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Facilitator, Door-to-Door

Job Title: Facilitator, Door-to-Door
Department: StoryBooth and Door-to-Door
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Reports To: Supervisor, Door-to-Door
Status: Full-Time, Regular, Exempt

Position Overview

Facilitators are the public face of StoryCorps and work to carry out our mission.

StoryCorps Door-to-Door is one of our most portable and flexible methods for recording interviews, with Facilitators constantly traveling across the country recording the stories of everyday Americans. By recording on location, in partnership with organizations, groups, and institutions nationwide, we are able to expand the reach and accessibility of StoryCorps.

In the next year, StoryCorps Door-to-Door will participate in organization-wide initiatives to collect the stories of people living with life-threatening conditions, (through our Legacy Initiative), students and educators (through our National Teachers Initiative), and US military veterans and their families (through our Military Families Initiative). We will also record the stories of African Americans and Latinos through the continuation of our Griot and Historias Initiatives.

The Facilitators welcome participants to the recording site, orient them to the interview process, handle the technical and administrative aspects of recordings, and do whatever they can to make the StoryCorps experience a positive one for participants and partner organizations.

Facilitators listen carefully and guide participants during interviews, log content, and assume the role of interviewer when a participant comes alone. Facilitators are responsible for data entry, archival activities, reporting, and other tasks necessary to the preservation of interviews and upkeep of the recording space and equipment. When not recording interviews, they perform a variety of tasks to support StoryCorps Door-to-Door and the organization as a whole, such as preliminary sound editing and production work on selected interviews.

The Door-to-Door Facilitator position operates out of our central office in Brooklyn, NY and requires roughly 60% travel on the road, with trips potentially ranging from two days to two weeks.

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 to our future endeavors to record more stores within the Asian community — and candidates with knowledge of the histories and cultures of these communities are encouraged to apply. Work experience in Latino, African American, and/or Asian communities is strongly preferred.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

  • Travel to partner sites (organizations, groups, and institutions) nationwide for the purpose of recording StoryCorps interviews with participants identified by the Door-to-Door partner
  • Welcome participants and guide them through the interview experience, asking questions when appropriate
  • Conduct interviews with solo participants
  • Handle all technical aspects of recording the interviews, including operating and maintaining radio-quality digital recorders, mixers, microphones, and other equipment
  • Exhibit sensitivity to all participants and the specific target populations of StoryCorps projects, such as people living with life-threatening conditions and those affected by the events of September 11
  • Actively guide the content of any interviews conducted with participants who have been specially recruited by the Production Department
  • Perform reporting, data entry, and archival processing tasks to ensure preservation of interviews and an accurate record of the day’s activity
  • Identify and edit tape from interviews to be considered for broadcast; learn to use and demonstrate proficiency with ProTools editing software
  • Solicit donations from participants; accurately process and record transactions
  • Perform minor maintenance and cleaning of recording equipment
  • Communicate with supervisors regularly to ensure the effective operations of all tiers of service
  • Resolve issues and improve services; look to proactively solve day-to-day problems during on-site recording events and when working in the central office
  • Professionally represent StoryCorps to the public and actively promote the StoryCorps mission.

Knowledge, Skills, & Qualifications

Required

  • High school diploma or equivalency plus 3 years of relevant professional experience, or 2 or 4-year college degree plus 1 year of relevant professional experience
  • Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication, and public speaking skills
  • Ability to work evenings and weekends and to travel extensively and sometimes on short notice (60% travel, with trips ranging from 2 days to 2 weeks)
  • Solid organization skills, multi-tasking ability, and attention to detail
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to be flexible and adaptable to a growing, changing organization
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and web-mail
  • Comfort with learning new equipment (e.g., audio recording equipment, editing software, digital cameras)
  • Demonstrated driving proficiency and a valid driver’s license
  • Ability and desire to provide excellent customer service
  • Strong conflict negotiation and collaborative skills
  • Cultural competence and comfort working with diverse groups of people in an inclusive organizational environment.

Preferred

  • Ability to communicate clearly in Spanish and English, both orally and in writing
  • Familiarity with audio recording equipment and/or ProTools editing software
  • Proficiency on a Mac platform
  • Experience in oral history or documentary work
  • Experience in a nonprofit work environment.

To Apply

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to employment@storycorps.org and include your last name and “Facilitator, Door-to-Door” 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 deadline for applications is March 5th, 2012; 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.