Network Weaver at Narrative Initiative

Network Weaver

Position: Network Weaver

Reports to: Program Director

Location: Remote, US Based

Salary: $90,000 - $100,000, Exempt

The deadline to apply for this position is November 15, 2021. We are no longer accepting applications.

Who We Are

Narrative Initiative weaves the power of narrative with other social justice strategies to achieve long term equity. We maximize opportunities to nourish and grow narrative power, equip narrative changemakers, and bond communities to pursue long-term progress for social justice. We engage the trees to serve the forest, working with community leaders who are committed to meeting the moment with an eye towards a bigger vision for durable social and racial justice created by bonding our communities and linking our fates.

We believe people have the right to shape the narratives that impact our lives. We believe that serving the collective good and transforming exclusionary narratives requires authentic listening, two-way communications, and respect for many voices, perspectives and experiences. We believe in building collective strength by sharing resources, knowledge, and power. We believe that narrative, when combined with organizing and action, will shift political, cultural, and economic power relations to improve our lives and help our communities thrive.

The Role

The Network Weaver will serve as a leader at Narrative Initiative by envisioning and enacting our network building work. As our dedicated Network Weaver, you will help Narrative Initiative shape the broader narrative ecosystem, support the development of a vision for that network, and create and execute a plan for connecting people and organizations fruitfully. To succeed, you will need to build and maintain a thorough understanding across Narrative Initiative’s programs and projects. You will create a strong plan, calendar, clear roles, and network map/directory in service of our organizational goals.

A powerful network of effective narrative change practitioners is key to Narrative Initiative’s theory of change. We are looking for a catalyzing and experienced weaver to coalesce an emerging network that has the potential to be highly effective and powerful at shifting public narratives toward equity and justice. The network advances Narrative Initiative’s long term strategy both by building a community of practice and by creating opportunities to generate narrative alignment at larger scales. As June Holley says, “A network weaver is someone who is aware of the networks around them and explicitly works to make them healthier [more connected]. Network weavers do this by helping people identify their interests and challenges, connecting people strategically where there’s potential for mutual benefit, and serving as a catalyst for self-organizing groups.”

What You Do

The Network Weaver creates, cultivates, and ensures high quality relationships and collaborations that advance the mission of Narrative Initiative.

Primary responsibilities are to:

  • Envision and manage the network. Develop a plan to align and weave the various parts of the narrative organizing network – individuals, organizations, movements, networks, coalitions, and projects – routinely connecting parts and people across groups and projects. Define what network participation means, and support new participant onboarding.
  • Connect, catalyze, coordinate. Facilitate connections between network participants. Catalyze and coordinate network-wide activities in alignment with current strategic priorities. Manage and help design and facilitate network events and convenings. Organize convening logistics, including meeting invitations, locations/platforms, catering, materials, reminders, etc. Create and manage ways for the network to see each other’s work.
  • Recruit members and observe patterns. Function as primary point of contact for the network. Listen deeply across the growing network for rising opportunities and threats for collective narrative organizing actions. Design and implement engagement ladders, providing a spectrum of opportunities for network participants to get involved in network activities. Use network maps to identify opportunities for connections among individuals and projects to better connect the network. Coordinate with other networks to identify points of intersection. Create a system of touchpoints for participants.
  • Coach distributed alignment. Model and build how the network works together in a distributed fashion. Support all staff, consultants and network participants to have a basic understanding of network weaving skills. Catalyze and support self-organizing among network participants, including materials to help people self-organize, in coordination with Content Director.

Who You Are

  • Part of the broad field of narrative change practice, familiarity and comfort with the scene.
  • Background in organizing for change, whether paid or unpaid.
  • Experience in building and nurturing networks, coalitions, or communities of practice that encompass a range of perspectives, cultures, and backgrounds, including experience growing an online/offline community through art, mobilization, and/or organizing.
  • Strong project-management skills including attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to manage complex projects.
  • Basic proficiency in network mapping tools and analysis of maps or willingness to learn Kumu or other network-mapping tools and CRMs.
  • Comfortable with Google Drive, Slack, Otter.ai, Zoom etc.
  • Comfortable working in a quick-paced environment to help develop the weavers and facilitators to support network growth.
  • Open to experimentation, learning, and adjustments along the way; ability hold complexity to deliver results.
  • Deep passion for building and supporting relationships; skilled in lifting up the work of others, often in a behind-the-scenes way.
  • Ability to work independently and think creatively about how to leverage the resources at your disposal.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate openly and directly with co-workers and community members.

The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions and qualifications of the position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. Job incumbents may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this description.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, 3% employer match on 401k contributions, pre-tax transportation benefits, and paid holidays, vacation, sick, and volunteer time off.

Hiring Statement

Narrative Initiative is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

The deadline to apply for this position is November 15, 2021. We are no longer accepting applications. If you have any questions, you may reach out to the search team at careers@narrativeinitiative.org.