Job Description:

Young Audiences/Arts for Learning’s (YA) Program Director is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s core programming and expanding school and student reach in accordance with the 5 year strategic plan which went into effect for FY15, while instituting efficient operational practices and ensuring quality support services to partner organizations and artists.

S/he is responsible for directing the preparation, coordination, reporting, and budgeting for all children-based services, including 1) assemblies; 2) workshops; 3) artist-in-residence programs; 4) early learning/Wolf Trap programs; and in some instances 5) customized, in-depth partnerships. S/he is also responsible for directing the preparation, coordination, reporting and budgeting for some teacher professional development programs, in partnership with the YA’s Education/Innovation department. Collectively these generate nearly $1.5M in earned and restricted contributed revenue annually. Direction includes balancing service quality with student accessibility and organizational financial sustainability.

S/he will supervise five staff members who field inquiries, liaise between artists and schools, schedule programs and contract with venues, plan residencies and other in depth or customized programs and facilitate meetings between artists and schools. Additionally, the staff supervised by the Program Director are charged with building relationships with schools and organizations within a certain geographic region. The Program Director ensures that staff have the support, resources and direction needed to ensure they can build strong and meaningful relationships with partner organizations and schools. This position works closely with the Chief Innovation Officer, Arts Integration Specialist, and Communications Manager to ensure that programs are relevant to school and student needs and marketed well to school audiences so that YA artists and programs are in high demand. The Program Director works closely with the Chief Development Officer to ensure that there is sufficient underwriting support for the organization’s accessibility goals. This is a full-time position that reports to the Chief Operations Officer.

There are four pillars that undergird all that Young Audiences does: (1) High Quality Programs, (2) Expansive Student Reach, (3) Financial Sustainability, and (4) A Strong YA Community. Every day we strive to strike the right balance between providing more student access, maintaining high quality programs, and ensuring our financial sustainability. We attribute our success to a strong YA staff, board, artist and partner community. The Program Director is a critical leadership position in ensuring the Program department’s direction and day to day actions are aligned with these pillars.

Tasks/Responsibilities include:

High Quality Programs

• Work with Program and Education/Innovation departments to find innovative ways to attract and recruit the very best performing and teaching artists to the organization
• Manage the annual roster artist application and audition process in consultation with the Chief Innovation Officer and the artistic advisory committee.
• Negotiate, contract and orient roster artists and independent artists for services in a way that ensures we retain the best artists in the field
• Ensure all artists are meeting the requirements to remain in good standing on the roster and eligible for restricted grant support
• Serve as a daily resource for the program staff and artists to troubleshoot program or logistical issues
• Work with the Education/Innovation Office to identify programmatic or artistic needs of the roster and assist in filling those needs
• Assist with program coordination and on-site management of in-depth programs as needed
• When needed, develop policies and procedures to ensure the highest quality program delivery to schools

Expansive Student Reach

• Meet the quantitative program growth and accessibility goals to ensure broad student reach while maximizing earned income opportunities to meet the budgetary goals contained in the Strategic Plan. The Program Director is responsible for achieving the following specific strategic plan goals by FY19.
  • Goal A: “In five years, YA will see a 30% increase in assemblies, resulting in more children having access to these experiences.”
  • Goal B: “In five years, YA will increase its outreach to teachers and children (birth through kindergarten) by 100%, both in Baltimore and beyond, through the Wolf Trap Early Learning Program.”
  • Goal C: “Young Audiences will incorporate tailored parent engagement strategies into its programs and train artists to implement these strategies.”
• Work in partnership with the Communications Manager to monitor the demand for individual programs, develop an annual marketing plan and develop a system to measure the impact of marketing investments.
• In partnership with Communications Manager, assist in the collection and presentation of media and documentation of the work, including photos, video, blog stories etc.
• Cultivate and manage external partnerships with school districts and local and state government agencies.

Financial Sustainability

• Develop the annual budget for children-based services.
• Oversee day to day operationalization of Program Budget and guide program staff to meet the financial goals for each program area. Regularly track and report on financial goals.
• Oversee program staff usage of Salesforce and ensure data is entered completely and in a timely manner that allows for required reporting for development and marketing.
• Oversee the timely and accurate collection, analysis and reporting of program related data and ensure data is utilized to make informed decisions
• Work in partnership with the Chief Development Officer to manage the coordination, reporting and some writing for grants restricted for children-based services.
• Work in partnership with the Chief Operations Officer and Chief Innovation Officer to ensure that operational practices and the dissemination and collection of information help the organization achieve its artistic and educational and financial goals.

Strong YA Community

• Work with the Chief Innovation Officer to find ways to build the artist community, including the production of the annual artist meeting.
• Work the Executive Director and other members of the leadership team to identify ways to connect YA artists with the board and donor community, through presentations at board meetings and special events.
• Manage all program staff, providing all necessary support including coaching, evaluations, one-on-one meetings and goal setting.
• Work in partnership with the YA staff and board on special projects, such as the Taste the Arts Fundraiser, On the Bright Side Tours, and the Impact Breakfast.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be passionate about providing opportunities for youth to realize their full potential in our society and value the arts as a transformational tool in our schools and communities. The candidate will also have:

• Five years experience in nonprofit program coordination, with at least three years in program management, managing budgets of at least $500,000.
• A successful track record in using data collection and reporting to improve operational practices.
• Proven experience in significantly growing a portfolio or programs/services.
• Undergraduate degree, preferably in business or nonprofit management or arts education.
• Experience with a CRM platform, preferably Salesforce.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with mastery in Excel.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to communicate with a diverse population.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments/stakeholders
• Experience supervising full time staff
• Entrepreneurial spirit.