Posted on March 20, 2013

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Bilingual Mobile Facilitator

Reports To: Senior Coordinator, Mobile (when in Brooklyn, NY); Site Supervisor, Mobile (when on road)
Status: Temporary (Twelve Months), Full-Time, Exempt

About StoryCorps:

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Founded in 2003 by radio documentary producer and MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay, StoryCorps has recorded and archived over 40,000 interviews from more than 70,000 participants. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. We have visited all 50 states, partnered with hundreds of community organizations across the country, and earned two Peabody Awards (including a rare Institutional Peabody Award), the highest honor in broadcast journalism. Millions listen to our weekly broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition, our weekly podcasts on iTunes, and the stories posted on the Listen pages of our website. Our animations have been featured on PBS’s flagship documentary series POV and the YouTube homepage and were nominated for an Emmy. Our three books, Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project, Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps, and All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps, were New York Times Bestsel lers.

In the coming years, we hope to build StoryCorps into an enduring institution that will touch the lives of every American family. To learn more about our services, produced works, and special initiatives, and to listen to participant stories, visit www.storycorps.org.

Position Overview:

A MobileBooth is an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio that travels the country year-round collecting stories. The MobileBooth partners with local public radio stations for 4-6 weeklong visits to towns and cities nationwide. Two Facilitators and one Site Supervisor staff the MobileBooth.

Mobile Facilitators spend roughly 75 percent of their time on the road and 25 percent of their time working at StoryCorps’ Brooklyn headquarters. While assigned to StoryCorps Headquarters in Brooklyn, the Facilitator performs administrative tasks to support community outreach and the department as a whole, and is supervised by a Mobile Department Senior Coordinator, and also takes direction from the Mobile Outreach Coordinator.

We are currently accepting applications for a Bilingual Mobile Facilitator. The Bilingual Mobile Facilitator must be able to competently conduct all aspects of this position in Spanish, both orally and in writing. Language skills will be tested.

The term of employment for the Bilingual Mobile Facilitator hired for the 2013/2014 Mobile Tour will be June 17, 2013 — June 2014 (specific date TBD). There will be a mandatory training period from June 17, 2013 – June 28, 2013.

StoryCorps seeks to record stories from a diverse range of American 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.

Excellent benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, Flexible Spending Account, 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan, Employee Assistance Plan, and TransitCheks; also includes paid time off (vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Welcome participants to the Booth and guide them through the interview process, asking questions as appropriate
• Handle all technical aspects of making the recordings
• Perform data entry and archival processing tasks to ensure preservation of interviews and an accurate record the day’s activity
• Provide administrative support to the MobileBooth Site Supervisor and Senior Coordinator
• Solicit donations from participants; accurately process and record transactions
• Act as interviewer to solo participants
• Professionally represent StoryCorps to the public and actively promote the StoryCorps mission
• Under the direction of the Senior Coordinator and Outreach Coordinator, complete community outreach tasks, including performing reminder calls and distributing emails to community partners
• Work with the Mobile team to continually improve services in the office and in the field
• Take initiative and proactively problem-solve issues that arise with direction from direct supervisor
• Perform minor maintenance and cleaning of recording venues and sites
• Perform other tasks to support the Mobile Department, as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications:

Required:

• Fluency in Spanish, both orally and in writing
• High school diploma or equivalency plus 3 years of relevant professional experience, OR college degree plus 1 year of relevant professional work experience
• At least one (1) year of experience working with diverse communities in a volunteer or professional setting
• Driving proficiency and a valid driver’s license
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, and to be ‘on the road’ for periods of up to 4 months at a time
• Ability and desire to provide excellent customer service
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Solid organization skills, multi-tasking ability, and attention to detail
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to be flexible and adaptable to a growing, changing organization
• Cultural competence and the ability to work successfully with diverse groups of people
• Strong conflict negotiation and collaborative skills
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and web-mail (e.g. G-mail)
• Comfort with learning and working with new technical equipment (e.g., audio recording equipment, editing software, databases, digital cameras)

Preferred:

• Experience conducting community outreach and engagement with Latino, Black/African American, and/or Asian American communities (strongly preferred)
• College degree
• Proficiency on a Mac platform
• Familiarity with audio recording equipment
• Work experience in a nonprofit environment

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.)
• Pulling/Pushing: Facilitators must be able to push an adult in a wheelchair up a ramp, as needed (approximately 5 times per month).

Application Instructions

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to employment@storycorps and include your last name and “Bilingual Mobile Facilitator” in the subject line. Include your cover letter and resume as attachments entitled “YourNameLetter” and “YourNameResume.” In your cover letter, please tell us how you found out about this opportunity and whether you have applied for a position at StoryCorps in the past.

The application deadline is April 12, 2013; please apply early. No calls please.

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.