STORY LEAD

Employer

Job Description

Meow Wolf is a social impact art project that fuels a business, and a business that fuels a social impact art project. We create immersive and interactive experiences that transport audiences into fantastic realms of story and exploration.

Job Description

Purpose: The Story Lead partners with the creative team to ideate overarching concepts, develop backstory and write the narrative for a variety of projects, working within Meow Wolf's Story Experience Interactive (SXI) department.

Location: Santa Fe, NM.

Compensation: This is an exempt position. The starting pay for this position is $70,000. Compensation will vary based on experience.

Are you a natural at creating groundbreaking ideas for location-based and interactive storytelling, always desiring to think big, bold, and out of the box? Meow Wolf is on the hunt for a talented Story Lead to work within the SXI team’s core group of imaginative storytellers to build worlds, stories, and characters to populate our physical exhibitions and forthcoming digital experiences. The Story Lead will partner with other key creative roles to develop story concepts and flesh them out in rich, complex, socially charged, and imaginative ways.

Ideal candidates are experienced, collaborative writers who imagine and create stories for many different traditional and interactive media, including location-based, film, audio, web, digital, AR/VR and live performance. Story Leads should have demonstrated success writing both dialogue and prose, thinking broadly about fantastical worlds and specifically about character and dialogue, and they should be passionate about how/when/why/where the audience experiences the story.

Requirements

You will take a leading role in developing incredible stories and compelling, immersive environments that will captivate our Meow Wolf guests.

How you will do it…

  • Demonstrate skills in creating unique worlds and characters, and bring those to life for audiences through a variety of media.
  • Convey a passion for audience engagement/interaction, whether in person or online—always asking, “How are we telling the story most effectively and most interestingly?”
  • Communicate clearly and diplomatically and work cooperatively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
  • Be open to having others work on your ideas and vice versa in a truly collaborative writers-room spirit.
  • Partner closely with SXI team members and project teams including creative directors, producers, graphic designers, photographers, videographers, AR/VR creators, and digital teams to produce powerful experiences.
  • Be resourceful and convey an entrepreneurial spirit with your work.
  • Have broad general knowledge of the world around us, a fondness for the details of that world, and limitless curiosity to explore deeper.
  • Write stories that veer in science fiction and are grounded in emotional depth; develop characters with specificity and complexity and worlds with fantastical expanse and relatable characteristics.
  • Express your knowledge of storytelling and immersive experience trends, a passion for what’s coming next, and a wealth of ideas on how technology and storytelling are intertwined.

To be successful in this role…

  • You bring a minimum of five years of experience writing content for one or more of the following: interactive digital media, scripted performance, film/TV, alternate reality gaming/location-based storytelling.
  • You preferably hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in creative writing.
  • You are proactive and enthusiastic and come to the table with ideas, plans, and questions, as well as the ability to self start and manage personal deadlines.
  • You possess strong analytical skills and an ability to synthesize information.
  • You can identify key narrative threads that act as pillars for audience experiences.

Essential tools to set you up for success…
  • You must possess an in-depth knowledge of core platforms and programs as they will be utilized on a daily basis:
    • Google Suite
    • Preferred use of visualization tools, such as Miro, to articulate design concepts
Work environment and physical demands…

  • This position is based in Santa Fe, NM.
  • This is a full-time position averaging 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm MT or 10 am to 6 pm MT – occasionally requiring flexibility to work during evenings or weekends based on business needs, as well as travel to off-site locations.
  • All employees will comply with company and OSHA standard workplace safety protocols. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

We will teach you the Meow Wolf way by…

  • Taking a deep dive into departmental inner workings and reviewing project goals.
  • Exploring Meow Wolf Origins.
  • Attending Meow Wolf’s Immersiversity.
  • Reviewing Meow Wolf’s purpose and corporate policies and training.

Are you…

  • A creative and imaginative storyteller?
  • Forward thinking and creative in your approach to problem solving with the ability to identify process improvement opportunities?
  • Able to exhibit professional judgment and decision-making skills?
  • Self-motivated, self-managing, adaptable to changing needs and taking on new tasks, and receptive to receiving direction?
  • Patient with yourself and with others, and able to work collaboratively and thoughtfully with fellow human beings?
  • Able to contribute to the overall happiness and health of the team and help keep the vibe alive?

If you answered ‘YES’ to all of the above, then what are you waiting for? APPLY MEOW!

JOIN MEOW WOLF

The organization is comprised of individuals who inspire creativity in people's lives through art and exploration, so that our combined imaginations can transform the world we live in. Every role is a vital component and thereby essential in creating exhibitions that will serve as anchors, borne in deep radical collaboration with local artists and communities, thus fueling our social impact initiatives. Each hire allows us to enhance our surrounding communities and the true source of our creativity, reputation, and vitality.

Meow Wolf is committed to our DIY roots and grassroots community support principles. To document that commitment, we converted our legal designation into a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation and have certified as a B Corporation. As a B Corp, we have a triple bottom line of supporting financial, social and environmental wellbeing in our community.

Our Four Areas Of Impact Are

  • Respect for Creative Communities
  • Respect for Collaborating Artists
  • Respect for our Environment
  • Respect for our Employees

Benefits

The choices we make concerning our benefits during enrollment periods are among the most important we select for ourselves and our families. As part of the total compensation package for full-time employees, Meow Wolf offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes various options to meet individual healthcare and financial needs along with many perks.

  • Medical Insurance options: PPO & HSA
  • Dental & Vision Insurance
  • Company Paid Life Insurance Policy & Long-Term Disability Coverage
  • Voluntary Short-term Disability & Critical Illness Policies
  • Company Paid Employee Assistance Program
  • Paid Parental Leave for 12 weeks
  • Discount off Meow Wolf Gift Shop Merch
  • Admission to Meow Wolf attractions for employees and guests
  • 401k Retirement Plan
  • And more benefits specific to the location of the role

Please visit www.meowwolf.com/careers for more information.

COME AS YOU ARE

Meow Wolf is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to ensuring all employees enjoy and thrive in a work environment where differences make us the vibrant, wonderful community we are! All employment decisions at Meow Wolf are based on business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, service in the military or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.