Arts Council of Greater New Haven seeks a strategic, inspirational arts leader as Executive Director to lead the historic organization’s growth and evolution.

What is the Arts Council of Greater New Haven?

The Arts Council is a regional service organization that since 1964 has provided leadership and support to the arts ecosystem in the Greater New Haven Connecticut area. We envision a thriving arts community at the heart of Greater New Haven. We believe that art, culture, and creativity are fundamental human rights. From Fiscal Sponsorship to the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative, Free Membership to Make Music Day - we're working around the clock to build a strong, diverse, and united creative community in Greater New Haven.

What We Do

For over 50 years, the Arts Council has served as a catalyst, convener, and heartbeat of the Audubon Arts District.

We promote and advocate through the arts in Greater New Haven through the following programs:

• NewHavenArts.org - Hosts a calendar of events filled with arts and culture happenings in the region as well as a job opportunities page, resources for artists and much more
• The Sandbox - a free multipurpose venue or space for Greater New Haven artists and activists to practice, learn, record, present, and perform their craft
• The Arts Paper - a daily. online publication that covers arts and culture in and around New Haven
• Youth Arts Journalism Initiative - YAJI introduces New Haven and Hamden high schoolers to grassroots journalism through The Arts Paper
• Culturalyst - a free creative search engine of local artists & opportunities
• Grants - funding for local artists and small arts and culture organizations
• Fiscal Sponsorship - allows you to solicit tax deductible donations and apply for grants without having 501c3 status.
• Arts Awards - our annual fundraiser that highlights the amazing artistic talent in our region
• Advocacy - we advocate for the importance of the Arts at the State and Federal level and provide tips on how you can champion arts, culture, and creativity
• Make Music Day - join the free worldwide celebration of music every year on June 21st

Our Values

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is now a part of everything that we do at the Arts Council. The Arts Council is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization because the lives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people are still at risk in Greater New Haven. We are grateful to those who have called us in and held us accountable. We also honor those leading the way with transformative justice work across artistic and cultural media, which remains a central focus for the Arts Paper. We remain committed to fighting structural racism in our organization with the urgency, dedication, and creativity that this crisis demands.

Our Community

Known as the cultural capital of Connecticut, New Haven boasts a thriving and diverse arts arts community. Home to thriving communities, New Haven is the second largest city in Connecticut, home to many educational institutions including Yale University, and serves as an enclave of independent thinking, academia and spirit. Easily accessible by various forms of transportation including trains, local airports, major roadways, New Haven stays easily connected to the bustling arts scenes of New York and New England. The NY Times ranked New Haven among the best 52 cities in the world to visit in 2023. New Haven offers a high quality of life, thanks to a diverse restaurant and bar scene, arts and cultural offerings, and the best pizza around!

Who is in Leadership?

Babz Rawls Ivy, Board Chair (she/her) is Editor-in-Chief of the Inner-City News, a 30+ year old award-winning weekly print publication, and the largest of two of New England’s legacy Black publications. She also is a morning radio personality and producer at LoveBabz LoveTALK show, and is a nationally recognized and sought after host, blogger, podcaster, and thought leader. A certified Spiritual Director, Babz holds a MPA in Public Administration from Baruch College, CUNY in New York City. In addition to chairing the board at Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Babz serves on the boards of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Command Ground High School, Long Wharf Theater and is founder of The Freed Woman Fund for formerly incarcerated returning Black Women.

Winter Marshall, Interim Executive Director (she/her) has served as Interim Director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven since March 2022. Starting as an intern at the arts council in 1999, Winter has served in numerous capacities at the organization, including Executive Administrative Assistant to her previous position as Operations Director, with her favorite position being that of cultural consumer. Winter is a graduate of Branford Hall Career Institute. She enjoys theater, reading, and traveling with her teenage daughter.

Arts Council Staff
For more information about our incredible staff, click here: https://www.newhavenarts.org/team

What will you do?

Reporting to the board of directors, the Executive Director (ED) will provide strategic leadership and financial oversight. The ED will be responsible for oversight of all of the Arts Council’s administrative and business operations, including fundraising, marketing, artists services, facilities, technology, and human resources.

