Director of Adult Engagement

Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts

The Eliot School inspires lifelong learning in craft and creativity for all.

Job Description

THE ELIOT SCHOOL OF FINE & APPLIED ARTS


The Eliot School inspires lifelong learning in craft and creativity for all. Our programs cultivate welcoming environments where people convene across a continuum of age, economic means and backgrounds to build skills, craftsmanship, and community. We sustain connections to communities in Greater Boston and beyond.

Classes for all ages take place in our schoolhouse and annex, and, for youth, in schools and community centers throughout Boston. Our focus is on manual arts, including woodworking/ furniture, sewing/fashion/fiber arts, drawing/painting, book arts/mixed media. Other programs include creative youth development, annual artist’s residency, talks, a summer concert series, and other events.

The organization is undergoing a period of transition, with its long-time Executive Director ending their tenure at the close of 2023. A new Executive Director will shape the organization’s next phase.

The Eliot School staff and board has made explicit commitments to racial equity. More than half of our students are young people of color in Boston’s public schools and community centers. We aim for our staff and board to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We are actively taking a thought-leadership role to interrogate racial inequity driven by foundational, structural, and historical issues in the fields of craft and art education. We believe that imagination and artmaking can support questioning, engagement, and recognition of one’s power to shape one’s world. As we rebuild from the pandemic, we remain committed to our mission – the mandate to serve all.


DIRECTOR OF ADULT ENGAGEMENT


We seek a highly motivated, collaborative, and well-rounded individual who will develop and manage programmatic engagement with adults in Boston and beyond, in support of our mission, vision, and strategic goals. 

This person will be excited to support craft learning for skill, creativity, wellness, and community. They will develop and manage tuition-based classes and events for adults. They will build learning pathways from entry through intermediate to opportunities for advanced work, and offer more temporary, fun, creative and community engagement. They will follow a commitment to racial equity and radical welcoming in all of our spaces. They will also research and develop adult engagement opportunities in/from community settings, building sustainable relationships and partnerships over time. In the process, they will build on the organization’s existing strengths and develop new approaches that align with our mission, vision, values, and strategic direction.

This position combines creativity, relationship-building, and strong organizational skills: strategy, logistics, curating classes and events, scheduling, analytics, and record-keeping. 

The person in this position reports to the Executive Director. They supervise Program Support staff and a large corps of part-time instructors. They participate in ongoing coordination and strategic thinking with Senior Staff including Executive Director, Director of Development & Communications, and Director of Youth Engagement. They collaborate closely with Youth Engagement, Development & Communications, and Facilities teams, and with teachers and community partners. They hold the possibility of working with leadership to reanimate our Program Council, a body containing members of our Board and Advisory Council.

Overall, they support the Eliot School’s mission, values, welcoming commitment, and strategic plan. 

While the job allows for some remote administrative work, it largely relies on in-person engagement at our schoolhouse, community sites, and our offices in Jamaica Plain. It requires some evening and weekend hours depending on programs.

The Eliot School seeks to contribute to a more just and equal world. As we design our programs and spaces to pursue equity, we are currently asking ourselves: How do all parts of our school enact our mission to inspire lifelong learning in craft and creativity for all? This position works with organizational leadership to develop and implement long-term vision and present-day program implementation based on a commitment to racial equity.  

Duties/Responsibilities: 

  • Plan, schedule, and implement adult engagement in support of strategic objectives, including all classes, partnerships, and events. 
  • Events may include but are not limited to artists’ talks, salons, faculty exhibitions, and Eliot School’s participation in Open Studios, Porchfest, and others. 
  • Maintain and strengthen existing partnerships and create new partnerships in cooperation with Eliot school leadership.
  • Develop and sustain positive, effective relationships with other staff, teachers/artists/artisans, and partner organizations to successfully execute programs and pursue the organization’s strategic direction. 
  • Collaborate with other Eliot School staff to shape ongoing program strategy, contribute to the creation and maintenance of an effective annual budget, and support organizational priorities.
  • Establish and implement quantitative and qualitative metrics, guidelines, and standards by which the organization’s adult programs and engagement can be evaluated; identify opportunities for improvement. 
  • Continuously strive to meet target revenue and expenses from department and program budgets. 
  • Collaborate with Development & Communications and other staff to assess market forces and opportunities, to support promotion, and to assess and advance program-related funding opportunities, all in the context of the organization’s needs and priorities as a whole.
  • Participate in Eliot School staff meetings and school-wide events, with occasional attendance at board and other organizational meetings.
  • Serve as a positive ambassador for the Eliot School and uphold the organization’s mission, vision, values, and strategic direction.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned. 

Supervisory Responsibilities

  • Recruit, interview, hire, and train staff, teachers, aides, and volunteers involved in adult engagement in alignment with Eliot process. 
  • Oversee the daily workflow of Program Support staff, collaborating with other program and facilities staff to integrate program needs across the organization.  
  • Provide constructive and timely performance evaluations for Program Support staff.
  • Handle performance improvement, discipline, and termination of subordinate employees in accordance with organization policy. (Policy is being refined 2022) 
  • Perform other related duties as assigned. 

Physical Requirements: 

  • Must be able to lift 20 pounds at times.
  • Must be able to travel.
  • Must be able to maneuver over uneven terrain for events and outdoor engagements.
  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
  • Must be able to climb stairs.

Qualifications & Skills

We hope for a combination of the following. Candidates need not fulfill every item, but we will weigh all these factors in our hiring decision.

Education and Experience:

  • Exemplary track record with at least 5 years’ experience managing nonprofit arts and/or community engagement, or equivalent.
  • Demonstrated experience as an inclusive leader who has managed high performing, diverse teams, including remote employees.
  • Demonstrated ability building thoughtful relationships with communities as a basis for engagement.
  • Knowledge of, and experience researching and building relationships with practicing artists/artisans/educators.
  • Demonstrated experience navigating racial equity transformation in organizations or community efforts. Experience building programs guided by commitment to racial equity.
  • Experience supporting organizations’ financial sustainability by meeting goals for earned and contributed revenue related to programs and engagement.

ATTRIBUTES

  • Flexibility and experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while exercising effective judgment in challenging situations and remaining calm under pressure.
  • Demonstrated emotional intelligence, humility, cultural competence, feedback skills, and the ability to sustain trusted relationships with a wide array of people.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication.
  • The highest ethical standards and discretion.
  • Strong commitment to the Eliot School’s mission of lifelong learning in craft and creativity for all.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Excellent skills in project management.
  • Accurate, detail-oriented, able to meet deadlines. 
  • Excellent verbal and written communication. 
  • Comfortable with technology, able to adapt to new software and systems. 
  • Enthusiasm, collegiality, creative approaches to problem solving are welcome. 
  • Bilingual fluency a plus: Spanish, Mandarin, etc.
  • The Eliot School is an Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse workplace that is welcoming to all.

Salary & Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience, $65–68,000 full-time. Health insurance; employer match for 401k retirement plan; family & medical leave; professional development allowance; discount on Eliot School classes.

To Apply:

Send resume, cover letter and three professional references to Abigail Norman, Executive Director: anorman@eliotschool.org with “Adult Engagement Director application” in the subject line. We hope for a Fall 2023 start date and will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. For job posting purposes, the application deadline is listed as August 30, 2021. Please no phone calls.