Volunteer Support Specialist (Full Time) - Begins October 2023

Who Are We?

Young Storytellers sparks creative self-discovery through storytelling. Our programs highlight young people as the center of their own narratives, emphasize that their stories matter, and celebrate their unique voices as the ones telling them. Young Storytellers works towards a future where young people experience the impact that their thoughts, feelings, and words can have on the world in which they live.

Young Storytellers works with students in elementary, middle, and high school. In elementary school, students write scripts that are completely their own; in middle school, students write stories about challenges that they face; and in high school, students explore how various communities are portrayed in the media and craft stories that they feel represent their self-identified communities. Students in each program work with volunteer mentors, and every student gets to see their work performed by professional actors. Young Storytellers programs are designed around Common Core standards, integrate Social and Emotional Learning activities, and include components of Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards.

What Is This Position?

The Volunteer Support Specialist oversees the recruitment and placement of all YS volunteers throughout the school year, ensuring that all active YS programs run smoothly by fulfilling our mentor-to-student ratios and relationships. As a key member of the Volunteer Team, the Volunteer Support Specialist creates a diverse and inclusive volunteer community with the goal of YS student writers feeling represented and seen in the classroom and on the stage — and retaining volunteers so that they come back to volunteer time and time again. The Volunteer Support Specialist is responsible for creating strategies and implementing systems to ensure recruitment and placement are smooth, representative, and easy for volunteers. They are attentive to details and have strong communication skills, enabling them to address volunteer needs and concerns. Understanding that programs aren't possible without our dedicated volunteers, the Volunteer Support Specialist is ultimately responsible for cultivating relationships with YS volunteers, so they feel connected to the larger YS community and know that it’s a place that they belong — their first semester and beyond.

The Volunteer Support Specialist has an opportunity to have a high impact on the success of our programs in alignment with our Worldview and values of belonging, connection, exploration, play, and antiracism.

Cool, But Let’s Get Specific. What’s Involved in This Job?

Responsibilities:

• Oversees the recruitment and placement of onboarded volunteers for all YS programs, including mentors and actors for elementary, middle, and high school programs

• Coordinates with Head Mentors to ensure that they have the mentors and actors that they need for a successful program

• Coordinates with corporate partners to recruit and place volunteers

• Strategizes and implements creative recruitment and retention techniques to bolster volunteer numbers

• Builds meaningful connections and relationships with YS volunteers from all experiences and identities, allowing them to be placed at programs that build on their skills, identities, and experiences

• Works closely with the Volunteer and Programs Teams to ensure that recruitment processes are in line with program timelines, as well as outreach, retention, and engagement efforts

• Creates and implements communication techniques for volunteer mentors and actors, including (but not limited to) phone calls, email blasts, and texting campaigns

• Supports volunteer orientations, trainings, and workshops, as necessary, and communicates trends of needs arising in the volunteer community to Volunteer Director

• Implements YS’s DEIB and antiracism practices in all parts of volunteer recruitment, placement, and retention

• Additional tasks as assigned or needed to support the work of the Volunteer Team

What Are the Skills & Experiences Needed For This Position?

Required Qualifications:

• The ability to work collaboratively within and across teams

• Experience coordinating or managing volunteers, especially in regards to outreach, onboarding, and retention

• Proficient in Project Management

• Excellent Organizational Skills

• Adaptability and flexibility

• Adaptable and effective written and oral communication skills

• A desire for the creation of an equitable volunteer program that centers students, their voices, and their experiences

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience creating and implementing volunteer management strategy;

• Facilitation skills and comfort speaking in front of diverse groups of people;

• Spanish language skills, both written and verbal.

What is My Compensation for This Position?

The Volunteer Support Specialist is a full-time, hourly position with a pay range of $24-$28 per hour, depending on experience. Total compensation includes health insurance, retirement savings program, and a generous paid time off and holiday break schedule. The Young Storytellers team operates on a hybrid work schedule with two days at our DTLA office and three days remote each week.

Ok, I’m In. How Do I Apply? 

Anticipated start date is October 4, 2023, and applications will be accepted until the position is full. To apply, please visit this link to fill out an application and upload the following in PDF form:

• Resume / CV;

• A brief statement or cover letter that includes why you are interested in working with Young Storytellers and this position in particular, highlighting your previous leadership and operational experience.

Anything Else I Should Know?

Young Storytellers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Belonging is a core value of the Young Storytellers culture, and our daily practices around equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-bias, anti-discrimination, and antiracism are central to that value. Young Storytellers firmly believes that Black Lives Matter. We encourage women and gender-diverse people, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, veterans, immigrants, and anyone with a disability to apply for this and all our positions. Young Storytellers has designed our interview, onboarding, and ongoing cultural practices to be a welcoming space for everyone. You can read more about our worldview on our website.

For any questions or accommodations while applying due to a disability, please email us at jobs@youngstorytellers.com or call us at 323.962.4500.