Job description
Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the United States. Since 2017, Art Bridges created and supported programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of nearly 170 museums of all sizes and locations to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development; loans from the Art Bridges collection; and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses different types of media and is inclusive of diverse perspectives.
Required Documents to Apply:
Applications must include an updated resume and a cover letter that explains how previous experiences have prepared you for this role and why this position aligns with your career goals.
Job Description:
Position: Learning & Engagement Manager
Reporting to: Director of Awards & Cohorts, Evaluation and Learning & Engagement at Art Bridges Foundation
Location: Bentonville, AR
Salary Range: $65,000 - $75,000
Status: EXEMPT
Art Bridges seeks a driven, enthusiastic, detail-oriented professional to join our growing team. The Learning & Engagement Manager will be responsible for managing a team of Learning & Engagement Specialists, designing and executing the strategic vision of the department in alignment with organization-wide priorities, facilitating planning discussions with museum applicants in order to design thoughtful, imaginative, and innovative programs to draw in new and diverse audiences and collaborating across Awards & Funding, Marketing, Traveling Exhibitions, Curatorial, Collection Loan Partnership, Cohorts and Fellows and Evaluation departments to successfully steward museum partners and projects from start to finish.
About the Position
- This position requires an outgoing, innovative, collaborative, and diplomatic professional able to combine independent work (such as designing new award programs, analyzing data, providing ongoing 1-1 support to partners, preparing presentations and reports to share with stakeholders, managing project timelines and budgets) and managing a team of two direct reports. The L&E Manger will also oversee the Learning and Engagement grant program while collaborating with the collection loan program. In addition, the L&E manager will be responsible for budget eligibility, determining the criteria to evaluate awards, and leading hiring efforts on the team. These collaborative and managerial efforts include team mentorship, advising on partner proposals, and coordinating projects with colleagues across the Foundation.
- Preferred candidates will be passionate about expanding access to art with skills and experience in a museum and/or art education, project management, and with a clear communication style, and administrative skills. In addition, preferred candidates are detail-oriented, highly motivated, solutions-oriented, collaborative, and congenial, with well-developed writing, communication, and organizational skills.
- The Manager should possess intellectual curiosity, imagination, flexibility, and openness to giving and receiving feedback with a proven history of proactively balancing multiple tasks in various stages of completion and an interested in American art and equity-focused museum programing.
Responsibilities
Program Management
- Hires, supervises, mentors, coaches, and provides professional development opportunities for direct reports.
- Assesses, prioritizes, assigns, and manages department workflow including implementation and delegation of the responsibilities outlined below.
- Tracks spending against project budgets, makes suggestions for keeping projects on budget, and alerts Art Bridges staff and partner museums to potential budget and/or timeline issues.
- Schedules timely meetings, prepares agendas, and facilitates positive and productive meetings.
- Develops, communicates, and tracks schedules and budgets.
- Generates financial reports as requested; ensures project-related invoices and payments are handled in a timely manner.
Project Management
- Collaborates with partners to develop meaningful, and innovative museum programs in relation to art object loans and exhibitions that will engage new, diverse audiences. This includes co-developing program themes, goals, and intended outcomes, helping to identify field experts, presenters, performers and vendors, coaching applicants on writing strong application materials and program copy, and advising on museum education best practices.
- Encourages partners to engage with local communities to build collaborations, program diversity and audience interest, and to cultivate effective collaborative relationships with area artists, institutions and organizations to help develop quality public programming.
- Works closely with cross departmental teams at the partner museum and internally at Art Bridges to manage the Learning & Engagement project process which includes:
- Coordinating the application process, from solicitation to completed application
- Moving projects forward according to established milestones and timelines
- Scheduling and leading relevant meetings
- Providing verbal and written feedback to applicants at every stage of the process
- Using project management (Wrike) and CRM databases (Salesforce) to enter and track information on every project
- Drafting dockets of all applications for monthly Award Review Meetings
- Working with the Funding & Awards team to insure timely payout of project funds
- Monitoring and reporting on partner projects to ensure obligations are met in an appropriate and timely manner.
- Develops expertise in the Art Bridges Collection and Traveling Exhibitions to support the creation of presentations and engaging and content-rich, educational and interpretive materials.
- Creates content about projects and partners to share on Art Bridges Website and social media
- Represents the Foundation at public meetings and conferences
- Provides support on new Foundation initiatives as needed
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications and skills
- Bachelor’s Degree Required.
- 7 + years work experience in museum education or in a cultural setting, foundation, or non profit organization in the capacity of managing high performing teams and developing and implementing public programming and communicating impact. (Equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience will satisfy the minimum requirements.)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent project management experience, including creating new systems from scratch
- Working knowledge of arts administration practices
- Outstanding interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated organizational, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
- Proficiency with office technology, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook, standard office equipment (telephone, fax, copier, computers, projectors) and web-based solutions (conference calls, Zoom video conferences, etc.)
- Ability to work independently and effectively and, collaborate with peers, and lead cross-departmental teams
- Proven ability to handle multiple projects and/or tasks at once
- Demonstrated English skills in accuracy, proofreading, grammar, spelling, and attention to detail
- Ability to travel regionally and/or nationally 2-3 times per year
- Ability to work with minimal direct supervision and manage multiple projects in a high-volume and fast-paced environment to complete assignments on regular deadline
- Participate in internal and external professional development opportunities, including Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Access learning and roundtables
Attributes that support your success
- Enthusiasm about joining an organization that’s new, evolving, and poised to have major impact on the art museum field
- A commitment and passion for the power of art to transform lives
- Ability to cultivate and sustain trust with colleagues, partners, and other stakeholders
- Creativity, flexibility, and curiosity
- Ability to anticipate and solve problems proactively
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to inspire and mediate diverse opinions to address shared needs
- You have a network of peers in the industry that you can leverage as a resource
- High degrees of initiative and discretion
Physical demands and work environment
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical demands: Position requires utilizing a computer and telephone for prolonged periods of time, good eye/hand coordination, verbal and written conversation with others, and lifting/carrying up to 10 lbs. Vision abilities required by the job include close vision.
Work environment: Work will be performed in an office environment full-time. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Some overnight travel may be necessary.
Art Bridges and DEAI
At Art Bridges, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are central to all work and decisions within our organization. We support our colleagues and our partners in learning and growing together to make this important work part of our daily lives.
Equal opportunity
Art Bridges is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building and maintaining a culturally diverse workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. We encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
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