Arts Team Associate - VID 226001

New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA); New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Location pay $4,150 (Downstate)

Job summary

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is seeking an Arts Team Associate for Operations in Manhattan to manage cultural service contracts, monitor progress, and prepare reports for compliance and audits. The role supports the contract lifecycle from intake through settlement, coordinating with internal teams and grantees to ensure timely approvals and payments.

Responsibilities include reviewing applications for eligibility, producing analytical summaries, tracking transactions in SFS

Qualifications

• Grant administration, including program design, review, and reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to analyze and summarize complex information for panels and stakeholders.
• Strong communication with a broad range of internal and external partners and grantees.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks with accuracy.
• Experience with grants or public funding compliance and reporting systems.

Responsibilities

• Review arts and cultural grant applications and determine eligibility.
• Prepare analytical summaries for peer review panels.
• Support contract execution tracking and communications with grantees.
• Enter and track contract transactions in SFS and other systems.
• Confirm grantee prequalification status in contract development.
• Monitor contract approvals and coordinate with review agencies.
• Prepare status reports on pending contracts.
• Assist in work plans with key deliverables and timelines.
• Support staff in contract approvals and issue escalation.
• Maintain applicant, grantee, and program records.

Skills

Grant administration

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder communication

Project coordination

Attention to detail

Education

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Juris Doctor (JD)

Ph.D.

Tools

Excel

Grants management systems

Statewide Financial System (SFS)

Job description

Duties Description

The Arts Team Associate for Operations prepares cultural service contracts; monitors returned contracts; prepares returned contracts and encumbrances for processing; prepares materials for audit of contracts; contacts organizations for final reports; answers applicants' questions about contracts and contracting process; analyzes financial information to determine contract compliance; and prepares statistical and written reports relating to the contract process.

Duties Include, But Are Not Limited To

• Review arts and cultural grant applications and make initial determinations of applicant eligibility under statutory, regulatory, and program criteria; identify application deficiencies and advise applicants on corrective action.
• Prepare analytical summaries of applications and related materials for peer review panels.
• Work closely with the Operations team to support all stages of contract execution, including tracking the status of contracts in progress, drafting communications to grantee contacts, resolving issues that would delay execution, and communicating regularly with internal staff to ensure prompt payments.
• Enter and track contract transactions in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) and other agency systems, and review entries for accuracy and completeness prior to processing.
• Confirm grantee prequalification status in connection with contract development and processing.
• Monitor contract approvals and follow up on proposed contracts with internal reviewers and external approval agencies, including the Office of General Services, the Department of Law, and the Office of the State Comptroller.
• Prepare status reports on pending contracts and flag items requiring resolution.
• Assist in the preparation of work plans identifying key deliverables and critical dates, utilizing electronic systems such as SFS and SmartSimple.
• Support supervising staff in their review and approval or disapproval of contracts; document major or complex issues and refer them to the supervisor.
• Draft written responses to interested parties on contract awards and contract status.
• Maintain applicant, grantee, and program records in agency systems.
• Assist with special assignments and projects.

Minimum Qualifications

About the New York State Council on the Arts:

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.?

• Grant administration, including program design, application review, panel facilitation, contract administration, or grantee reporting, such as serving as a program officer, program associate, or grants coordinator.
• Compliance, accounting, or financial management work for grants or loans funding public or nonprofit projects with complex terms, including the use of accounting and financial management systems, such as serving as a capital eligibility advisor, public finance advisor, grants accountant, or fiscal compliance 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 in finance and data function at a government agency, not-for-profit organization, or organization primarily serving not-for-profit organizations.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Highly organized, with demonstrated ability to create and maintain dynamic tracking and filing systems with a high degree of accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously, with careful attention to detail.
• Research and analytical skills, including the ability to gather and organize information and present findings clearly in writing.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and comfort working in databases or grants management systems.
• Familiarity with, and interest in, the arts and culture sector of New York State.

NOTE: IN ORDER TO AWARD THE PROPER CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE, RESUMES MUST INCLUDE MONTH AND YEAR FOR START AND END DATES. IF ANY OF THIS EXPERIENCE IS LESS THAN FULL TIME YOU MUST INDICATE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED PER WEEK.

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.

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

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.

Downstate: Location Pay of $4,150