Position Title: Program Director
Reports To: Executive Director
Location: Hybrid (Remote x In-Person in Staten Island, NYC)
Position Type: Full-Time, Exempt

POSITION SUMMARY

Staten Island Arts seeks an energetic, self-starting, event planning, program developing leader to join our senior leadership team as Program Director!

The Program Director will be responsible for the strategic vision, operational oversight, delivery, and continuous improvement of Staten Island Arts’ (SIA) programmatic initiatives, public events, community commissions, and community-based partnerships. Partnering closely with Executive Leadership and Deputy Director, the Program Director will build and lead a multi-disciplinary team, cultivate external partner relationships, oversee multiyear program calendars, manage departmental budgets, and align all programming with SIA’s mission.

WHO IS STATEN ISLAND ARTS?

Founded just over 30 years ago as a grassroots organization of artists, Staten Island Arts (legal name: The Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island) serves as Staten Island’s Borough Arts Council. We serve Staten Island’s cultural community through programs that highlight local artists and build audiences for their work; and encourage cultural production by providing technical/skill, financial, and social capacity building resources.  Actualizing our mission of “fostering arts, community, and culture from shore to shore”, Staten Island Arts (SIA) Programs include Regrants, Arts Education, Professional Development and Technical Assistance (PD/TA), and Community Programs. More information on our current and past programming can be found here.

All we do is guided by our Core Values:

• Anti-Oppression: Staten Island Arts acknowledges that the systems we operate in are inherently inequitable and oppressive to historically under-resourced and marginalized populations. We commit to using anti-oppression as a lens through which all of our work will be done – both internally and with Staten Island’s communities. 
• Artists: Staten Island artists are unique. We are home to a pulsing cultural community striving for visibility, connection, support, and places to create and show work. We see you, and we value you. 
• Culture: We are not arbiters of culture, but co-creators of it. 
• Advocacy: We recognize it as our privilege and our responsibility to serve as advocates for and to the cultural life of the borough. 
• Partnership: There is nothing Staten Island Arts accomplishes alone. 
• Community: We are committed to collectivism. We will actively go into the spaces where art happens across Staten Island, as stewards of cultural resources.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership & Organizational Governance

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Integration: Operationalize DEIA frameworks within program design, ensuring physical and digital accessibility for diverse participant populations and inclusive curriculum practices. 
• Strategic Planning: Partner with Executive Leadership to set strategic vision and priorities across our Community Programs and Professional Development & Technical Assistance Programs based on community needs.
• Board Engagement: Serve as a key liaison to the Board of Directors, preparing comprehensive program reports and presenting progress and impact at board meetings.
• Compliance & Contract Oversight: Ensure organizational compliance with grant deliverables, audit requirements, and government contract terms (e.g., NYC/NYS agencies such as DYCD, DCLA, NYSCA).
• Fundraising Support: Collaborate with the Executive Director and Development team on grant writing, donor stewardship, funder relationships, and drafting work scopes and budgets for public and private funding streams.

2. Program Operations, Execution & Event Production

• Program Lifecycle Management: Own end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of SIA programs. 
• Multiyear Calendar Development: Build and maintain a multiyear calendar of programs, events, and exhibitions in close coordination with Grants, Development, and Marketing teams.
• Public Events & Exhibitions: Lead an annual slate of public programs and milestone celebrations, managing event objectives, production logistics, and post-event debriefs.
• Participant & Field Oversight: Oversee artist and facilitator recruitment, engagement, retention, and participant communications while regularly conducting/facilitating borough wide field visits.

3. Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Partnerships

• External Representation: Serve as a primary external representative alongside Executive Leadership at community events, conferences, funder meetings, and industry panels. 
• Partner Relationship Building: Cultivate and steward strategic partnerships with community organizations, schools, cultural institutions, artists, vendors, and funding partners.
• High-Stakes Stakeholder Meetings: Lead partner-facing meetings (kickoffs, recurring check-ins, debriefs) to build long-term trust with partner Main Points of Contact (MPOCs).
• Crisis Management & Escalation: Serve as the primary point of contact for handling programming related crisis situations, field emergencies, safety incidents, or escalated stakeholder/partner grievances.

4. Team Leadership, Coaching & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Direct Supervision: Directly supervise and mentor Programs Team 
• Talent Management & HR: Lead hiring, onboarding, orientation, and performance evaluations for program staff in partnership with Executive Leadership.
• Professional Coaching: Coach staff, guide professional development, and foster an equity-centered culture of continuous learning and accountability.
• Cross-Departmental Synergy: Coordinate schedules, workflows, and program release logistics with cross-functional teams (Grant Making, Implementation, Marketing, Research, and Partnerships).

5. Evaluation, Data Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Data-Informed Strategy: Lead analytics work across program evaluation tools, turning raw program data into actionable insights for delivery, curriculum refinement, and grant and annual impact reporting. 
• Quality Assurance & Standards Standardization: Establish standardized Operating Procedures (SOPs) and rubric-based observational quality assessments to ensure uniform delivery quality across all programming.
• Risk Management & Child Safety Protocols: Design, implement, and enforce organizational risk management policies, field safety procedures, emergency protocols, and child protection/background verification standards, as needed.
• Systems Optimization: Lead continuous improvement of workflow tools and project management systems (Google Workspace,Trello,etc.).

6. Financial & Budget Management

• Budget Creation & Monitoring: Draft, manage, and monitor annual Program Department budgets, ensuring responsible fiscal control and resource allocation. 
• Contractor & Vendor Management: Manage Program Department contract negotiation, scopes of work, and payments for vendors, service providers, and independent contractors.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Education, Nonprofit Management, Visual Arts, Public Administration, Social Work or a related field. 
• Professional Experience:
• 5+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a nonprofit, cultural institution, or educational setting.
• 3+ years at a senior leadership level managing teams of managers and overseeing a diverse program portfolio.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in program execution, event planning/production, or public exhibitions.
• Sector Expertise: Demonstrated background in arts & culture, social justice, or community-centered programming. Note: Knowledge of Staten Island’s arts & culture community is a plus.
  |
• Contract Management: Proven track record of managing multiple contracts including New York City and New York State government contracts (e.g., DYCD, DCLA, DCJS).
• Clearance Requirements: Ability to successfully complete required background checks, including NYC Public Schools Fingerprinting clearance.

Technical & Tool Skills

• Project & CRM Platforms: High proficiency in Trello or similar platforms. 
• Office & Communication Suites: Highly proficiency in Microsoft 365 / MS Office, Google Workspace (GMail, Meet, Calendar, etc.), Zoom
• Data Analytics: Experience with survey design, program evaluation methodologies, and data analysis.

Core Competencies & Personal Attributes

• Strategic Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting to Boards, funders, and public audiences. 
• Relationship Building: Confident and credible in high-stakes, external partner-facing environments.
• Adaptability & Judgment: Adaptive and strategic thinker skilled in ethical decision-making and discretionary judgment in fast-paced settings.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work Setting: Hybrid work environment based in New York City (Staten Island) 
• Travel Requirements: Regular travel throughout New York City boroughs for site visits, partner meetings, and events.
• Physical Demands: Ability to move between office and field locations, operate standard office equipment, and assist with physical setup for events and exhibitions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS 

• Base Salary: $70,000- $75,000 annually.
• Benefits Package: 
  • Health Insurance (100% covered premium)
  • 2 weeks paid vacation
  • Paid holiday, floating holiday, sick, and wellness days.
  • 4-6 week sabbatical leave (after 3 years of employment);
  • Professional development.
  • Telecom reimbursement.

TO BE CONSIDERED:

Please submit your application materials (cover letter & resume) here.