The ideal candidate will cultivate a vibrant and healthy culture with strong organizational systems and inclusive procedures. They will be a champion of equity, diversity and inclusion, creating a culture of anti-racism throughout the organization.

This person will serve as an ambassador for the organization at arts events throughout the fifteen towns in South Central Connecticut, while also advocating for arts funding and support at the state and local levels. They will collaborate with partners locally throughout the New Haven region as well as statewide arts council organizations.

Areas of Accountability

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as champion for our mission, vision, values, and Strategic Plan
• Advance the organization’s commitment to anti-racism and cultural equity
• Guide arts advocacy and political organizing at the local, state, and federal levels on behalf of our community, including legislative policy and Create the Vote campaigns
• Launch and develop new programs and initiatives
• Engage in professional development and coaching opportunities
• Oversee marketing in collaboration with the Development Director and Communications Manager

Community Engagement

• Develop strategic relationships throughout the Greater New Haven region, including:
  • artists and arts workers;
  • municipalities;
  • philanthropic, business, civic, and academic organizations;
  • and other regional service organizations.
• Represent the Arts Council in the media and at community events

Financial Management

• Cultivate and sustain major donors and funders with Development Director
• Develop the annual budget for Board approval
• Maintain a fiscally responsible budget in conjunction with the Operations Director and Board Treasurer
• Oversee bookkeeping processes with Operations Director
• Support and negotiate leases for tenants with the Operations Director

Organizational Development

• Manage the staff as a team with regular coaching, annual performance evaluations, professional development opportunities
• Evaluate effectiveness of programs, services, and activities
• Foster a healthy, collaborative working culture in the organization
• Organize and facilitate coalitions, partnerships, and advisory committees, including our designation with the CT Office of the Arts, with key staff members
• Support the development of and serve in an ex-officio capacity on the Board of Directors and its standing committees
• Review and approve contracts for services with Operations Director
• Ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards with Operations Director
• Manage human resources and other internal policies with Operations Director
• Lead process for staff transitions and recruitment of new staff

Who are we looking for?

This role is ideal for a dynamic and inspirational leader who communicates effectively with all stakeholders and solves problems with a calm, collaborative, and innovative style.

Committed to a forward-thinking, antiracist approach, this individual readily exhibits the ability to develop, nurture, and leverage authentic relationships within and outside of the organization.

Having an extreme enthusiasm for the work, the ideal candidate will be able to navigate decisions firmly yet compassionately. Leading through transparency and partnership, the ED will support a dedicated staff who are committed to serving the artistic communities of Greater New Haven.

While the Arts Council operates a hybrid workplace, the Executive Director must be available to attend events in the Greater New Haven area.

This individual will possess:

• Innovative and visionary thinking
• A collaborative and supportive working style
• A commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices
• Excellent public speaking and networking skills and an ability to inspire and motivate stakeholders via written and oral communication
• Experience and enthusiasm for managing relationships with a variety of constituents including staff, contractors, board members and donors
• A data-driven approach to decision making
• Skills in building strategic partnerships and relationships with institutional, corporate and individual donors
• A base of knowledge for generating earned and contributed income for a nonprofit organization
• Experience developing and managing organizational budgets and budgeting processes

How much are we paying and what are the perks?

Annual Salary Range: $80,000-90,000/year

Benefits package: Benefits include employer-paid medical; dental and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance; life insurance; vacation and sick leave; paid holidays; paid family leave; paid parking, and a simple IRA retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions. A relocation stipend is available.

Start Date: July 1, 2023

How do I apply?

Visit aljpconsulting.com/apply-for-jobs to submit your application. Application deadline is April 28th, 2023.

We know there are great candidates that may not have all of the qualifications and experience listed above but possess intuitive knowledge or other fully transferable skills. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

We are committed to building a creative and dynamic work environment that celebrates individual differences and diversity and treats everyone with fairness and respect. We do not discriminate in practices or employment opportunities. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply.

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