th January 2027) with a possibility of renewal upon expiry. The anticipated start date for this contract is 1st April 2026.
The Youth Leadership Fellow - Design Researcher will be a core member of the team, bringing a youth perspective into every stage of the work -- from large-scale surveys to community co-design workshops to prototype testing. You will be on the ground in communities, helping ensure the research reflects the realities of young people in Tanzania. You will participate in an organization-wide cohort of Youth Leadership Fellows from around the world who will be assigned to different projects but convened for training and mentorship opportunities as a part of the 2026 YLabs Youth Leadership Cohort.
DO YOU HAVE:
* A passion for supporting young people in gaining agency and support on their journeys to finding the answers and care they need around their most stressful and unsupported health journeys.
* Experience playing some sort of role in this journey for young people, whether that is having advocated for any of these issues, studying these topics, practicing health education, or researching public health as it pertains to their issues.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey ideas to a wide range of audiences, especially adolescents.
* Personal lived experience that aligns with the core demographic for whom this platform has been designed, with and for. When you think about Askingforafriend.org, does it speak to you or your community's needs?
* Passionate about leading and working on youth and digital health projects, as well as national marketing to young people.
* Ability to form and maintain positive relationships with collaborators, peers, and organizations that are values-aligned.
* You don't need the world's fanciest resume or an extensive list of credentials for this position. Having a non-traditional background is ok, or maybe even great for this role! We want to hear from you about why you think you can play a strong role in leading the expansion of Asking for a Friend and why it matters to you.
KEY ACTIVITIES
We have a team of experts that will be at your disposal, but ideally, you are someone who is excited about some or all of these activities:
* Create and write new decision support tools, health quizzes, and FAQ content responses that respond to what 400+ young people have sent in submissions for (we have experts who will happily review as well).
* Support in partnership building, which involves seeking and engaging organizations and individuals we could partner with to improve our ability to reach young people with what they most need.
* Support the creation of the national marketing campaign we will launch this fall, when the platform is ready to move from the California pilot to a US-wide resource, including support for creating paid and organic content.
* Support in advocating for Asking for a Friend by speaking at webinars, supporting leadership in pitching at conferences, and helping build AskingforaFriend.org into a longer-term resource that can reach as many young people as we need it!
For complete job description and to apply, visit:
https://www.ylabsglobal.org/jobs/youth-leadership-fellow
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates must submit applications by June 5, 2026.
Want to learn more about AFAF or the position before you apply? Attend our session on Friday, May 29th, at 11 am PST to learn more about the position or how else you can get involved. You can register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9MlDKwBjQtO4qEFCwdxs5Q
APPLY HERE https://ylabs.bamboohr.com/careers/44
As part of the application, candidates are required to upload:
* A resume
* A short video (2-5 minutes) with clear audio and visuals.
The video should briefly answer these prompts:
* Introduce who you are and why you care about Asking for a Friend (AFAF)
* Share why you want to be the Youth Leadership Fellow for AFAF
* State what makes you the best person to grow this work
* If you were to create a new quiz/decision support tool, or FAQ that you think AFAF is missing, what would it be? Check them out here: https://www.askingforafriend.org/decision-support
How to Submit Your Video
* Upload your video to Google Drive or YouTube
* Ensure the video is accessible (set to "Anyone with the link can view" or "Public")
* Paste the video link in the application form
* Please make sure the link works before submitting, as we will not be able to review the videos with restricted access.
Note: Both the resume and video are required for the application to be considered. No advanced editing required; please focus on sharing your thoughts clearly and in an organized way. We are interested in hearing from you, not production or editing quality.