Job Posting: Historical Director

Better Days 2020 is looking for a Historical Director to work with our passionate team. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of Utah being the first place where women cast ballots in the modern nation (February 14, 1870). It also marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote nationally. Better Days 2020 is committed to popularizing Utah women's history in creative and communal ways in celebration of these anniversaries. We believe that we can use the past to make Utah a leader in women's advancement again in the future. 

The Historical Director will be responsible for representing the story of women's suffrage in Utah to our team, to our partners and to the public. This person will be expected to understand the existing sources and to continue to seek for and bring to light new elements of the story. As this element of Utah history is not widely known among mainstream citizenry, the Historical Director will be responsible for carrying the vision for how we present the narrative to the public.

Tasks will include:

  • Curriculum Lesson Plans: 
    • Work with our Education Director to develop our educational curriculum, including lesson plans for 5th and 11th grade U.S. History students.
  • Content Production:
    • Manage the writing and editing of two-page biographies for Utah women's advocates by contributing writers, and write some of the biographies personally.
    • Edit short forms of biographies for the back of "trading card" illustrations.
    • Develop local suffrage histories for each of Utah's twenty-nine counties for the curriculum website and for local exhibits.
    • Develop the content for our educational website, including short form FAQ answers and historical essays.
    • Source, file and get permissions for photos to be used in our materials.
    • Work on long form versions of the content for use in printed books and other material. 
  • Management:
    • Manage a team of volunteers and interns who are producing content and getting photo permissions.
    • Coordinate/collaborate with the BD 2020 historical advisor team, seeking historical/peer review of our materials.
    • Edit content that is submitted by other writers.
  • Other:
    • Be comfortable speaking about the Better Days 2020 story and representing our cause to the public.
    • Be committed to diversity. Ensure that all Utah women’s voting rights are centered and represented in the narrative.
    • Advise social media manager in content and postings. 

Qualifications:

Better Days 2020 is looking for a candidate who has at least a Bachelor's degree and ideally an advanced degree in history, or in a related field with professional experience in history. The candidate should already have a foundational knowledge of Utah women's history, how it fits into the larger national narrative, and be passionate about the subject. Strong writing and editing skills. Familiarity with local libraries and archives is a plus. A willingness to work for a scrappy non-profit, on a fast timeline, and in a tight-knit, collegial atmosphere. 

Details:

  • This is an entirely flexible position with no fixed office space. Candidate must be willing to work from home or in a place she/he provides, and must be available to attend meetings with other team members or partners along the Wasatch Front (primarily in Salt Lake and Utah Valleys). 
  • Hourly expectations are around 30 hours a week, but this may be more or less depending on the candidate's work speed and cycle of the team's projects. When and where the work gets done is at the candidate's discretion.
  • This is a salaried position, with a salary in line with expectations for a small non-profit.
  • There are no medical or retirement benefits.

How To Apply:

Please email a cover letter and resume to info@betterdays2020.org by April 13, 2018.

Neylan Mcbaine