Real to Reel Film School Senior Manager

Raw Art Works

Job Description

About Raw Art Works 

Raw Art Works (RAW) was founded in 1988 with a group of passionate art therapists who shared the belief that good things happen when kids feel they are a vital part of a creative community that truly cares. Youth at RAW are welcomed into a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment the moment they step through the door. Through the use of the arts, youth are given the tools to process what is really going on in their lives, giving them the opportunity to create in unexpected ways, and envision new possibilities for their future. Many of the youth rely on the trusted relationships they build at RAW to help navigate the complexities of their lives. 

RAW’s mission is to ignite the desire to create and confidence to succeed in underserved youth.  As a youth development arts organization rooted in art therapy, over 300 youth, ages 8-19,  participate in after-school and summer visual and expressive arts groups, digital film school  classes, leadership development opportunities, and college and career access programming.  When youth attend programming at RAW, they are seen and heard through a refined blend of art and therapy. An orientation to trauma-informed care provides a grounding to the work with many of RAW’s youth who have experienced undue stress in particularly challenging environments. 

RAW creates endless opportunities for youth to build meaningful relationships with their peers and RAW staff. They are given a safe environment to express themselves within a community that feels like home and they come to recognize the strengths within themselves. The skills learned at RAW support youth as they transition into adulthood, and the passion and purpose they find here often catalyze direction and decisions in their lives, and the ability to make change in their communities. Staff at RAW work in an organization that has helped to lead the creative youth development movement since its inception, and is recognized and respected for its program impact at a national level. 

For more information on Raw Art Works, please read more here. 

Real to Reel Film School Sr. Manager Position Summary 
The Real to Reel (R2R) Film School’s Sr. Manager is an experienced professional with a background in film and youth media who provides vision, coordination, and implementation for our innovative and award-winning youth filmmaking program. This full-time position requires an experienced professional whose primary responsibilities will be implementing the strategy and operations related to Real to Reel’s Film School. The Sr. Manager will also help to imagine, design, and implement a long-term vision of film school. This position includes program management and direct service with students, and reports to RAW’s Program Director. 

Primary Responsibility 
The Film School Sr. Manager assures a safe, supportive, inclusive and fun educational environment while providing curriculum oversight, staff supervision, event and outreach strategies, and fosters partnerships and collaborations with organizational and community stakeholders. The Sr. Manager provides hands-on, technical training in digital video and audio production in the completion of youth films. 

The Sr. Manager also oversees middle and high school recruitment, distribution strategies (film festivals, screenings, press), and equipment/space maintenance. The Sr. Film School Manager supervises staff and students, and serves as the primary point of contact for work with guest artists, the local film community, non-profit organizations, colleges, and other community partners. 

Responsibilities 

Film School Management:
  • Oversees R2R alignment with Strategic Plan.
  • Manages the R2R team through staff supervision, curriculum oversight, and ongoing mentorship. Provides leadership in professional development of the film school team.
  • Provide leadership in systems design in tracking R2R’s data, and cross-tracking with other RAW programs/initiatives (i.e. staff communications, documentation, inventory).
  • Manages the R2R yearly budget.
  • Work with staff to maintain strong communication with students and families around group times, dates, and other logistics. 
  • Oversee the maintenance, tracking, retention, and purchasing of R2R’s equipment. Provides software, computer and project/data management for film school.
  • Administers scheduling including staff and student production needs, coordinating around screenings, and rough-cut screenings. 
  • Manage and delegate the publishing of approved social media content to increase R2R’s online presence through YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (including the publishing of films annually). 
  • Other duties as assigned.

Program Evaluation:
  • Fulfills reporting and tracking requirements for Program Director and Development Team. 
  • Oversees the daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual documentation and evaluation of groups. 
  • Populates and collects all the data needed for reporting, evaluations, grant proposals, and internal monitoring. Produces timely and detailed evaluations of the film school’s impact for reporting and securing additional funding.
  • Produces writing, photographs, video, and other public-facing documentation, and participates in occasional meetings/events (such as site visits) in support of the development team.
  • Effectively uses RAW’s tools for tracking youth metrics & data related to youth development.
  • Work with students and R2R staff to develop social media content for R2R’s channels. 

Curriculum Delivery & Instruction: 
  • Oversees the development of the film school curriculum. Coordinates with the Program Director and grants team to effectively align with the National Coalition of Core Arts Standards within R2R.
  • Co-Lead Film School groups leading middle and high school youth through film projects. Lead film school staff annually in developing innovative concepts appropriate for the skillset of youth.
  • Build meaningful relationships with students, providing artistic and emotional support. 
  • Assess and adjust R2R’s curriculum on an annual basis, and ensure the consistency of its delivery. 
  • Confers with Program Director and programming staff to address any additional participants’ needs to develop, coordinate, or integrate interventions that will have the greatest benefit toward achieving support for participants. 
  • Observes youth reactions, progress, or other outcomes related to art therapy and communicates with the Program Team to ensure continuity of care.

Outreach & Partnerships: 
  • Implement a film festival submission strategy, and work with the Film School team on coordinating festival/screening attendance.
  • Leads film festival outreach and is the first point of contact in R2R for these constituencies.
  • Lead the R2R staff in the planning and implementation of the annual R2R Film Screening and other events.
  • Engage internal and external community stakeholders in an annual recruitment strategy to fill student enrollment capacity for R2R.
  • Engage with the local film community to find new leads for potential mentors, guest artists, and speakers. 
  • Partners with Community Engagement Manager to support recruitment strategy and school engagement for film school programming.

Qualifications:
  • Minimum of 2 years experience in management. 
  • College degree in film, Master’s preferred in film.
  • Experience building trusting relationships with underserved and/or at-risk teens. Minimum of five years of working with teens with a record of success.
  • Flexibility and willingness to occasionally work outside of regular hours.
  • Experienced in all levels of film/video production (pre-production, production, post-production, distribution)
  • Superior skills in operating standard video, audio and lighting equipment, as well as Final Cut Pro. 
  • Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite, After Effects, and Garageband is preferred.
  • Superior communication, organization, and problem solving skills. Ability to work independently and with a team.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and comfort with diversity. 
  • A strong film/video portfolio is required.
  • Exceptional level of personal organization, with strong project/process planning skills.  Able to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
  • Must have a valid driver’s license. 
  • Fluency in a language other than English, especially Spanish, Vietnamese, or Khmer, is highly desired.
  • Energy, enthusiasm, commitment, with a high standard of professionalism is crucial. Creativity and a passion for RAW’s mission are required. 

Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $65,000-$75,000, based on the candidate’s relevant experience.  This range falls within our established salary bands for this position. 
RAW provides a competitive salary and benefits package, including a generous paid time off and holiday schedule, including your birthday off!

To Apply: Please submit resume, portfolio, and cover letter to hiring@rawartworks.org with the subject line “Sr. Film School Manager.” Applications will be reviewed as they are received.


Raw Art Works is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks a diverse staff that is reflective of the community it serves.  Employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sec, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.