Director, Creative Communities Program

The William Penn Foundation; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The William Penn Foundation seeks a Director to lead its grantmaking across Arts and Culture, Arts Education, Arts Presentation, Public Space Creation, and Equitable Economic Impacts in Philadelphia and beyond. The role oversees a small program team, aligns strategies with equity goals, and advances partnerships with regional and national funders.

The Director will drive evaluation, testing, and strengthening of program designs, ensuring inclusive and impactful investments that improve cultural

Qualifications

• Seasoned strategic thinker with experience guiding program strategy and outcomes.
• Strong communication, thought leadership, and ability to cultivate and support a thriving team are required.
• Deep, proven commitment to equity and inclusion in arts, culture, and public space.

Responsibilities

• Direct the organization, reporting to the Executive Director, and oversee a lean program staff of five.
• Oversee evaluation, testing, and strengthening of grantmaking strategies for Creative Communities Program.
• Represent the Foundation to regional and national partners and funders.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Team leadership

Equity & inclusion

Communication

Thought leadership

Job description

The Director reports to the Foundation’s Executive Director and oversees a lean program staff of five in pursuit of the following core strategies: Arts and Culture Hubs provides unrestricted general operating support to organizations whose missions are rooted in arts and culture and seek to achieve greater racial and economic equity in their operations and programming; Arts Education and Exposure funds in‑school partnerships, for grades K-6, and community‑based arts training in grades 7-12; Arts Presentation and Art Making funds high‑quality arts and culture projects or programs that emphasize diverse and culturally relevant work produced in an inclusive and equitable way; Public Space Creation and Stewardship supports the creation and stewardship of high‑quality, inclusive, sustainable public and community spaces; and Equitable Economic Impacts funds investments to enable public and community spaces to generate long‑term, equitable economic benefits for neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia and the region.

This important role calls for a seasoned strategic thinker and a results‑oriented team leader with values alignment and commitment to the Foundation’s work. Strong communication, thought leadership, and the ability to cultivate and support a thriving team are required, as is a deep, proven commitment to values of equity and inclusion. Candidates should be broadly knowledgeable about arts, culture, and public space and sensitive to the challenges of driving change in those sectors. While the direct focus of the grantmaking is regional, its influence on the field is national; the Director represents the Foundation to partners and stakeholders within the region and well beyond, including building partnerships with national and nonlocal funders and supporters.

The current Creative Communities Program design was adopted in 2021 after a two‑year planning period and is now in its first phase of implementation. The new Director will play a key role in overseeing the evaluation, testing, and continued strengthening of the Program’s grantmaking strategies based on initial grantmaking experience.