Director, Recording & Archive

Status: Full Time/ Regular/ Exempt/Non-union

Location: NY Tri-State area preferred.

Travel Percentage: 10%

The Director of the Recording and Archive Department is responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of Story Corps’ recording process and assuring the integrity and accessibility of Story Corps’ archive of over 83,000 born-digital signature audio interviews and over 240,000 interviews recorded using the Story Corps App. The Director leads the department in developing policies, procedures, and best practices around these aspects of Story Corps’ program and delivering the corresponding training to field staff.

The Director also maintains ultimate responsibility for assuring the quality of the materials Story Corps 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 Story Corps initiatives, the launch of new recording methods, and new physical locations, and participates in overall strategic planning activities for the organization.

The Story Corps 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 Story Corps 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 Story Corps’ online access portal, supporting the continued development of the Story Corps 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. Story Corps 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 Story Corps’ Archive, and candidates with experience developing and sustaining outreach / archival partnerships with underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

• 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 Story Corps' 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

Required:

• You believe in and support the mission of Story Corps.
• You hold a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science or a related field, or a Bachelor’s degree plus equivalent relevant work…