Overview

Title: Staff Operator

Reports to: Hotline Program Director & Quality Assurance Coordinators

Pay: $17.25 / hour

Benefits: Sick Time & PTO

Location: Remote – United States only

Trans Lifeline is hiring a part-time peer support operator! Must have availability to work Saturday daytime and weekday night shifts (midnight-5am EST). The position is remote and starts at $17.25/hour with a 16-18-hour / week schedule. The position is slated to start August 17.

Our hotline is staffed entirely by trans people who provide anonymous, confidential peer support to trans and questioning callers, including those in crisis.

Organization Description

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community, resources, and support they need to survive and thrive — building a resilient trans community through trans-led direct services. Trans Lifeline’s Hotline provides support to trans people who are in crisis or just need a peer to chat with. Our Microgrants program provides low-barrier grants to trans people in need of legal name changes and updated government IDs, as well as specialized support for trans people who are incarcerated or undocumented. By providing care, Trans Lifeline identifies the trans community’s most pressing needs and brings that expertise to the broader movement for LGBT equality.

Responsibilities

  • Answer calls on the peer support hotline, ensure quality peer support & maintain a high answer rate.
  • Maintain mutual informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality with callers.
  • Keep accurate, timely, and informative call logs and appropriate call tags.
  • Communicate remotely with team members via Slack, email and video communication.
  • Assist callers in identifying and accessing material resources and community.
  • Adhere to peer support model as provided in the hotline operator training, including caller-led conversations, active listening, supporting diverse trans people
  • Support and engage volunteers and fellow staff operators.
  • Be punctual and reliable for shifts, meetings, and timekeeping.
  • Manage high pressure situations while maintaining empathy & appropriate boundaries.

Must-Haves

  • Be trans and/or nonbinary.
  • Available to work late nights and weekends.
  • Located in the United States
  • 18 years old or older.
  • Ability to work remotely, including using technology (including text and video chat), and access to a private, quiet workspace with fast internet access.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Willingness to participate in initial and ongoing mandatory training.

Philosophy compatible with Trans Lifeline’s values, especially:

  • Never calling emergency services without informed consent.
  • Peer support framework: trauma-informed harm reduction approach; commitment to callers’ autonomy & self-determination.
  • Cultural humility: the ability to honor, center and trust the experiences of people facing marginalizations different than one’s own.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Fluency in Spanish
  • Professional and/or personal experience with harm reduction.
  • Experience providing peer support to trans community members.
  • Experience navigating or supporting others through medical, social and legal transition, discrimination, housing instability and other issues.

This role does not require formal education or certifications. The organization provides extensive mandatory training to all staff and volunteer hotline operators before they start on the line.