Senior Manager of Studio Programs

Status: Full-time, salaried position (exempt employee)

Benefits: Yes

Reports to: Director of Programs and Partnerships

Direct reports: Coordinator of Studio Programs, Coordinator of Technology and Digital Learning

About Marwen:

Marwen educates and inspires young people to nurture their growth and build their futures through art and community. Founded in 1987, the no-cost studio and pathway programs exist for young people in Chicago who want to explore visual arts and do not have access to arts programming due to financial and systemic barriers. Courses are facilitated by cohorts of intergenerational teaching artist teams. For more information, visit www.marwen.org.

Overview of the Position:

The Senior Manager of Studio Programs is responsible for overseeing and cultivating dynamic, youth-centered arts programming in the eight visual arts studios at Marwen’s 29,000 square foot art center and online. They are responsible for leading the process of scheduling, staffing, and supporting all of the free, artist-led studio courses at the core of Marwen’s mission. This highly-collaborative role provides key leadership across the organization and within the Studio Programs team, ensuring that studios are safe, well-stocked, and maintained, and offering the support necessary to make sure Teaching Artists can deliver high quality arts programming in line with Marwen values and the principles of creative youth development.

Responsibilities:

Strategy and Leadership

• Provide supervision, mentorship, and supportive feedback to and facilitate collaboration between direct reports
• Facilitate opportunities to actively build responsive and restorative relationships with Marwen’s communities of young people, programs staff, and teaching artists to inform and shape program design
• Work closely with the Manager of Program Impact to collect, track, and analyze data to inform program implementation
• Foster a learning culture committed to creative youth development and community-based arts to inform studio program practices and program development
• Participate as a collaborative member of the programs leadership team and support intentional collaboration between the Studio Programs team, the Pathways team and the Community and Program Engagement team
• Participate actively in the Chicago arts community in order to connect with new teaching artists
• Collaborate with Programs Managers and future part-time faculty to co-design professional development opportunities for teaching artists and program staff

Administration

• Manage and ensure term timelines, staffing schedules, and a timely contract, invoicing, and payroll process for teaching artist contractors
• Oversee the application of Marwen’s safety and emergency procedures across studio programs
• Maintain communications with Programs staff, Director of Technology and Operations, and Facilities Manager to support maintenance and care of studios and galleries
• Support the development team by providing program information and program data for grant reporting and potential funding opportunities
• Develop and oversee studio programs budget with support of the Director of Programs and Partnerships
• Support cross departmental events & initiatives as needed

Core Responsibilities:

Studio Programs Development

• Collaborate with the Manager of Program Impact to recruit young people for courses and workshops
• Lead recruitment and equitable proposal and selection process for hiring of Teaching Artists
• Collaborate with Communications staff to support course descriptions and promotion
• Manage Lab program, Marwen’s year-long, intensive residency program for young artists
• Manage exhibition planning and installation – including curation, installation, and public opening – of culminating term-based exhibitions, with support from Programs and Operations teams

Studio Programs Support

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of studio programs and maintain a presence during program hours
• Lead Studio Programs team to design responsive, day-to-day support of teaching artists
• Supervise studio program staff to ensure supply orders and maintenance of materials and equipment in Marwen’s studios, labs, and common spaces within the building
• Support Coordinators in leading studio reset process

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• Minimum of five years experience managing youth programs and building relationships with youth and families, specifically with those from disinvested communities
• Experience in and knowledge of youth development and teaching artist best practices
• Experience in working with teaching artists and belief in the power of intergenerational arts learning
• Experience managing program budgets
• Familiarity with and understanding of the Chicago arts, education, and youth development landscape
• Familiarity and understanding of data-informed decision making and managing a data-informed culture across youth programs
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and motivate a team, while fostering enthusiasm for professional development and creativity towards implementing new ideas
• Demonstrated ability to manage individuals and teams with a focus on delegating roles, managing expectations, delivering constructive feedback, and implementing problem solving tools
• Knowledge of Spanish a plus, but not required

REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evening hours and Saturdays
• Ability to prioritize tasks efficiently with a strong attention to detail, time management, multi-layered procedures, and complex systems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with priority on strong interpersonal skills (with youth and adults) and a proven ability to develop and maintain effective relationships
• Possess a commitment to leadership driven by compassion, respect, and belief in the enormous potential of all young people
• Possess cultural competency and respectful dedication to working with young people, families, and community members aligned with Marwen’s mission

The compensation for this position is $55-65K annually commensurate with experience, generous PTO, full health benefits, and retirement plan match. Marwen is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and equity in the workplace. We strongly encourage those who reflect our communities to apply, including bilingual individuals, LGBTQIA+ and/or people of color. All Marwen employees are required to be 100% vaccinated prior to employment.

Please send a resume and cover letter to SMSP@marwen.org with the subject line “Senior Manager of Studio Programs.” The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2023.