Facilitator, Mobile Tour

Department: Mobile

Division: Programs

Location: Brooklyn, NY; Mobile Tour

Reports To: Site Manager, Mobile Tour & Associate Manager, Mobile Tour Community Partnerships

Status: Full-Time (35 hours/week) Temporary (12 Months), Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Non-Union

Annual Wage: $40,000 ($22/hr)

ABOUT STORYCORPS
 

StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. Since our founding in 2003, StoryCorps has provided half a million of people of all backgrounds and beliefs with powerful opportunities to record interviews about their lives, and leave a legacy for future generations in our archive at the Library of Congress. We bring these interviews to life in stories produced for broadcast on public media (including our weekly Friday morning broadcast on NPR’s “Morning Edition"), our podcast, and/or our animations. Together, these stories reach an audience of tens of millions. StoryCorps maintains a relentless focus on diversity, and seeks to highlight voices often underrepresented in mainstream media. While our stories honor and celebrate the diversity of humankind, they also remind us of the many values and experiences we share in common -- building bridges of greater understanding.

Our work has been widely recognized with several George Foster Peabody Awards, a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, the 2015 TED Prize, and a 2016 Emmy award for our animation “Traffic Stop.”

This work couldn’t be accomplished without the unwavering commitment of the exceptional individuals who make up our organization. Our team is brilliant, hard-working, creative, and incredibly passionate about the vision we share: to touch the lives of every person in this country and to create a culture of listening in the United States.

THE ROLE

Facilitators are the “Corps” of StoryCorps. As the public face of the organization, Facilitators work to carry out our mission by creating a space for participants to feel welcome and comfortable while conducting their interviews with one another. Facilitators also ensure a high-quality audio recording and perform data-basing activities so that the interview can be preserved and is searchable in our digital interview archive – however, minimal prior technical expertise is required! StoryCorps provides Facilitators with training from experts in recording, archiving, and audio production. Facilitators also support departmental outreach efforts to local radio stations and community partners to engage interview participants and ensure we are recording and representing the diversity of each local community. 

Due to COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, facilitated recordings can either take place in-person or remotely, using our online platform StoryCorps Virtual (SCV). Whether on-the-ground or virtual, the Mobile Tour partners with local public radio stations for 4-6-week-long recording engagements in towns and cities nationwide. Three Facilitators and one Site Manager staff the MobileBooth foreach engagement. Mobile Facilitators spend roughly 60 percent of their time facilitating recordings, on the road or virtually, and 40 percent of their time supporting our outreach efforts.  

StoryCorps seeks to record stories from a diverse range of voices — from our Griot Initiative to preserve stories of African Americans, to our Historias Initiative to collect the experiences of Latinos — and candidates with experience working with Black/African American, Latino, and Asian American communities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO

On the road:

• Welcome participants and guide them through the interview process  Handle all technical aspects of the recording process Ensure the preservation of every interview by performing data entry and archival processing tasks  Interview solo participants

• Exhibit sensitivity to the special needs of all participants  Support StoryCorps’ special initiatives and diversity goals 

• Identify tape from interviews to be considered for national and local broadcast Solicit donations and enrollment in StoryCorps’ membership program from participants; accurately process and record transactions Keep the recording equipment, Airstream, and worksite well-maintained and clean Work with the Site Manager to continually improve services at the MobileBooth, proactively problem-solve issues that arise  Promote and participate in on-site StoryCorps produced events and trainings  Conduct on-the-ground outreach to local communities, as needed Perform other duties to support the Mobile Tour, as assigned

In the office:

• Support the Associate Manager and Associate Director with community outreach and logistical planning of the Mobile Tour Perform demographic research on upcoming Mobile tour stops and research community-based organizations Communicate with community partners as necessary Help ensure all interview participants are prepared for their recording experience Provide guidance and support to Mobile interns Take initiative and proactively problem-solve issues that arise, with direction from the Associate Manager and Associate Director Perform other duties to support the Mobile department, as assigned

ABOUT YOU

• You have a high school diploma or equivalency plus 3 years of professional experience, OR college degree plus 1 year of professional work experience. Working ‘on the road’ for up to 4 months at a time excites you. You are willing and able to be based in New York for the duration of the role (this is a preference but we are also accepting applicants who live outside of NYS as well). You’re able to work evening and weekend hours, while on the road. You have a valid driver’s license and you’re comfortable driving long distances. You are no stranger to providing excellent customer service to everyone. You know how to communicate effectively – whether that’s by email, phone or in person. You’re organized, have a keen attention to detail, and you’re able to multi-task effectively. You have strong problem-solving skills You are flexible and adaptable to a growing, changing organization. You have cultural humility and an ability to work successfully with diverse groups of people. You love working closely with a team and feel comfortable with resolving conflict. You have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and web-mail (e.g. G-mail). You are comfortable with learning and working with new technical equipment (e.g., audio recording equipment, editing software, databases, digital cameras).

PREFERRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• You are fluent in English and Spanish, both orally and in writing.

• You’ve worked in a nonprofit environment. You have at least one year of experience working with diverse communities in a volunteer or professional setting. You have experience conducting community outreach and engagement with Latino, Black/African American, Asian American, and/or LGBTQIA communities (strongly preferred). You have a familiarity with audio recording equipment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Carrying/Lifting: While traveling, Facilitators bring 1-2 personal bags; they must be able to carry and lift the baggage (e.g., into the trunk of a car, into overhead bins on an airplane, etc.)

COVID NOTICE:

All offers of employment requiring on-site/in-person work will be contingent on the candidate being Fully Vaccinated (at least two-weeks after last dose) prior to starting their new role. As of December 27, 2021 by order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene all employees working in-office are required to provide proof of the COVID-19 Vaccination in the Workplace. Reasonable accommodations can be discussed with HR personnel for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons. Proof of vaccination status is required at the time of extending the offer.

StoryCorps seeks to hire staff who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. All positions at StoryCorps are filled without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, HIV/AIDS status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. All are encouraged to apply.