Staff Hotline Operator
Anywhere
Hotline /
Full-time Employee /
Remote
Title: Staff Operator
Reports to: Hotline Manager
Location: Remote - the US only
About Trans Lifeline
Trans Lifeline ('TL' for short) is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community. At Trans Lifeline, we connect trans and gender expansive people to the community, resources, and support they need to survive and thrive -- building a resilient trans community through trans-led direct services. By providing care, Trans Lifeline identifies the trans community’s most pressing needs and brings that expertise to the broader movement for LGBTQIA+ equality.
Trans Lifeline is an equal opportunity employer. Transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated people are important members of our team. It is the policy of Trans Lifeline not to discriminate in the employment of staff, or in the selection of volunteers, on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, financial status or HIV status. Trans Lifeline works affirmatively to build a staff and board that includes people of different races, classes, genders, physical and mental abilities, ages, and sexual orientations. We are here for the entire community of people who identify as trans. We find and celebrate the diversity within our community in our callers, volunteers, and staff.
About the Role
Our Hotline team provides support to trans people across the United States who are in crisis, seeking resources, or simply need a peer to chat with. Our hotline is staffed entirely by trans people who provide anonymous, confidential peer support to trans and questioning callers. Operators are the heart of this work—the backbone of Trans Lifeline. Every call answered is an act of care that strengthens our community and upholds our mission.
This full-time position will work remotely and follows a block schedule consisting of an eight-hour shift, which includes 4 hours of on-call work, a one-hour paid meal break, and 3 hours dedicated to administrative duties and other TL-related tasks. This structured approach ensures a balanced workflow while prioritizing operator well-being and mental health. By providing a predictable schedule and designated time for various responsibilities, this model supports both efficiency and sustainability in daily operations.
This role will be hired alongside 2 other FT staff operators and 1 temporary-hire operator (through 2025), and will undergo training and onboarding in a cohort model.
Role Responsibilities
Answer calls on the peer support hotline, ensuring quality peer support & maintaining 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 and engage virtually with team members using Slack, email and real-time video conferencing platforms like Google Meet and Zoom
Assist callers in identifying and accessing material resources and community support
Adhere to peer support model as provided in the hotline operator training, including caller-led conversations, active listening, and 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
Available for four weekday (Monday-Friday) shifts every week between 10am - 6pm PST / 1pm - 9pm EST
Must-Have Qualifications
Trans and non-binary people are strongly encouraged to apply
Available to work late nights depending on time zone
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 reliable internet access.
Excellent verbal communication skills, as the position requires frequent phone conversations
Willingness to participate in initial and ongoing mandatory training as a trainee and potentially as an educator
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
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.
Successful Operators at Trans Lifeline Possess a Hodgepodge of These Traits
Experience setting strong boundaries and limits
Consistently communicates needs with team members and organizational leadership
Comfortable speaking with and building rapport with many different kinds of people of different ages / contexts
Can provide a calm and warm neutral tone with callers and is able to attune & match a caller’s vibe and register
Strong knowledge of potential resources or methods for digging up resources both official and unofficial
Willingness to engage directly and respectfully in conflict without necessarily escalating or holding onto past disagreements
Reliability in showing up every day and coordinating coverage for time off
Are well-resourced (is a part of strong support networks, follows a self-care and resiliency practice, etc)
Passionate about community (has lived experience dealing with people in crisis whatever that looks like in their community)
Direct service experience makes up a significant portion of their career fabric
Has worked in a virtual, remote space before
Emotional intelligence (self-aware about growth edges and able to work well with others)
Self-directed (able to look up resources independently, manages their time well, takes a certain amount of initiative in solving problems)
The Hiring Timeline
Please note: **These dates accompanied with two asterisks are subject to shift by up to about one week. We wanted to offer a high-level overview of the expected pacing for this hiring process overall
Thursday, March 6th: The posting goes live
Wednesday, March 12th at 10am Pacific/noon CT/1pm EST: Application window opens for self-tape and resume submissions
Friday, March 14th by 5pm Pacific: Application window closes (or whenever 100 applications are received, whichever is first)
**Friday, March 21st: Applicants are notified whether or not they are advancing to the interview stage
**March 24th - April 3rd: Virtual Interviews take place hosted by the Hiring Manager and People & Culture director
**Thursday, April 10th: Interviewed candidates are notified whether or not they are advancing to the offer stage
**Monday, April 14th: Target Start Date
Please note: We are still actively considering your application if you haven’t heard from us yet. We will respond to all applicants. You can direct inquiries on the hiring process or requests for reasonable accommodation to people@translifeline.org.
