NEW YORKERS FOR CULTURE & ARTS is seeking a dynamic Executive Director to lead this newly formed Manhattan based arts advocacy organization. The Director will provide leadership to initiate organizational planning, membership and program development and guide the organization’s efforts to create new strategies for advocacy for NYC culture and arts in the future. The ideal candidate will recognize the full scope and impact of the arts throughout all of New York’s boroughs and neighborhoods and appreciate and value the diversity and complexities of the city’s cultural and arts community.

 

About New Yorkers for Culture and Arts

New Yorkers for Culture & Arts (NY4CA) is a new comprehensive advocacy organization that provides leadership, strategy, and coordination to promote and support culture and arts in New York. It’s mission, “to ensure a vibrant future for culture throughout New York City,” is pursued through advocacy, strengthening of public policy and funding for the arts, and through advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in order to benefit all New Yorkers. NY4CA emerges from the recent merger of two long-standing arts advocacy groups, One Percent for Culture and the New York City Arts Coalition.

NY4CA is establishing new administrative and communication structures and will establish new approaches to arts advocacy through partnerships and broad outreach across all of New York’s communities and sectors affecting the arts. NY4CA will build on baseline advocacy efforts that include:

-Advocacy services, information and training
-Public Forums and Outreach
-Communications & Coordination with Advocacy Partners
-Research and Public Policy

NY4CA is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors. The organization also seeks advice on an ongoing basis from a group of individual volunteers (Advisory Committee) drawn from the full diversity of arts and related fields throughout the city; the Committee may provide recommendations to the Board of Directors, support outreach efforts and facilitate the organization’s networking throughout the field.

NY4CA is a membership organization currently boasting over 550 members inclusive of the broad range of artists, arts organizations, cultural institutions and locally based community organizations located in every borough of New York. The organization has established for its initial two-year start-up a budget of approximately $150,000 annually.

 

Position Description

NY4CA is seeking a visionary and dynamic Executive Director to maintain a high profile within the city’s cultural government and private sectors and serve as the key point person for arts advocacy in NYC. Because NY4CA is emerging from a critical transition, the Director will recognize the need for “hands on” efforts to establish new organizational structures at NY4CA. The new Director must have the leadership and organization building skills to enable NY4CA to maintain key relationships, while aggressively forging new connections with members of the larger cultural community – including cultural organizations, artists, donors, funders, and other constituents in order to encourage increased resources for the support and development of cultural organizations and artists serving New York City. This is a unique opportunity for a non-profit professional to combine a passion for culture and arts with the challenge of providing important leadership at a pivotal moment in the city’s cultural development.

 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

-Membership and Fund Development: Upgrade and restructure membership program to maximize member engagement, communications and support. Work with the Board of Directors to meet short term funding goals and to develop new, sustainable funding models from sources including private foundations, corporate and/or individual giving.

-Strategic Planning: Work with the Board of Directors to refine and implement the organization’s strategic plan, create a practical work-plan to build an effective and sustainable service organization. Regularly review NY4CA activities against outcomes defined by the plan

-Program Strategy and Management: Set the vision and direction for advocacy programs and services. Oversee agency operations and program development, execution, and evaluation. Maintain administrative and fiscal management of NY4CA operations.

-Advocacy/Government Relations: Serve as key representative for NYC arts community to city and state elected officials and government agencies; serve as primary liaison for the field to NYC Mayor’s Office, Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Council and Borough Presidents; maintain active communications with all levels of city government including local community representatives, and advisory groups to advance funding and policy initiatives to support the arts in New York.

-Outreach, Promotion and Marketing: The Director will plan and implement appropriate strategies to increase and maintain the organization’s profile as a central cultural advocacy organization and will represent NY4CA at cultural gatherings, promotional events, public forums, legislative hearings, advocacy events and community meetings. To the extent possible the Director should interface with arts/cultural advocacy efforts on a state and federal level.

-Governance/Leadership: Help to leverage the resources and talent of the Board of Directors to fulfill the organization’s larger goals. Provide the Board with relevant information and insights to support strategic planning process and implementation of sound governance practices. Ensure alignment of programming and operations with strategic goals.

 

Qualifications

-BA Degree (four-year) required or minimum of five years in a leadership position in the non-profit arts community and/or MA Degree with professional experience in a nonprofit arts organization or institution; ideal experience includes work in the public interest and/or with community-based organization(s).

-Exceptional leadership abilities and strong, demonstrable skills in management and organizational development. Ability to multi-task and to work independently with limited resources.

-Strong track record of fundraising/development and interaction with large and small, public and private funders, organizations, government agencies, and familiarity with individual donor cultivation.

-Understanding and familiarity with NYC government and funding community and the critical issues and needs of the New York City cultural community. Experience in working cooperatively with varied stakeholders both public and private and capacity to effectively represent diverse groups of constituents.

-Excellent marketing and promotional skills, creativity and resourcefulness

-Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact seamlessly with the Board Members, funders, donors, shared interest groups and diverse constituents of NY4CA. Superior verbal and written communications skills

-Strong data and statistical analysis and research skills; Financial management abilities and experience with management systems, financial spreadsheets (EXEL), experience and ability to understand and manage financial audits.

-Familiarity with new technologies and social media. 

 

Qualities Desired

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong initiative and possess the skills and commitment needed to serve as the chief executive responsible for building NY4CA’s capacity and future sustainability as leading arts advocacy organization. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to NY4CA values of inclusion, diversity, equity and collaboration and possess the ability to interact effectively with multiple sectors and interest groups while maintaining strict focus on organization’s goals and needs of its constituents and members. The Director will demonstrate a passion to communicate to the broadest audience the high value and impact of New York City culture and arts. 

 

To Apply:

Please email your cover letter, resume and three references to jobs@ny4ca.org with “Executive Director – Your Name” in the subject line. We will be accepting applications until September 29th, 2017. 

NY4CA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/M/F/D/V. It is the policy of the NY4CA to provide employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national orgin, age, disability, secual orientation or gender (sex). NY4CA seeks qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds and individuals of color are strongly encouraged to apply.