Program Manager

Arts Hacker; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 44,000 - 47,000; Part time

Job summary

Red Clay Dance Company in Chicago seeks a highly organized and mission-driven Program Manager to implement its programs, including Making the Artivist, School & Community Partnerships, In the Making, and Community Classes.

The role collaborates closely with the Artistic Director & CEO to ensure programs run on schedule, within budget, and deliver exceptional experiences for participants, artists, and partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in arts administration or related field.
• Dance background required.
• Two years of experience coordinating programs in dance education and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day implementation of organizational programs.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, timelines, and logistics.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for participants, schools, and community partners.
• Schedule and support program staff.
• Monitor program budgets and expenditures.
• Maintain participant records and program data.
• Prepare routine program reports and assist with program evaluation.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications and Facility & Operations to ensure successful program delivery.
• Support organizational events and performances as needed.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Project management

Collaboration

Dance knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in arts administration or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

CRM systems

Job description

Join Red Clay Dance Company

Red Clay Dance Company seeks a highly organized, collaborative, and mission-driven Program Manager to help bring our programs to life. As Chicago's premier Afro-contemporary dance company, Red Clay Dance Company creates, performs, and teaches dances of the African Diaspora while advancing our mission to awaken Artivism through artistic excellence, education, and community engagement. As we enter our 18th season, we are investing in our organizational capacity to support the next phase of our growth. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys turning ideas into action, building strong relationships, and ensuring that meaningful programs are delivered with excellence.

About the Role

The Program Manager coordinates the day-to-day implementation of Red Clay Dance Company's organizational programs, including Making the Artivist, School & Community Partnerships, In the Making, and Community Classes. Working closely with the Artistic Director & CEO, this role ensures programs are organized, delivered on schedule, operate within approved budgets, and provide exceptional experiences for participants, artists, and community partners.

This is an implementation-focused position and does not include fundraising or grant-writing responsibilities.

What You'll Do

• Coordinate and manage the day-to-day implementation of organizational programs.
• Develop and maintain program schedules, timelines, and logistics.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for participants, schools, and community partners.
• Schedule and support program staff.
• Monitor program budgets and expenditures.
• Maintain participant records and program data.
• Prepare routine program reports and assist with program evaluation.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications and Facility & Operations to ensure successful program delivery.
• Support organizational events and performances as needed.

We're Looking for Someone Who Is…

• Exceptionally organized and detail-oriented.
• A strong communicator who enjoys working with people.
• Calm under pressure and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Passionate about arts education, community engagement, and social impact.
• Comfortable balancing administrative work with hands-on program support.
• Excited to contribute to a collaborative, creative, and mission-driven organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in arts administration, Dance, or Nonprofit Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Dance background required.
• Two years of experience coordinating programs in dance education and community engagement.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Experience coordinating multiple projects and schedules.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and database or CRM systems.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and Saturdays as programming requires.

Why Join Red Clay Dance Company?

At Red Clay Dance Company, you'll join a team of artists, educators, and changemakers committed to using dance as a catalyst for artistic excellence, cultural preservation, and social transformation. Your work will directly support programs that engage youth, artists, and community members while helping strengthen an organization entering an exciting new chapter of growth.

To learn more about Red Clay Dance Company, visit https://www.redclaydance.com/careers
Compensation:

Salary: $30.00 per hour/29 hours per week.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Red Clay Dance Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We value diverse perspectives, identities, cultures, and lived experiences and strongly encourage applications from individuals from historically underrepresented communities.

Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and organizational needs without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.