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Position Title: Director of Arts + Tech

Position Level: Director

Reports To: Vice President of Programs + Strategy

Status: Salary, Exempt, Full-Time (40 hours per week)

Hiring Range: $59,000 - $63,000

Prepared Date: March 2023

About WMCAT

The West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology (WMCAT) provides a culture of opportunity for people to make social and economic progress in their lives and community. We fulfill our mission through visual arts and tech engagement, workforce development, and social enterprise.

Arts + Tech at WMCAT makes space for teens to elevate their voices and build creative confidence through visual arts and technology engagement. Programs include our nationally recognized afterschool Teen Arts + Tech Program, which engages high school students from Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) in creative, tuition-free studio experiences from September through May; Daytime Studios for middle and high school classrooms throughout West Michigan; and week-long summer camps for middle and high school students.

Position Summary

The Director of Arts + Tech leads WMCATs programming in visual arts and digital media, including program design, administrative leadership, program vision and development, and progress toward the organizations strategic goals. Both an internal and community-facing role, the Director leads and supports a team of staff and teaching artists in implementing high-quality, youth-centered creative experiences, advancing the mission of WMCAT to provide equitable access to opportunity.

The ideal candidate is a dedicated advocate of arts education with experience in youth development; enjoys building relationships with diverse stakeholders, from community partners to high school students to funders; and is committed to leveraging opportunities in the arts to cultivate belonging, elevate youth voice, and build creative confidence in young people.

Essential Duties + Responsibilities

Program Development

• Lead and direct all aspects of Arts + Tech programs, including but not limited to managing the development, implementation, recruitment, retention, promotion, evaluation, and financial sustainability of the programs.
• Align programs to nationally recognized best practices in creative youth development and community engagement.
• Develop and implement short-term and long-term plans for the programs based on strategic organizational goals and growth objectives.

• Establish systems and processes to evaluate programs, including maintaining a dashboard of student and program progress; track demographics and program outcomes for evaluation and improvement as well as grants and other reporting needs.
• Lead the development of curriculum with program staff and teaching artists to create high-quality, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences and spaces for all students.
• Establish and maintain key partnerships, including area school districts, organizations providing holistic supports for students, and project partners.
• Commit to intentional awareness of and connection to:

• Best practices of community arts education programs serving teens.

• Current trends, technology, and interests of teens.
• Relevant memberships and trainings related to this role specifically, and WMCAT overall.

Administrative Leadership

• Prepare and manage program budgets and studio resources responsibly.

• Lead and evaluate full-time staff and a team of part-time teaching artists, completing performance reviews as applicable to ensure standards are met and growth opportunities are defined.
• Ensure alignment with organizational policies and ethical business practice standards.
• Represent Arts + Tech as the central point of contact in the community, communicating effectively about programming to a variety of audiences.
• Work with the communications team on program recruitment plans and communications strategy, and support organizational communications efforts as a representative of WMCAT.
• Work with the fund development team to support efforts in fundraising.

• Create an environment that fosters open communication within and across the organization.
• Demonstrate leadership by building trust both internally and externally, inspire others, and provide clear direction to achieve strategic objectives.

WMCAT Mission + Systems Orientation

• Advance WMCAT's mission (see above) and vision to ensure equitable access to opportunity for all.

• Serve on WMCATs director team, providing strategic vision and collaborative leadership for the organization.
• Recognize your responsibility and contribution to the culture of WMCAT. Represent WMCAT at designated events throughout the year, which may occur outside of standard scheduled hours.
• Foster positive relationships with staff and students.
• Desire to align with WMCATs values (listed below).

Requirements

Preferred Experiences + Skills

• Demonstrated experience could include:

• Five or more years of related experiences in arts education, creative youth development, K-12 education and/or nonprofit youth program management.
• Bachelor's degree in arts education, education, visual or media arts, social services, or another relevant field of study.
• Relevant experiences in at least one of the studio disciplines offered at WMCAT.

• Prior experience with curriculum development and instructional design.
• Familiarity with the life cycle of grant funding, from application to final reporting needs.
• Experience managing a wide range of simultaneous projects, competing priorities, and collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Cultural competency and emotional intelligence to work with individuals from varied backgrounds and foster open communication among diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to lead a team to adapt to changing circumstances and ambiguity.
• Excellent organizational skills and desire to maximize efficiency in this role.
• Proficiency in computer skills, especially Microsoft Suite/Office 365.
• Native-level proficiency in English.
• Ability to inspire and engage others with WMCATs mission and work.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to handle, or feel, and is frequently required to talk or hear. The employee regularly is required to sit, walk, stand, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, climb or crouch. The employee must frequently lift and/or move from 15-45 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Additional Details: Recognizing there is leadership in every community, WMCAT is seeking candidates with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We are dedicated to hiring employees that reflect the communities we serve across race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic status. No person shall be excluded from WMCAT services, employment or volunteer participation because of ethnicity, race, national origin, age, height, weight, genetic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, economic circumstance, veteran status, physical and/or mental abilities/characteristics, philosophy/religion, or any other status that is protected by State of Michigan or federal law or by local ordinance for those jurisdictions where WMCAT operates.

WMCATs Values

• Design for Equity

Creating a world that works for all of us.

Rooted in an understanding that systemic oppression is perpetuated by design, we center marginalized voices, consciously co-create solutions, and challenge unjust systems to provide equitable access to opportunity.

• Pursue Learning

Engaging the experiences and expertise around us.

Acknowledging that we never arrive in our understanding, we engage each other, ourselves, and our community with curiosity and appreciation for diverse lived experiences, seeking out new ideas, more robust context, and opportunities for growth.

• Build Community

Curating belonging for collective good.

Grounded in the belief that our humanity, prosperity, and futures are interconnected, we intentionally create space for belonging, build authentic relationships, seek partnership in our collective work, and respect our shared context.

• Center People

Leading with empathy.

Guided by the mindsets of equitable human-centered design, we seek the perspectives of and create solutions with those most affected, embracing the inherent value of each individual and prioritizing whole-person thriving.

Transportation: Consistent personal transportation will be necessary.

In-person, ful