Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash

March 2023 update:  this position has been filled. 

The Interactivity Foundation announces an opening for a full-time position of Visiting Fellow. The position is for an original term of two years, with the possibility of renewal or transition to a permanent position. This is a hybrid position, largely remote with the possibility of some in-person activities.  For full consideration, please submit your application by Sunday, January 29, 2023.

The Interactivity Foundation (IF) is a small nonprofit operating foundation whose mission is to strengthen our democracy through the use of a small-group discussion process to explore diverse perspectives and generate an expanding set of divergent possibilities for addressing complex areas of public concern.

The Visiting Fellow will collaborate on and eventually lead activities in IF’s core focal areas:

• Sustained Dialogue Projects—these are cumulative discussion series, typically running for a year or less of monthly meetings with teams of invited participants who focus on collaboratively exploring diverse perspectives and generating alternative possibilities for an area of public concern. These sustained dialogues are used to create a discussion guide or facilitation plan that can be used in other citizen-centered discussions (we are currently exploring alternative ways to carry forward the results of these discussions).
• Community Conversations—these are standalone small-group dialogue events or short discussion series designed for collaborative exploration of a topic of public concern. Some of these events are based on a project’s discussion guide, others are simply open explorations of a topic.
• Education—these efforts relate to collaborating with educators to produce and implement collaborative discussion materials. We support the use of IF’s exploratory process in the classroom to enhance subject matter learning and collaborative discussion skill development. We support the development of student-facilitated discussions in the classroom, on campus, and within the wider community.  We also support the development of collaborative discussion skills, whether in educational or community settings.

Additional expectations include:

• Ability to work in teams and collaborate on planning and delivery of mission-oriented programming 
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction
• Ability to manage projects from idea creation, to implementation, to sharing the outcomes internally and publicly 
• Ability to communicate effectively in speaking and writing for a general audience and in small group settings
• Ability to pitch new ideas and imagine new projects, events, or processes that advance IF’s mission 
• Ability to generate, collaboratively and independently, original content that helps to advance IF’s mission
• Ability to travel for occasional in-person meetings and events 

Candidate Qualifications 
We recognize that there is no one single path to being successful in this position, so we are open and committed to looking at candidates who have traveled different pathways. Successful applicants will show:

• Ability to facilitate collaborative small-group discussions on complex topics
• Commitment to advancing robust citizen-centered democracy via collaborative and generative discussions
• Curiosity about, and interest in, both exploring a wide range of topics of societal concern from diverse perspectives, and generating a range of possible policy responses
• Mindsets of being creative and disciplined, independent and collaborative, exploratory and critically-minded, focused and expansive
• Demonstration of relevant skills through education and/or practical work experience which may include facilitation experience, project management, coordination with partner organizations, community building, organizing social media campaigns, etc. 

Compensation
$60,000 – $85,000 (plus benefits) commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Diversity & Inclusion
The Interactivity Foundation views diversity as foundational to democracy and to our mission to help strengthen and sustain our democracy through inclusive and robust civic discourse. IF is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive environment for all employees.

Covid-19 Policies
The Interactivity Foundation believes in the importance of prioritizing the health and well-being of its employees. Since this position may require in-person activities, we expect the person accepting this position to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 prior to the start date (appropriate accommodations may be possible upon consultation). 

Anticipated Start Date is flexible, with a target of May 2023.

To Apply 
Send the following three documents to [email protected], Attn: Jennifer Erb, Office Manager

1. A letter of interest addressing the above mentioned Candidate Qualifications, including a description of your experience with discussion work, whether discussion facilitation, managing a community project, or an encounter with dialogue and deliberation practice, etc.   
2. A one-page personal essay reflecting on your vision of citizen-centered democracy and how collaborative dialogue practices connect with this vision. We are interested in getting to know you as a person and seeing how you think about these topics. We are not an academic organization, so please write in a non-academic style and feel free to be as creative as you’d like.
3. A resume of relevant work or educational experiences, with links to any samples of work that illustrate your capacity to communicate with a broad audience, and the names and contact information for two professional references. 

Please feel free to explore our website to familiarize yourself with IF’s work. You are also invited to take part in any of our public Community Conversation events, several of which are planned for January (these events will be announced on our website). 

For full consideration, please submit your application by Sunday, January 29, 2023. The position will remain open until filled.