The most critical infrastructure of any burn is participation. Burns run via the power of volunteers and without those volunteers making them happen, they don't happen.
Leadership is about more than telling people what to do. Burn Leaders carry the load of organizing the event from the inside out, before, during and after the burn. Our leaders are spread across a dozen plus teams and ensure team and participant needs are met. Leadership involves planning, scheduling and budgeting, but also being able to teach our volunteers how to serve the burn. If this sounds like a LOT of work, that's because it is. But it's also pretty fun and immensely satisfying to look back at the event knowing "I made this!" - as in YOU had your hands in the cookie jar!
The 2026 To The Moon event will soon be upon us and we want to hear why you would be a great addition to leadership in our community. While filling out this form isn't a guarantee you'll be picked for various leadership roles, it is the first step in letting us know about your skills and desire to step up. One of the most important tasks of burn leadership is identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders, so come join us!
If you don't think you're ready for full-on leadership yet but are ready to know or learn more what it entails? GREAT! Fill this out anyway and simply select 'Understudy/Leadership Development.' We will reach out to you with mentorship / shadow opportunities put in place to help anyone develop their future inner leader!
Below are some general expectations of team leadership, but alas, fear not! We have pretty solid support and resource systems to help you with getting acclimated once selected, especially if this is your first time leading a team.
GENERAL TEAM LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS:
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Attend Team and Department meetings (Lead/Vice/Co-Lead) for which we provide online meeting options
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Create and submit a budget for the team based on team needs in a timely manner, dates tbd. You will have access to previous years' team needs documents and will work closely with the inventory team, making it easier to gauge what's needed and what's on hand.
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Attend at least one work weekend and/or build weekend (last weekend prior to burn) and ensure at least two semi fresh volunteers are available for teardown post event to handle your team's infrastructure if Lead/Vice/ Co-Leads are unable to remain on site for strike.
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Set up a volunteer signup schedule in coordination with the Mission Control which gets published online to help you find the volunteers needed to fill your team's slots (you won't be on your own filling those shifts)
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Work closely with Mission Control during the event to handle volunteer signups on site for last-minute additions, emergencies (if need be rally up some hippies with a megaphone and golf cart to make sure your team is covered)
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Attend daily Leadership meetings during the event
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Attend On-Site Safety/Radio training
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Complete post-event After Burn Report and submit 3 weeks after the event (very necessary for the burn to keep its Burning Man sanctioning) We will provide a template for this so no worries about format. There are a few straight forward questions with areas for you to fill in sharing your experience, give feedback and let us know how we're doing! This is a great opportunity for any Team Lead to take partial ownership of this burn by sharing your insights and suggestions how we can do better, grow and shine!
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Be cordial and professional with other members of leadership. We’re a small team with a LOT to do; you don’t have to like everyone, but you do need to be a team player. This is a volunteer role, but professionalism is important to get the job done.
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Communication is key when you're in a situation which causes you to be absent from agreed upon meetings or can't meet deadlines or timelines prior to event. Life happens but we can only do something about filling in for you in case of emergency/life/work/kids etc. if we know about it. So please don't be shy!
