Position Description: StoryCenter Strategic Partner

Location: Bay Area or Remote

Reports To: This position works in partnership with the current Director of Programs 

Status: Full-Time

Application Deadline: May 15, 2025, or until position is filled


Position Overview:

The strategic partner will collaborate with StoryCenter’s director of programs to evolve and expand a mission-driven participatory media organization. This position will help reshape StoryCenter’s internal governance and create the conditions for StoryCenter’s social justice-focused programming to thrive in the future. It requires a commitment to StoryCenter’s approach to participatory media and digital storytelling, a proven ability to identify, cultivate, and maintain key relationships with external stakeholders, and the agility to blend workshop facilitation with strategic action for the organization. 

StoryCenter is building an organization that situates personal narrative and digital storytelling for connection, belonging, social justice, equity, healing, and joy. We welcome committed leaders with a collaborative mindset who have a track record of strengthening and growing organizations.

StoryCenter Mission and Values

At StoryCenter, we witness and facilitate personal narratives that are transformational for storytellers and build community. We pioneered the development of the digital storytelling workshop as a media-making process that supports storyteller agency. The work we do is fundamentally participatory, and we are committed to a world of compassion that understands that equity, inclusion, and knowledge embedded in lived experience are essential to social justice. 

We work with a wide variety of organizations, including community-based grassroots groups, public health and social service entities, universities, museums, libraries, and research institutions in the United States and abroad. We also work with individuals who register for our public workshops.

We are in the process of evaluating our operating principles and refining our focus. We are looking for a partner to help drive the evolution of a renewed mission-driven organization that is exploring the possibility of collective governance. The primary characteristic of a qualified candidate is a willingness to be actively creative in developing new systems and relationships, and to contribute to the long-term viability of StoryCenter. We are in the process of building a team and are interested in speaking with candidates who have specialized knowledge in facilitating digital storytelling workshops, specifically, as well as general workshop facilitation, across various cultural experiences, development, fundraising, teaching narrative in diverse settings, Freirian educational approaches, and community organizing.   

Key Responsibilities:

  • Enter into a deeply collaborative relationship with the current Board and staff at StoryCenter to jointly oversee all aspects of StoryCenter’s operations.

  • Provide leadership in specifically designated areas. We are particularly interested in partnering with an individual who has experience in one or more of the following areas: nonprofit development and fundraising, collective governance and leadership, liberatory and equity-focused education, narrative and story work, filmmaking, experiential and emotionally supportive workshop facilitation, communications, or program management.

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for identifying and securing strategic partnerships that align with StoryCenter’s mission, values, and objectives.

  • Work closely with all StoryCenter staff to define partnership goals, metrics, and expectations.

  • Build and nurture long-term, positive relationships with key external stakeholders, ensuring a deep understanding of their goals, needs, and interests.

  • Work closely with the development, programs, and communications teams to ensure coherent relationships between programmatic goals, collaborative relationships, funding opportunities, communications strategies, and operations.

  • Support the development and execution of joint initiatives, events, and campaigns that showcase the partnership and drive impact.

  • In collaboration with StoryCenter staff, develop reports on the status and outcomes of partnerships, including successes and challenges, for the StoryCenter Board.

  • Represent StoryCenter at external events, conferences, and meetings, serving as an advocate for the organization and its mission.

Skills and Qualifications:

Any combination of formal education, paid work experience, unpaid/volunteer experience, and life experience will be considered to meet the following:

Required

Successful candidates will understand and commit to StoryCenter's mission and underlying values. Values include equity, belonging, integrity, the wisdom of lived experience, collaboration, and the well-being of staff and workshop participants.

  • 7+ years of experience in nonprofit or public sector leadership

  • 5+ years in workshop facilitation or teaching with an emphasis on experiential processes and “meeting learners where they are at”

  • Nonprofit budget management experience

  • Strong time management skills with accuracy and attention to detail

  • Self-motivated

  • Flexible 

  • Curious about the implementation of high-quality democratic nonprofit governance structures that improve StoryCenter’s ability to pursue its mission

  • Excellent ability to teach and manage content in online environments

  • Excellent ability in the use of Zoom or a comparable online meeting and teaching platform

  • Proficiency in the use of online messaging tools such as Messages and WhatsApp

  • Excellent ability to learn to use the tools of digital technology well enough to teach others how to use them

  • Experience and ability to work in a Google Workspace environment

  • Ability to travel domestically and internationally

  • Ability to travel up to 20 days per year

  • Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills

  • Excellent communication and presentation skills

  • Ability to build rapport and foster positive relationships with diverse stakeholders

  • Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines

  • Willing to learn from mistakes, receive feedback, and give feedback to others

  • Committed to building a culture of mutual accountability, liberation, and respect

  • Enjoys a small organization atmosphere with close collaboration and meaningful relationships

Good To Have:

  • Experience with implementing HR and employee policies from a legal and administrative perspective

  • Experience with collective governance (i.e., co-ops, worker-owned collectives, consensus decision-making)

  • Experience with creating, posting, and managing social media accounts

  • Experience with online registration platforms

  • Experience updating website content

  • Experience with grant writing

  • Experience with video editing

Education:

  • For this position, our focus is on deep experience with the required knowledge and skills, as well as enthusiasm for more collaborative forms of nonprofit governance.

Benefits:

  • Salary 80K per year

  • Opportunity to work in a dynamic, mission-driven environment

  • Medical, vision, dental, paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and 401K

  • Flexible work hours and remote work options (if applicable)

This job description is intended to outline the general duties and responsibilities of the Strategic Partner position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all tasks and expectations. The role may evolve based on the organization's needs.

Send resume and cover letter in PDF form to info@storycenter.org. Include the text “Strategic Partner” in the subject line.

StoryCenter is an equal-opportunity employer. Hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination, and all other employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, veteran status, or any other protected status.