Email Nancy Hechinger with a short cover letter and resume with portfolio link.
Job Title: Director, StoryCorps TED Prize Project
Department: Executive Office
Division: Executive Office
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Reports To: CEO
Status: Full-Time, Temporary (projected end date December 2015); Exempt
Position Overview:
StoryCorps and founder Dave Isay are the 2015 winners of the TED Prize, a $1 million prize awarded to an extraordinary individual with a creative and bold vision to spark global change. By leveraging the TED community’s resources and investing $1 million into a powerful idea, the TED Prize supports one wish to inspire the world. As a part of this award, Dave will deliver a talk at the TED conference on March 17, 2015 to announce his “wish” for the world. Dave’s talk will be live streamed and a few weeks later posted on TED’s site. Attendees at the TED conference include prominent philanthropists, tech leaders, venture capitalists, and political leaders from around the globe. TED’s lead “curator,” Chris Anderson, will ask the attendees to provide help to StoryCorps to execute the wish. StoryCorps’ wish is to build upon the development of its emerging do-it-yourself (DIY) interview recording technologies, tools, and resources.
The TED Prize will be implemented in two phases: first through the development of a new DIY web-based application, followed by the engagement of external partners to utilize and promote the newly created tools and resources.
StoryCorps is looking for a project manager to centrally coordinate the StoryCorps TED Prize project team and build a strong community of external partners and early adopters for the new suite of DIY tools and resources.
The Director, StoryCorps TED Prize Project will identify partner organizations who will commit to recording interviews with the app before it is officially unveiled in March 2015 and afterwards, with a focus on social justice, social service and educational organizations, as well as corporate partners.
Additionally, the Director will ensure that the app is widely promoted to key organizations and that they are committed to encouraging the use of the new app and web platform among their membership.
The Director will also be responsible for all non-technical aspects of the TED Prize project life cycle, including liaising with TED staff, external partners, and leveraging the knowledge and creativity of internal colleagues at StoryCorps to generate high quality development and execution of the project. This person will work closely with the Director, Web & Information Technology, the Director, Recording & Archive, and the Director, Legal Affairs & Operations, along with the Chief Executive Officer, Robin Sparkman, and StoryCorps Founder/President, Dave Isay.
The Director must ensure high quality work is delivered on time and on budget, while creating a supportive and efficient environment for the TED Prize project team. Outwardly facing, the Director will serve as an ambassador for StoryCorps by overseeing the day-to-day relationships with our partners, and providing thoughtful and pragmatic leadership.
The Director will also be strongly encouraged to attend the TED Active event in Whistler, BC March 16-20, 2015. This is a one-year full-time position reporting directly to StoryCorps CEO Robin Sparkman. While the end date is currently projected for December 31, 2015, the role may be extended for another year or made permanent depending on funding.
StoryCorps records, shares, and preserves 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. Candidates with work experience in diverse communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
StoryCorps offers an excellent benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan, Employee Assistance Plan, pre-tax transit benefits, and paid time off (vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays). Flexibility exists for a four (4) day per week or remote work schedule for this role.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Marketing, Promotion, & Public/Partner Engagement (60%):
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Create and execute a strategic marketing plan to promote the new mobile app and website to a wide variety of organizations, with a focus on high profile organizations in the nonprofit and public sectors
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Develop external partnerships to foster use of the new StoryCorps recording app and website, including engaging a community of “early adopters” before March 2015 and ensuring these organizations have recorded interviews to seed the platform with content
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Engage in a series of promotional activities to ensure that the product is well positioned in the industry (for example, ensuring reviews and interviews by tech and culture blogs)
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Serve as main point of contact for public inquiries regarding the StoryCorps TED Prize project and the new mobile app and website
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Create and refine FAQs related to app usage
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Ensure development of documentation and trainings for outreach staff and partners, including support for special needs populations
Project Management (40%):
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Function as key liaison between StoryCorps and TED departments, including the tech teams; attend and facilitate meetings on behalf of StoryCorps leadership; take detailed meeting notes and document agreements/deadlines
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Coordinate cross-functional project team meetings and communications, and develop timelines for multi-year project plan, in collaboration with internal stakeholders
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Ensure the team knows and understands the project vision and deliverables, and ensure effective collaboration with external partners, consultants, and internal stakeholders
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Track and report on a variety of project goals and benchmarks throughout the design and implementation process
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Track project budget and manage finances effectively
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Perform other duties to support the StoryCorps TED Prize project, as assigned
Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications:
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Bachelor’s degree
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A minimum of 5 years’ experience in marketing & promotion (product marketing strongly preferred, especially technology products)
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Demonstrated experience designing and executing a strategic marketing plan, preferably to market a product to the nonprofit and/or public sector
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Masterful relationship management skills with the ability to quickly develop trusting and cooperative relationships over the phone and in person, across diverse individual skills and work styles; ability to sell, negotiate, influence, and manage conflicts
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Demonstrated experience coordinating the work of medium to large size interdisciplinary teams
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Strong planning, budgeting, analytical, and strategic thinking skills
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Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate seamlessly with external collaborators and staff at all levels of the organization
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Superior multi-tasking, time management, and organizational skills, and impeccable attention to detail
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Proven ability and desire to solve problems and look for opportunities for improvement
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Demonstrated experience creating regular and ad hoc reports, both narrative and quantitative
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Passion for technology and comfort level with managing projects related to app development and other web-based technologies
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Strong computer skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office word processing and spreadsheet, email, and database software
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Entrepreneurial spirit and proven ability to operate in a startup environment
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Ability to be flexible and adaptable in order to contribute to problem-solving activities within a growing, changing organization
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Cultural competence and the ability to work successfully with diverse groups of people
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.
