Arts Program Associate - VID 223110

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA); New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is seeking a Program Associate for Special Projects in Manhattan. The role involves preparing applications for peer review, evaluating proposals against fiscal criteria, and generating briefings and reports for senior staff.

You will monitor grant contracts, convene forums, and support the Director of Special Projects in supervision of Arts Team Associates. The position emphasizes project design through implementation, vendor coordination, and strategic

Qualifications

• Seven years of specialized experience in arts and/or cultural programs, with supervisory responsibilities.
• Experience designing and managing programs or initiatives from concept to implementation.
• Substitutions: an associate’s degree may substitute for two years; a bachelor’s for four; a master’s for five; a JD for six; a Ph.D. for seven years.

Responsibilities

• Prepare applications and evaluations for peer review across multiple arts program categories.
• Prepare reports, analyses, and memoranda for peer review panels and senior leadership.
• Communicate grant decisions and funding rationale to applicants and monitor contract compliance.
• Convene meetings, forums, workshops, and seminars or correspond with applicants on program questions.
• Represent the Arts Council in the Director’s absence at meetings and conferences.
• Provide supervisory duties for Arts Team Associates and assist the Director of Special Projects.

Job description

Duties Description

The Program Associate for Special Projects prepares applications in a variety of arts program categories for competitive and comparative review by peer panels; evaluates applications using programmatic and fiscal criteria; prepares written reports, organizational reviews, statistical analyses and memoranda for peer review panels; presents grant analysis and recommendation before the Arts’ Council review panel; communicates Arts’ Council grant decisions and funding rationale to applicants; monitors contract compliance of grantees; convenes meetings, forums, workshops, and seminars or corresponds with applicants to address specific questions about arts grant programs; represents the Arts’ Council in the absence of the Director at meetings, symposia and professional conferences; and performs the full range of supervisory duties of Arts Team Associates.

Description

The Program Associate for Special Projects prepares applications in a variety of arts program categories for competitive and comparative review by peer panels; evaluates applications using programmatic and fiscal criteria; prepares written reports, organizational reviews, statistical analyses and memoranda for peer review panels; presents grant analysis and recommendation before the Arts’ Council review panel; communicates Arts’ Council grant decisions and funding rationale to applicants; monitors contract compliance of grantees; convenes meetings, forums, workshops, and seminars or corresponds with applicants to address specific questions about arts grant programs; represents the Arts’ Council in the absence of the Director at meetings, symposia and professional conferences; and performs the full range of supervisory duties of Arts Team Associates.

Duties Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Manage assigned project portfolios under the direction of the Director of Special Projects, initially including the Regions of Cultural Significance program, the Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals (CHARM NY) program, and the State of the Arts fellowship program (embedding artist fellows in state agencies).
• Develop, implement, and manage legislatively mandated and strategic initiatives from project design through implementation and evaluation.
• Manage artist, vendor, and partner relationships, including coordination, scheduling, and communications.
• Track project budgets and expenses across the portfolio and report on spending against plan.
• Conduct comparative policy research and identify best practices from peer states, municipalities, and the field to inform project design and policy recommendations.
• Prepare vendor responsibility documentation and other compliance materials for special project procurements.
• Plan and deliver convenings, forums, and other public programs related to project work, and engage stakeholders, partners, and community organizations throughout.
• Document project progress and prepare briefings, memoranda, and other communications for senior leadership.
• Provide task direction to Arts Team Associates and otherwise assist the Director of Special Projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $161 million in FY 2027. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit?www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's?Facebook?page, Twitter?@NYSCArts?and Instagram?@NYSCouncilontheArts.?

Minimum Qualifications Required For Appointment

Seven years of specialized experience, one of which must have been at a supervisory level, involving arts and/or cultural programs, activities, or initiatives gained in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, nonprofit or commercial organizations; government and quasi-governmental entities; arts programs or components within non-arts entities (such as the arts program of an educational institution, communications organization, corporate entity, or philanthropic organization); or other public or private sector organizations performing one or more of the following:

• Designing or managing programs, projects, or initiatives, including project design, policy research, project planning, or implementation oversight, such as serving as a senior program officer, policy analyst, project manager, or strategy consultant.
• Convening, stakeholder engagement, and public programs, including planning and facilitating forums, panels, public events, partnerships, or coalition building, such as serving as a public programs manager, public engagement specialist, communications director, or government affairs officer.
• Substitutions: An associate’s degree may substitute for two years of specialized experience. A bachelor’s degree may substitute for four years of specialized experience. A master’s degree may substitute for five years of specialized experience; a JD may substitute for six years of specialized experience; a Ph.D. may substitute for seven years of specialized experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and managing programs, projects, or initiatives from concept through implementation, including project planning, policy research, and implementation oversight.
• Experience convening and engaging stakeholders, including planning and facilitating forums, public events, partnerships, or coalitions with artists, cultural organizations, community groups, and government partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage several concurrent projects, including artist, vendor, and partner relationships, schedules, and budgets.
• Proficiency in comparative policy research, data collection, and data visualization, and in synthesizing findings into clear briefings and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Familiarity with New York State government processes, including procurement, vendor responsibility, and grants management procedures.
• Familiarity with the arts and culture sector of New York State, including public art, artist residencies or fellowships, and place-based cultural initiatives.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to work in a fast-paced setting with multiple deadlines.

Additional Comments

• Travel may be required (approximately 15%), including during evening and weekends, depending on mission and assignment.
• Possession and maintenance of a valid Driver’s License issued by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicle is required, or otherwise demonstrate the capacity to meet the transportation needs of the job.
• This position is based at NYSCA's office in Manhattan.
• The in-office requirement is a minimum of five days per two-week pay period.

The NYS Council on the Arts is an equal opportunity employer, and we recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We encourage applicants for all communities to apply.

NOTE ON TELECOMMUTING: Employees are required to apply and obtain approval through management to telecommute according to the agency’s Telecommuting Program Guidelines.

Downstate: Location Pay of $4,150