$63,000 - $63,000 a year
Base Pay: Annual Salary of $63,000 based on a full-time (4-day, 32-hour) work week.
Benefits: Generous paid time off benefits include vacation time that accrues at a rate of 1 hour for every 8.5 hours worked, access to 4 weeks of paid sick time at the start of every year, 18 paid holidays per year, and up to 6 weeks of paid family and medical leave per year. Additional benefits include 100% employer-paid health-care premiums (75% dependent coverage), 403b retirement savings with a 1% dollar-to-dollar match, annual home office & connectivity stipends, individual professional development funds, and more.
Note: We know that the practice of salary negotiation can contribute to pay inequities. Therefore, as part of our efforts to maintain a transparent salary structure and ensure just and equitable compensation across the organization, starting offers are not negotiable.
How to Apply
Due to limited team capacity, we will close the application window after receiving the first 100 self-tape submissions. For this reason and in the spirit of fairness, we will not begin accepting application submissions until the following day and time:
Application Window Opens:
Wednesday, March 10th at 10 AM PST | 11 AM MST | 12 PM CT | 1 PM EST
To apply, please submit a 5-minute self-tape (further instructions below) and your resume once the application window opens here on this page on Wednesday, March 10th at 10 am Pacific. Applications received before this time will not be considered.
Why Are We Asking for Self-Tapes?
Meant to replace the written application essays + cover letter stage AND the phone screen stage—our intention behind switching to a process in which applicants submit 5-minute self-tapes rather than complete a traditional application and phone screen was to:
--Simplify the process and reduce the administrative/scheduling burden on internal hiring committee members
--Improve and clarify the candidate experience by better honoring applicants’ time and labor
--Reduce the length of the overall hiring process and streamline it by removing redundant interview stages
--Get a more tangible feel for candidate’s personality and motivations sooner in the process
--Accessibility: By providing interview and self-tape prompts upfront, folks can record their self-tapes over several takes, and plot out their interview responses ahead of time, thus decreasing some of the pressure of real-time interviews where deeply introspective questions are often asked on the spot, without adequate time to process and recall specific experiences.
What Should You Include in Your Self-Tape?
The following prompts are meant as a guide to help you structure the content of your 5-minute self-tape application.
Please begin your self-tape by answering the Introduction prompts, then choose one prompt to answer from each of the remaining sections: 1) Getting to know you, 2) Your Work Experience, and 3) Culture & Values Alignment.
If you would like to tell us about yourself, your relevant work experience, and your values in a different format beyond the prompts provided, we welcome your creativity and authentic self-expression in completing these self-tape applications.
Note: In the 'full name' section of the application form, you should enter the name you go by (you do not need to enter your birth and/or legal name).
When answering each prompt, please respond as thoroughly and authentically as possible to help us learn the most about you and your potential fit for this role and TL.
Self-Tape Prompts
INTRODUCTION:
Name
Pronouns
Where you’re based geographically
GETTING TO KNOW YOU:
What’s one thing that gives you life / gets you from day to day?
OR
How would the people closest to you describe you?
YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE
What are your superpowers? (e.g. can get to the bottom of any problem, enjoy making authentic connections with strangers, super confident public speaker, etc)
OR
You’re building your liberation team. Which fictional characters, real-life heroes, or ancestors are on your team and why?
CULTURE & VALUES ALIGNMENT
What are the best and worst parts of this work, from your experience?
OR
What does ACAB mean to you?
