September 02, 2020

Join Our Team | Director of Programs

ArtStarts is hiring!

ABOUT ARTSTARTS

ArtStarts is a charitable, not-for-profit organization, dedicated to promoting art and creativity in young people’s lives. We focus on creating meaningful change where young people benefit most equitably and directly – in their schools and classrooms. By providing young people with access to arts-based learning experiences, we develop a generation that values the creative, collaborative and innovative skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century. You can read more about our mission, vision, and guiding principles here: https://artstarts.com/about

COMMITMENT TO ANTI-OPPRESSION

As an arts organization aimed at working with young people, we have an important role to play in advancing and strengthening the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. As part of this active learning journey, we are taking a magnifying lens to our core programs and also taking a birds-eye view of ArtStarts as a whole and identifying how we can apply an equity and decolonization lens to our work. Social justice issues are no longer the responsibility of activist organizations, but instead a moral responsibility for all of us as human beings. Social justice through the arts is a powerful approach and now an integrated part of our work towards mission impact.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Our current staff team is made up of 9 full-time and 1 part-time employee. We are all committed to our own anti-oppression learning journey and focused on finding ways to embody our commitment to equity and decolonization both internally and externally at ArtStarts. 

Staff are currently working remotely from home with the option of working from the office on a rotating schedule. When it is safe to do so, we expect to return to working from our office in downtown Vancouver. Accessibility details of our space are noted here: https://artstarts.com/gallery.

OUR ORGANIZATION CULTURE

At ArtStarts, our culture is rooted in shared values and shared purpose. What does this look like for our team? 

• We align first and foremost around our mission and vision.
• We work towards shared goals that drive mission impact.
• We work collaboratively to de-silo our efforts.
• Our decisions are shaped by the young people, artists, educators, and community we serve.
• We create space for new ideas and new people to strengthen our capacity to deliver our mission.
• We are a learning organization and expect that everyone will make mistakes.
• We slow things down and encourage deeper analysis when tackling complex challenges.
• We think long-term about the impact of our work. 
• We celebrate wins and acknowledge humble fails. 
• We value the creative process.

JOB DESCRIPTION

ArtStarts in Schools is seeking a full-time permanent Director of Programs to join our team. This position reports to the Executive Director, is an active member of the Leadership team, manages the Program team, and actively collaborates with all team members. We are looking for a strategic professional who leads with initiative and integrity. We are seeking someone to join ArtStarts who is values-aligned, and driven by our mission to expand the role of art in education to enable young people to thrive in learning and in life. 

ArtStarts' longstanding key areas of activity include booking school performances, an annual showcase for young audience presenters, artist residencies, grants to schools and districts, professional learning opportunities for artists and teachers, gallery exhibitions and free family programming. ArtStarts is in the process of finalizing our strategic plan for the next five years. We have identified several significant strategic directions to achieve deeper mission impact which include:

• expanding the role of art in education grounded in advancing and strengthening the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion
• influencing systemic change in the educational system to support integration of arts and creativity in curriculum delivery

This position is responsible for providing leadership as our programs evolve from service delivery more towards affecting systemic change in education. 

Responsibilities

Systemic Change Initiative

• Develop and implement a plan for operationalizing the strategic directions identified for systemic change in education
• Build relationships with teachers, administrators, governance bodies, and values-aligned peers to engage in and collaboratively advance arts integration and systemic change in education  
• Build partnerships with values-aligned school districts and schools

Fund Development

• Research and prospect potential values-aligned funders and partners  
• Support the Executive Director with writing and content for grant applications and fund development initiatives 

Programs

• Work with the program staff to guide program direction informed by the strategic plan and anti-oppression policy
• Develop and support the application of evaluation methods to measure, communicate, and improve the impact of ArtStarts activities
• Keep at the forefront of research on the value of arts in education

Professional Development for Artists and Teachers

• Collaborate with artists and external facilitators to plan, design, and deliver professional learning experiences for teachers and artists including initiatives such as the Learning Lab and Artist Mentorship
• Build and foster partnerships with artists, educators, and organizations who are invested in the concept of arts integration and arts-based pedagogy

People Management

• Manage the Program staff
• Conduct quarterly check-ins with staff
• Work with the ED to hire and evaluate staff

Leadership Team

• Participate as an active member of the Leadership team to develop the organization’s model for shared leadership and accountability
• Create alignment among staff towards common goals rooted in the strategic plan
• Attend, organize, and present at relevant community events on behalf of ArtStarts

Qualifications

The following will enable you to excel in this role:

• Post-secondary training and/or work experience in the fields of art and/or education
• An active creative practice and commitment to lifelong learning 
• Understanding of school culture and the revised BC curriculum
• Experience engaging and working with culturally diverse communities
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work as part of a team
• People-centred management style that promotes collaboration, transparency, and accountability
• Comfort using (or learning to use) Slack, Salesforce, and Google Suite

In addition, we are looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about the ArtStarts mission and vision
• Committed to advancing equity and decolonization work
• Able to adapt and pivot during times of change
• A leader that contributes positively to our organizational culture
• Able to generate creative ideas by exploring multiple possible solutions
• Willing to take initiative and test new approaches to increase the impact of our work

REMUNERATION

ArtStarts has integrated a fixed tier compensation model for all employees. This means compensation is based on tiers which are determined by title (coordinators, managers, and directors) and each tier has a fixed salary. Salaries are not adjusted (up or down) based on education and/or experience. If a person is determined to be the best fit for the role, they are hired and offered the fixed tier salary. New employees receive the same fixed tier salary as current employees.

The salary for this position is fixed at $64,000 and is not negotiable. Additional benefits include paid vacation time, a professional development allowance, and extended health and dental coverage for the employee, partner, and dependents.

HOW TO APPLY

We encourage all applicants who believe they can excel in this role to apply, regardless of background and experience. We particularly encourage applicants from members of communities that are marginalized or that experience structural discrimination, including those identifying as Black, Indigenous, people of colour, LGBTQ2IA+, and those living with a visible or invisible disability. Please consider self-identifying in your expression of interest via email to help us prioritize your application. 

To apply, please submit a maximum 2-page expression of interest and resumé to team@artstarts.com. 

Your expression of interest is an opportunity to identify:

• how your strengths and experiences align with this job opportunity; 
• how you fit with the organizational culture and commitment to anti-oppression described above; and
• describe one example of systemic change in arts and/or education that you’ve seen.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received so apply early and no later than Sep 22, 2020 at 11:59pm. 

We acknowledge that we carry out our work on the lands of Indigenous nations throughout colonial British Columbia. 

Our office and the ArtStarts Gallery are located on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territory of the 

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

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