One Small Step Facilitator, National

ONE SMALL STEP FACILITATOR, NATIONAL

Department: Interview Collection 

Division: Programs 

Location: Atlanta, GA (In-person)

Reports To: Manager, National 

Term of Employment: Present-12/31/23

Status: Full-Time, Temporary, Non-Union, Non-Exempt

Pay Rate: $21.98/hour (~$40,000 annually) 

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 databasing activities so that the interview can be preserved and is searchable in our digital interview archive. However, minimal prior technical experience is required! StoryCorps provides Facilitators with training from experts in recording, archiving, and audio production. 

The One Small Step (OSS) Facilitator will be responsible for breaking the ice between strangers, establishing ground rules, walking them through the conversation process, handling the recording equipment, and entering all interview meta data into our online archive. All aforementioned services are recorded either through StoryCorps Virtual, a digital platform, or through onsite visits with portable equipment. As a National Facilitator, you must be willing to have a flexible travel schedule and be able to adjust plans based on recording requests – including last-minute ones.

We seek to recruit and develop a staff whose diversity matches the diversity of the communities we serve, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color,  the LGBTQ+ community, from people of all ages, political beliefs, and cultures. StoryCorps records, shares, and preserves stories from a diverse range of American voices — from our Historias Initiative to collect the experiences of Latinos, to our One Small Step initiative to connect people across the political divide, and more.  

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Facilitate conversations between strangers with opposing political and social views as they participate in interviews for the One Small Step (OSS) initiative 
• Record OSS StoryCorps Virtual appointments remotely
• Travel nationwide to partner sites (organizations, groups, and institutions), recording in-person OSS StoryCorps interviews
• Welcome participants, break the ice between strangers, and guide them through the interview experience 
• Establish ground rules for a respectful conversation
• Ask follow up questions to ensure the space is equally shared and the conversation is fruitful
• Professionally represent StoryCorps to the public and actively promote the StoryCorps mission 
• Handle all technical aspects of the recording process 
• Ensure the preservation of every interview by performing data entry and archival processing tasks 
• Identify tape from interviews to be considered for broadcast 
• Perform other duties to support the Interview Collection department and StoryCorps, as assigned 

ABOUT YOU

Required:

• You have a high school diploma or equivalency plus 3 years of professional experience, OR college degree plus 1 year of professional work experience 
• You are enthusiastic about working with people across the political spectrum
• You are interested in helping to bridge the political divide between strangers 
• You are excited at the opportunity for travel (sometimes on short notice) and able to work evenings and weekends 
• You have a valid driver’s license 
• You know how to communicate effectively – whether by email, phone or in person. 
• You have experience interacting with individuals on virtual platforms (Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet) 
• You are comfortable troubleshooting and navigating a new virtual workflow 
• 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 comfortable learning and working with new technical equipment (e.g., audio recording equipment, editing software, databases, digital cameras) 
• You are no stranger to providing excellent customer service to everyone. 
• You are comfortable working closely with a team as well as independently and in a remote capacity
• You are flexible and adaptable to a growing, changing organization 

Preferred:

• You have experience working in spaces where people differ politically
• You have experience in facilitating conversations across differences
• You appreciate opposing viewpoints and have the ability to stay calm in the presence of difficult conversations or topics
• You have at least one year of experience working with diverse communities in a volunteer or professional setting 
• You have experience working in a non-profit setting
• You have a familiarity with audio recording equipment 
• Bilingual in English and in Spanish

Physical Requirements:

• Facilitators transport a bag (25 lbs) and a Field Recording Kit (50 lbs, on wheels) to recording sites. Facilitators regularly travel via airplane and train and will need to transport and lift the equipment into overhead bins, along with managing their own luggage.
• 20% Travel is required for this role

ONE SMALL STEP

Research by Pew (2014) reveals that animosity, ideological divisions and deeply negative views held by and about Democrats and Republicans more than doubled from 1994 to 2014. Partisan hostility is alarming and stands in direct opposition to the democratic and societal ideals upon which this country was founded. StoryCorps launched One Small Step (OSS) to bring people into contact with each other which is a small step toward reducing prejudice and intolerance, countering the current climate of contempt and division in our country. From 2017 through to 2019, StoryCorps tested and adapted its interview, recording and archiving service to accommodate conversations between strangers, created content and built relationships with organizations nationally and in target communities which are the pillars of OSS. Through it all, we sought input and guidance from participants and audience members to ensure that their experiences were positive. We learned that there is an appetite across the ideological spectrum for StoryCorps’ approach and that, after the interview, participants reported lessened anxiety about interacting with those who hold opposing political views.

ABOUT STORYCORPS

Founded in 2003, StoryCorps has given over 600,000 people, in all 50 states, the chance to record interviews about their lives. The award-winning organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying voices least heard in the media. The StoryCorps MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer that has been transformed into a traveling recording booth, crisscrosses the country year-round gathering the stories of people nationwide. Learn more at storycorps.org.

In-Office Work: 

Working at the StoryCorps office is optional except in certain circumstances, such as in-person training, if your position requires some in-office presence, or if your manager needs an in-person individual or team meeting, COVID guidelines permitting.

For those who prefer to work in the office, that option remains.

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. 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.

We monitor NYC COVID-19 transmissions rates every week to inform staff of in-office protocols. This status is emailed to all staff every Friday and will include the rules to follow for each color code: Green, Yellow, and Red.  These codes will dictate the masking and gathering guidelines.

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.

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