Actor/Facilitator

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York is hiring an Actor/Facilitator based in New York, NY 10016 to perform in professional simulation training environments for child welfare and juvenile justice programs. This role sits within a specialized learning delivery operation, where the performer portrays female-presenting supervisory and parental characters in live simulation scenarios designed to train ACS direct service staff and supervisors. It suits a working actor with strong improvisational instincts and experience in applied theatre, immersive performance, or educational simulation work.

About the Role

The Actor/Facilitator works within the RF CUNY Learning Operations team, which delivers simulation-based professional training in partnership with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services Workforce Institute. Day to day, this means reviewing character guides and training objectives, performing in live simulation sessions, using an in-ear listening device to receive real-time direction, and delivering structured verbal feedback to participants after each scenario. This is not a theatrical production role, but it demands the same professional preparation and in-the-moment responsiveness that any serious performance work requires.

Key Responsibilities

• Portray female-presenting supervisory and parental characters across a range of ethnic, cultural, and age-specific backgrounds within child welfare simulation scenarios.
• Review training objectives and character guides in advance of each simulation to ensure performance accurately supports the learning outcomes.
• Use an in-ear listening device to receive live direction from facilitators and adjust performance in real time without breaking the integrity of the scene.
• Guide learner participants through simulation experiences by subtly responding to their verbal and non-verbal choices in character.
• Deliver strength-based verbal feedback to participants after each simulation, drawing on observed behavior and training objectives rather than general impressions.
• Participate in post-session debriefing check-ins with the Learning Operations team to support continuous improvement of the simulation program.

What You Bring

• Professional acting experience in applied theatre, educational simulation, standardized patient work, or immersive performance contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to portray characters across a range of cultural backgrounds with authenticity and specificity.
• Strong improvisational skills and the ability to take and apply direction quickly during live performance situations.
• Comfort working with in-ear listening devices and adapting in real time during structured simulation sessions.
• Experience delivering or participating in structured debriefing or feedback processes is a plus.

Why This Role

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York supports one of the most substantive applied learning programs in New York City, with direct impact on how child welfare professionals are trained and evaluated. For a working actor, this kind of simulation performance work offers consistent, skills-based engagement outside the traditional audition pipeline. The CUNY SPS Office of Innovative Learning Solutions has built a nationally recognized applied training operation, and this Actor/Facilitator position sits at the center of that work.

Apply now for the Actor/Facilitator position with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York and bring your performance skills to work that carries real professional weight.