Program Manager, Arts and Culture

Overview

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) is a City agency that works through the arts to enhance the quality of life, economy, and design of the City of Boston. The role of the arts in all aspects of life in Boston is reinforced via equitable access to arts and culture in every community, its public institutions, and public places. Key areas of work include supporting the cultural sector through grants and programs, as well as the commissioning, review, and care of art in public places.

MOAC leads programs and offers support to artists and people pursuing creative projects in Boston, including the Boston Artist in Residence (AIR) program, the Radical Imagination for Racial Justice program, and the artist resource newsletter. The Arts and Culture Program Manager is primarily responsible for managing the AIR program under the Director of Public Art. Secondarily, the Program Manager will serve as a connector to better bring City and cultural sector resources to artists who are both in MOAC programs as well as artists in Boston more broadly.

The Program Manager is responsible for the coordination and administration of the Boston Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program and for connecting City services to artists more broadly. This is a staff position reporting to the Director of Public Art in the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC). They collaborate within the office, with other City departments, and with many artists and other community members.

Responsibilities

• Artist program operations and administration:
• Acts as an internal point person for the AIR program by coordinating with the Director of Public Art and with other MOAC and City of Boston colleagues.
• Maintains up to date and accurate records of artist residence projects, budgets, payments, and timelines.
• Administers scheduling, check-ins, and communications with artists and city partners.
• Coordinates documentation of and helps draft reporting on artist residencies, events, and related projects.
• Creates and executes an annual calendar of artist workshops and events, both for the AIR program and, where appropriate, for other cohorts of artists or for the public. For example: a workshop on taxes or finding affordable housing for artists may benefit AIR artists, RIRJ artists, and be open to the public.
• Coordinates with the Communications Director on the artist resource newsletter, to get the word out about artist opportunities.
• Facilitation of internal and public-facing meetings:
• Manages AIR program calendar of events.
• Schedule, designs, and facilitates meetings (virtual, in person, and hybrid) between Boston AIR participants and MOAC and other City of Boston staff working in related areas.
• Presents updates on the program at weekly MOAC office staff meetings.
• Program strategy:
• Works closely with the Director of Public Art on planning for future iterations of Boston AIR.
• Coordinates with other MOAC programs around artist civic engagement, such as RIRJ and the poet laureate by attending cross-team meetings, sharing learnings, and developing connections.
• Connect AIR artists with opportunities that can further their work.
• Performs other work as required.
  
  

Required Qualifications

Minimum Entrance Qualifications :

• Four or more years of work experience, including proven experience as a program manager or other managerial position.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Excellent facilitation and community-building skills in groups.
• Experience with scheduling and coordinating multiple schedules.
• Excellent organizational skills, including note-taking and data entry.
• Comfort with service-oriented and public-facing work.
• Cultural competency in working professionally with different intersectional identities, including BIPOC, LGBTQAI+, disabled, and international experiences.
• Good interpersonal skills, presentation, flexibility, and ability to work well with others.
• Strong writing and oral communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.
• Thorough understanding of project/program management techniques and methods.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the City government and artist residency programs.
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic.
• Bilingual preferred (incl. Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, or Vietnamese).
• Interest in collaborative work environments.
• Outstanding leadership and organizational skills.
• Excellent problem-solving ability.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Adobe.
• Passion for Boston communities and art.
• Passion for civic service and meeting needs of residents.
• Knowledge of Boston neighborhoods and a history of civic engagement.
  
  

Terms

BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED.

Union/Salary Plan-Grade

Non-Union/MM2-6