Project Manager, NJ Folklife

Jersey Digs; Moorestown Township (NJ); Sur place; USD 53 000 - 65 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Jersey Digs is seeking a Project Manager for a time-limited folklife initiative co-sponsored by the NJ State Council on the Arts and Perkins Center for the Arts. The role leads ethnographic research, community engagement, and cultural programming across South Jersey counties.

You will deliver programmatic outcomes, develop partnerships with cultural groups, and coordinate with Education and Conservatory teams to expand public folklife programming and exhibitions.

Qualifications

• Experience in folklife, folklore, ethnography, or cultural heritage.
• Familiarity with American Folklife Center Standards and ethnographic methods.
• Experience managing projects with defined scope, timeline, and budget.
• Strong community engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Experience with grant writing and reporting preferred.

Responsabilités

• Lead ethnographic fieldwork and documentation following standards.
• Develop folklife-centered programming with educational partners.
• Establish partnerships with cultural communities and organizations.
• Create programming to amplify community voice and folk arts visibility.
• Support grant writing, reporting, and development activities.
• Provide quarterly status reports and monthly updates to leadership.

Connaissances

Folklife research

Ethnography

Project management

Grant writing

Community engagement

Communication

Description du poste

Position Details

• Employment Type: Project-Based (Salaried/Exempt)
• Project Duration: November 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028— coterminous with State of NJ co-sponsorship agreement
• Reports To: Executive Director
• Salary Range: $52,500-$65,000
• Supervises: Folklife Coordinator
• Funding Source: New Jersey State Council on the Arts Co-Sponsored Project / Perkins Center for the Arts

Purpose & Project Scope

This is project-based position established to advance the NJ Folklife at Perkins Center for the arts initiative co-sponsored by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Perkins Center for the Arts (the “Organization”). The Project Manager will lead the execution of defined project deliverables related to folklife research, community engagement, and cultural programming within the primary service area of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties and the broader South Jersey region.

This position exists for the duration of the co-sponsored project agreement and is contingent upon continued project funding. Employment under this position description does not create an expectation of continued employment beyond the stated project term.

The Folklife program is a member of the New Jersey Folklife Network Program (NJFN), an initiative created by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA) over 30 years ago in collaboration with cultural specialists, folk artists, nonprofits, and leaders from diverse communities throughout the state. The regional folklife programs are supported by a NJSCA Cosponsored grant program that advances the NJSCA’s goals through the implementation of five key activities (recently identified as the “Five Pillars”). The implementation of the “Pillars” is relative to regional focus, cultural landscape, organizational mission, and local needs of each host organization. Informing the core work of the Folklife Program Manager, the “Pillars” currently include:

• Ethnographic Fieldwork, including (but not limited to) site visits, formal and informal interviews with and documentation of artists in their working environments; photo/video logs, field notes, etc.
• Artist-led “Arts Where You Are” programs providing folk arts-based experiences for individuals unable to travel or otherwise unable to easily access public programming.
• Folk Arts in Education programs (FAIE), bringing folk artists into K-12 schools to undertake curriculum-aligned residencies and assembly programs.
• Free Public Events such as exhibitions, presentations, performances, and workshops with compensated folk and traditional arts/artists and cultural practitioners
• Artist Services: support to, and collaboration with, folk artists and cultural practitioners, including networking, professional development, providing space, opportunities, and technical assistance.

Project Deliverables

The Project Manager is responsible for delivering the following outcomes within the project term:

• Completion of ethnographic fieldwork using American Folklife Center Standards, including time-coded observation, photography, digitization of artifacts, field recordings, interviews, oral histories, and demographic documentation
• Development and delivery of folklife-centered educational programming in collaboration with the Education Director, Education Manager, and Conservatory Manager
• Establishment and cultivation of partnerships with cultural communities, grassroots organizations, houses of worship, academic institutions, and individual folk artists across the service area
• Creation of platforms and programming that amplify community voice and elevate awareness of folk arts traditions
• Development of revenue-generating programs to support folklife sustainability beyond the current project term
• Archival documentation and preservation of collected folklife materials
• Integration of folklife content into existing Perkins programming streams (Conservatory, Exhibitions, FAIE)
• Support for grant writing, reporting, and development activities as they relate to the project
• Quarterly project status reports and monthly updates to the Board of Trustees

Project Management & Administration

• Manage project timeline, milestones, and deliverables within budget constraints
• Work with Executive Director and Financial Consultant to manage the project budget in alignment with the co-sponsorship agreement and Perkins Center strategic plan
• Provide oversight and guidance to the Folklife Coordinator as applicable
• Provide quarterly project status reports to Executive Director and monthly project updates to the Board of Trustees, and participate in monthly staff and interdepartmental meetings and Board meetings as required.

Research & Documentation

• Conduct ethnographic research on living traditions, folkways, folkarts, and practitioners who sustain cultural heritage
• Apply American Folklife Center Standards across all research methodologies
• Maintain archive documentation in accordance with professional standards

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Build and deepen relationships with individual artists, arts organizations, community scholars, and academic scholars
• Connect with grassroots organizations, houses of worship, and community entities to broaden cultural input
• Build statewide partnership and consistency between Folklife Centers
• Act as liaison between regional, state, and national agencies and organizations
• Support organizational DEIA strategies with focus on inclusion of historically excluded communities

Programming & Visibility

• Collaborate with program managers to identify new opportunities for folklife programming integration
• Collaborate with Exhibitions department on folklife-centric exhibitions within project budget
• Collaborate with Education Director on Folk Artists in Education (FAIE) programming
• Provide content to Education Manager and Marketing for messaging and social media campaigns
• Contribute to publications, media, and Perkins-generated content (blog, podcast, etc.)
• Participate in national folklife meetings, including the American Folklife Society and The Living Traditions Network

Additional Terms of Employment

• This is project-based salaried position, exempt from overtime under applicable law
• The position term is coterminous with the State of NJ co-sponsored project agreement, currently anticipated as November 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028— coterminous with State of NJ co-sponsorship agreement. Continuation beyond the initial term is contingent upon renewed project funding and organizational need; it is not guaranteed
• Benefits eligibility is determined by the Organization’s policies governing temporary/project-based employees
• Either party may terminate the engagement in accordance with the Organization’s standard policies and applicable law
• Performance will be evaluated against the project deliverables outlined above, with a formal review at the project midpoint and conclusion

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in folklife, folklore, ethnography, cultural heritage, or a closely related field
• Familiarity with American Folklife Center Standards and ethnographic research methodologies
• Experience managing projects with defined scope, timeline, and budget
• Strong community engagement and relationship-building skills
• Experience working with diverse cultural communities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners
• Experience with grant writing and reporting preferred