Stories of Freedom, Project Manager Consultant

JOB SUMMARY:

The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Our work is guided by science and grounded in antiracism.

The Stories of Freedom Project Manager Consultant (“Project Manager”) is responsible for coordinating all aspects of Stories of Freedom, a collaboration between the Innocence Project and StoryCorps designed to preserve, document, and amplify the stories of wrongfully convicted people. Stories of Freedom is a time-limited, two-year project. 

The Project Manager reports to the Chief Communications Officer and works collaboratively with the Social Work, Post-Conviction Litigation, Special Litigation, Data Science & Research, and Communications teams at the IP,  as well as exonerees and their interviewers. The Project Manager will collaborate and be the liaison with the StoryCorps staff assigned to the project. 

The ideal candidate will be supremely organized, have excellent writing skills, and sensitivity when working with our clients and their interviewees.  They will be a natural problem solver who is always thinking one step ahead.  The duties of this consultancy position require approximately 50 days of work per year to be performed virtually/on-site at the interview recording locations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Recruit and support exonerees and their interviewers
• Work with Social Work, Post-Conviction Litigation, and Special Litigation teams to identify exonerees who are ready to participate in the project
• Conduct outreach to potential exonerees to explain the project, recruit participants, and help participants to identify the interviewer (e.g., friend or family member) to whom they’d like to tell their story
• Maintain contact with interview participants via phone and email throughout the course of the project
• Identify the regions to target for this project
• Schedule interview collection trips
• Help prepare exonerees and their interviewers prior to the interview, both in the weeks leading up to the interview and on-site immediately preceding the interview recording session
• Debrief with exonerees and their interviewer following the interview
• Work with Social Work to arrange for follow-up support for clients who need counseling following their interview
• Gather feedback from exonerees and their interviewers about their experiences with the project
• Share completed audio and visual products with exonerees and their interviewers
• Collaborate with StoryCorps to record, produce, and disseminate interviews
• Create outreach materials to explain the project, in collaboration with the Innocence Project’s Communications team
• Design a list of optional interview questions to support interviewers, in collaboration with the Innocence Project’s Data Science & Research team
• Coordinate interview logistics
• Coordinate with StoryCorps to ensure the timely completion of StoryCorps’ edited audio and visual products 
• Work with StoryCorps and the Innocence Project’s Communications team to create a communications campaign to distribute interviews, including the placement of stories on StoryCorps’ weekly NPR program
• Share exoneree and interviewer feedback with StoryCorps
• Manage travel arrangements to and from interview collection sites
• Coordinate travel logistics with StoryCorps staff
• Book travel (flights and accommodations) for themselves, exonerees, and their interviewers for interview collection sessions
• Travel to the interview collection sites to support successful interviews
• Maintain the project budget
• Distribute honoraria to exonerees
• Track project expenses against the budget
• Submit receipts and expense reports to the Chief Communications Officer for processing 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE: 

• Extensive experience in project management and the implementation of grant-funded projects
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work well with people with varying levels of comfort with technology
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities, and adhere to timelines with meticulous attention to detail
• Sensitivity to the trauma common among people affected by wrongful conviction, including exonerees and their loved ones
• Ability to handle a broad range of stakeholders with care and diplomacy
• Strong sense of accountability for delivering high-quality work
• Enthusiasm for the work of the Innocence Project and for social justice, including a demonstrated commitment to public interest
• Shares values of equity, excellence, collaboration, humanity, integrity, respect, and accountability

Salary: This is a temporary, fixed-cost project. The total compensation is $50,000 per year for two years. 

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES

Please submit your resume and a proposal describing:

• Your relevant project management experience.
• Your experience working with people affected by the criminal legal system or other systems of oppression and your approach to this type of work.
• Consultants are encouraged to provide examples of past work as relevant.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please submit your application by email to fguthrie@innocenceproject.org by 11:59 pm EST on Friday, June 7, 2024.