January 16, 2020

Join Our Team | Communications Manager

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.

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.

You can read more about our mission, vision, and guiding principles here: https://artstarts.com/about

ABOUT THE CURRENT TEAM

Our current staff team is made up of 10 full-time and 2 part-time employees that represent many different identities. 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. 

ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION CULTURE

At ArtStarts, organizational culture matters. 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 desilo 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.

Does this sound like how you like to work and something that you would like to contribute to?

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are seeking someone to join our team 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. 

The Communications Manager is a full-time position (35 hours/week) with a regular Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm schedule based out of our office in downtown Vancouver. Accessibility details of our space are noted here: https://artstarts.com/gallery

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.

This role reports to the Executive Director, and actively collaborates with all team members. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute an annual marketing calendar with strategies to increase audience engagement with our programs and events. 
• Create compelling content for print materials, web content, e-newsletters, social media posts, videos, and advertisements to reach varied audiences across multiple platforms.
• Generate and update content on artstarts.com
• Manage day-to-day social media activities (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, LinkedIn, and emerging channels).
• Develop PR strategies and campaigns to build public awareness of the organization, and build relationships with media contacts across BC.
• Monitor and review web analytics, social media, and AdWords
• Support with fundraising development campaigns and grant writing as needed
• Maintain internal databases of marketing assets (eg. design, photography, and video)
• Prepare and manage $20k marketing budget

QUALIFICATIONS

The following will enable you to excel in this role:

• Training in Communications and Marketing
• Strong writing and editing skills
• A passion for storytelling and engaging with community
• Ability to design for print and web with a creative visual aesthetic
• Experience with building and implementing digital marketing strategies
• Experience creating and executing campaigns to support fundraising development
• Excellent project management and multi-tasking skills

• Proficiency with Excel, Google Docs and Google Sheets
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat
• Ability to work with online content management systems
• Ability to leverage website analytics tools to inform data driven decision making
• Experience with MailChimp or equivalent
• Comfort using (or learning to use) Slack, Salesforce, and Asana
• Video creation and editing experience an asset

In addition, we are looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about the ArtStarts mission and vision
• Committed to advancing equity and decolonization work
• A team player that contributes positively to our organizational culture
• Able to work strategically and independently to meet deadlines
• 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

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 cover letter to help us prioritize your application. 

To apply, please submit a cover letter (max two pages) and resume to team@artstarts.com. 

Your cover letter is an opportunity to:

• Share your story; 
• Identify how your strengths and experiences align with this job opportunity; and
• How you fit with the organizational culture described above. 

We also invite you to answer this question (optional) in your cover letter: What is something that you learned recently that made an impact on you?

Applications will be reviewed as they are received so apply early and no later than February 3, 2020 at 11:59pm. The start date for this position is March 16, 2020 to allow for two weeks of overlap with the outgoing team member.

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 $52,500 and is not negotiable. Additional benefits include three weeks of vacation, a professional development allowance, and extended health and dental coverage for the employee, spouse, and dependents.

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