Director, Recording & Archive
DIRECTOR, RECORDING & ARCHIVE
Department: Recording & Archive
Division: Programs
Location: NY Tri-State area preferred.
Travel Percentage: 10%
Reports To: Chief Strategy & Program Innovation Officer
Status: Full Time/ Regular/ Exempt/Non-union
Salary: $100,000–$120,000
THE ROLE
The Director of the Recording and Archive Department is responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of StoryCorps’ recording process and assuring the integrity and accessibility of StoryCorps’ archive of over 83,000 born-digital signature audio interviews and over 240,000 interviews recorded using the StoryCorps App. The Director leads the department in developing policies, procedures, and best practices around these aspects of StoryCorps’ program and delivering the corresponding training to field staff. The Director also maintains ultimate responsibility for assuring the quality of the materials StoryCorps collects and archives.
The Director organizes, leads, and participates in cross-departmental project teams relevant to the Archive, and serves as a primary contact for establishing external Archive partnerships and for fulfilling research and rights-of-use requests. The Director assists with the planning of new StoryCorps initiatives, the launch of new recording methods, and new physical locations, and participates in overall strategic planning activities for the organization.
The StoryCorps interview collection and preservation process is heavily integrated with our Online Archive as well as a variety of other digital services, automated processes, and tools. The Director will work closely with the StoryCorps Digital team to assess new opportunities to improve our productivity and reach, as well as ensuring public access to our materials and the long-term viability of our data. Beyond these duties, the Director will oversee maintaining, improving, promoting, and supporting StoryCorps’ online access portal, supporting the continued development of the StoryCorps Virtual recording platforms, and supporting other digital initiatives. The Director oversees a small but mighty team of Archivists, Recording specialists, as well as contractors and interns as necessary. StoryCorps records, shares, and preserves stories from a range of participants of all backgrounds and beliefs. The Director, Recording & Archive will support interdepartmental efforts to promote StoryCorps’ Archive, and candidates with experience developing and sustaining outreach / archival partnerships with underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
● Participate in goal setting and strategic planning for the Recording & Archive department and work with execs and senior stakeholders to refine your vision
● Supervise archivists, recording specialists, contractors, and interns
● Work with Recording staff to determine optimal equipment, establish recording procedures, and provide support to field staff
● Work with Archive staff to develop workflows, quality standards, and best practices for archival processing and metadata management
● Develop, document, and implement archival systems, procedures, policies, and best practices
● Understand how new technologies (including AI) will impact our mission and provide new opportunities
● Serve as primary liaison with the Library of Congress's American Folklife Center and other major Archive partners
● Collaborate with the Digital Team on archive integration, AWS infrastructure, databasing systems, and the long term growth of the Online Archive
● Oversee responses to archive access, research, and rights of use requests
● Develop curatorial experiences and content partnerships to promote the Archive externally
● Oversee design, construction, and maintenance of recording venues (Airstream mobile studios, Manhattan Recording Booth)
● Manage creation and delivery of Recording & Archive training for staff
● Oversee StoryCorps' research and content use program, including standards for scholar and educator access
● Manage the lifecycle of digital assets, including file transfer, processing, and dissemination
● Support grant writing and Development activities
● Manage department budget
ABOUT YOU
Required:
● You believe in and support the mission of StoryCorps.
● You hold a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or a related field, or a Bachelor’s degree plus equivalent relevant work experience.
● Experience supervising staff and evaluating staff performance.
● Experience with digital preservation and user-facing access platforms.
● Experience developing, delivering, and evaluating training (especially technical training)
● Knowledge of and experience working with professional recording equipment and digital audio.
● Evidence of planning ability, leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to develop proposals for improving policies and procedures.
● Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
● Solid organization skills, multi-tasking ability, and attention to detail.
● Ability to be flexible and adaptable in order to contribute to problem-solving activities within a growing, changing organization.
● Cultural competence and the ability to work successfully with varied groups of people.
● Willingness to travel very occasionally to support Recording, Archive, or organization activities.
Preferred:
● Master's of Library and Information Science or equivalent
● Experience contributing to the development and implementation of software and databases.
● You have advanced skills in Excel/Sheets, experience in WordPress, SQL, and Python. Experience with AWS and other cloud infrastructure is a plus.
● Experience working with oral history projects or collections is a plus.
● Experience with public-facing archives, user experience, and product design.
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 Online Archive and 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 the 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. For those who prefer to work in the office, that option remains.