Job openings/Storyteller

YOU ARE ...

.. You are someone who: has a portfolio of beautiful, compelling multimedia stories about people; will be able to direct writers, designers, videographers and other consultants and collaborators effectively; is in love with people -- especially people who are brilliant, quirky, young, old, awkward, self-assured, arrogant, self-effacing, shy, expert, passionate, occasionally deeply depressed and very often ecstatic.

You are capable of grasping what is unique, valuable and beautiful about a movement of Wikimedians, who mostly have never met each other, producing the largest voluntary collective work product in the history of the world.

Position Title

Storyteller

Reports to

Chief Community Officer. (But is often embedded in a specific team under the direction of that team lead, e.g. during the annual Contribution Campaign.)

Position description:

Most people who use Wikipedia do not know that it is created and maintained by volunteers and hosted by a non-profit organization funded by readers. Wikimedia's non-profit model will only work if we can continue to teach more and more users of Wikimedia websites that they are using a community-created and user-funded resource.

The movement storyteller will work with members of Wikimedia communities to teach Wikimedia readers about the world behind the content they rely on everyday. You will both create your own pieces and produce pieces written and directed by others. Stories should be told in as many media as possible including video, audio, narrative text, interviews, images and others.

The storyteller will be responsible for a large portion of the creative work behind Wikimedia Foundation's annual fundraiser. This may involve traveling the world to capture stories of Wikimedia movement volunteers and donors, and working with the fundraising team and creative consultants to deliver these stories in compelling ways throughout the fundraiser.

You must be able to independently grasp what is beautiful about the Wikimedia movement, and direct and promote your own creative projects that tell the movement's story to our readers. During our annual contribution campaign, you must be able to evaluate what stories can convince readers to become editors and donors. Metrics for success in this job will be developed collaboratively with whoever fills the position. One might be: "Make something incredibly beautiful every month."

Job Responsibilities

• Produce powerful creative multimedia works about Wikimedians, our projects and our movement.
• Direct other creative resources (from creative firms to volunteers) in doing the same.
• Create and curate a body of raw creative material (photography, video, writing, graphic design and more) for use in the annual fundraiser.
• Direct creative production for the annual fundraiser.
• Collaborate closely with and take direction from the Wikimedia Foundation Head of Communications to keep creative projects consistent with Wikimedia brand and movement values.
• Work as a team member with Communications staff on various projects.

Qualifications

• Portfolio of impressive creative work, including narrative works, with high production value.
• Experience directing creative consultants and/or creative teams.
• Experience interviewing and representing in creative works participants in unique subcultures or social movements.
• Either experience in the Free/Open Source software movement or another movement- or community-oriented world.
• Candidates should have a proven record of creating compelling creative pieces with high production value.

Skills/Characteristics

• Ability to direct oneself and large, difficult creative projects.
• Ability to tailor creative output to special needs of a project.
• Ability to work across media, or have a knack for getting results from artists working in a medium unfamiliar to you.
• High energy for, drive and commitment to the mission: Deeply believes in the value of Wikimedia, exudes enthusiasm for the mission and can powerfully embody and communicate the mission.
• Intellectual curiosity and flexibility: Enjoy tackling difficult, ambiguous problems and able to incorporate new knowledge into how one approaches situations and generates solutions; loves learning from others and expanding intellectual horizons.
• Open and transparent: Comfortable working in a highly transparent fashion, open to input and feedback, proactive candid communicator who wants people to know what she/he is doing and isn't afraid to bring others in when things are off-track or when you need help.
• Community oriented: Essential that the candidate comes to see her/himself as a part of the Wikimedia community
• Strong cultural competency: Ability to bridge cultures and geographic differences; Able to navigate in a truly global movement.
• Willing to travel: Periodic travel to attend global Wikimedia events and to meet individual Wikimedians and other movement participants.

Location

San Francisco -- can possibly work remotely

About the Community Department at the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation consists of three operating departments advancing the organization's mission: to empower and engage people around the world to collect and develop free educational content, and to disseminate it effectively and globally.

• The Global Development department expands Wikimedia's presence and programmatic activities world-wide, with special focus on disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. This includes support for Wikimedia's chapter organizations such as grantmaking, on-the-ground programs in key regions, and development of partnerships to expand mobile and offline access.
• The Technology department operates the Wikimedia Foundation websites, including Wikipedia, and it maintains and improves the underlying open source software (for example, by improving usability for entry-level volunteers or simplifying media uploading).
• The Community Department collaborates with and serves the broad Wikimedia community -- including readers, donors and editors/contributors -- to encourage the health and growth of Wikimedia communities and the projects they create and manage. The community department is also responsible for mobilizing financial contributions from Wikimedia users in an annual fundraiser.

All Community Department positions involve collaborating and communicating with community stakeholders intensively and publicly, grappling with problems that no one has ever solved before, navigating technological and social challenges and opportunities, and dealing with a high level of complexity and uncertainty. Candidates should have extremely high levels of skill and comfort in communication (especially writing), qualitative and quantitative analysis, management and self-management. Candidates who are not already deeply immersed within online collaborative communities will have to show an aptitude for quickly gaining deep understanding of our communities' technologies, practices, traditions and culture -- and to become trusted and productive members of the Wikimedia community and movement.

Apply

Please send a CV and cover letter to jobswikimedia.org before April 29, 2011. Please put the position title (Storyteller) in your subject line.

Applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered. This position will be filled in April 2011.

Please copy and paste the text of your CV into the e-mail, in addition to attaching the file.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we regret that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.