Program Associate, New England Presenting and Touring (NEFA)

About the New England Foundation for the Arts

The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) is a 501(c)3 organization with an annual budget of $7.5 million. NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation.

As an organization, NEFA values an equitable, diverse, and inclusive world, which we interpret as all people having fair access to the tools and resources they need to realize creative and community endeavors. We acknowledge structural inequities that have excluded individuals and communities from opportunities based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography and strive to counter those inequities in our work.

NEFA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is invested in creating an equitable and inclusive working environment and organizational culture. We are committed to hiring individuals who share, value, and support these goals, and who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. NEFA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

About the Position

The Program Associate reports to the Program Coordinator for Presenting & Touring and works in close partnership with the Program Director and wider New England Programs team including the Program Director for Research and Creative Economy and the Program Associate for CreativeGround. Additionally, the Program Associate will collaborate with other NEFA staff to advance cross-program or organization-wide planning and initiatives.

The Program Associate provides administrative support to NEFA’s portfolio of regional grant programs and works with staff to maintain the highest level of efficiency in executing events and initiatives. The goals of the programs are to support the presentation and touring of New England artists across the region, as well as to strengthen the capacity of presenters – of all sizes and types – to collaborate with artists, build audiences, and serve communities. In addition to grantmaking, the New England programs team administers the website CreativeGround, NEFA’s regional database of artists and creative enterprises, and oversees the planning for NEFA’s two signature conferences, the annual Idea Swap, and the biennial Creative Communities Exchange (CCX). The Program Associate will be a key partner in supporting the successful execution of these events.

Essential Functions	% of time
Grant Administration Provide technical assistance, information, and other support to presenters and artists. Additionally, provide ongoing support for grant recipients regarding technical aspects of evaluation and submission of necessary documentation; Process and maintain grant files in Salesforce CRM including: launch, maintenance, and testing of online grant forms, monitoring applications, grant-related correspondence, evaluation review, and grant payment; Perform regular data cleaning and maintenance in Salesforce; work in partnership with the Salesforce & IT Administrator to ensure data integrity; Assist in the preparation and distribution of grant notifications and award letters	40%
Program Administration Assist with program meetings, convenings, and events, including catering, tracking attendance, technical needs, and other logistical details; Prepare application review materials for, and documentation of, panel meetings; Maintain and assist artists and presenters with eligibility for the New England States Touring (NEST) program through CreativeGround as well as identifying potential artists for eligibility	30%
Communications & External Relations Support program communications by providing communications staff with mailing lists, grantee testimonials, and website updates; Provide grantee data to development staff for funder reports; Develop and post content for the NEFA website and social media accounts; Review and manage images submitted by grant recipients; Respond to phone and email inquiries from constituents, while developing and maintaining relationships	20%
Connecting & Learning Represent the program and organization at conferences, meetings, performances, and other events in line with NEFA’s standard of excellence and strong reputation in the field; report on learning and outcomes; Participate in/support organization-wide convenings and events, planning sessions, and working groups	10%
	100%

Scope

Does this position supervise others? Yes ☐ No ☒

Internal/External Contacts: Maintain and support positive relationships with a variety of external constituents including grant applicants, grantees, program advisors, event participants, and event vendors, as well as with internal NEFA staff.

Financial/Operational Resources Impacted: $ N/A

Decision Making/Problem Solving: Support program and meeting coordination; communicate effectively with internal and external program partners, advisors, and constituents; provide superior customer service and technical assistance to all program applicants and participants; contribute to program and departmental planning.

Qualifications

Required Experience/Skills:

Excellent organizational and customer service skills, including strong attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines, problem-solve, and to multi-task;
Excellent communication skills - verbal, written, and interpersonal;
Comfort with working in a database, including entering and maintaining data and preparing and running reports; familiarity with Salesforce CRM a plus;
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively;
Experience with planning and running events and meetings;
Proficiency in Windows, Microsoft Office Suite, Facebook and Twitter.

Preferred:

Knowledge of and familiarity with New England and its communities, or an eagerness to learn about the region;
Familiarity with or experience working with artists, presenters, or other arts professionals;
Experience developing content for brand communications using social media or other web-based platforms.

Physical/Mental Demands: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability to perform the essential functions. Please note if the following are necessary for this specific position:

Physical Demands

☐ Moving ☐ Dusty Environment ☒ Stationary Position

☐ Lifting ( lbs.) ☐ Ascending/Descending ☐Temperature changes

☐ Noisy environment ☒ Travel (occasional, regional) ☐ Other:

Mental Demands

☐ Computational skills ☒ Reasoning ☒ Decision-making

☒ Detailed work ☒ Communication ☒ Organizational skills

☒ Reading

Additional Requirements (please note):

N/A

Application Instructions

All applicants must submit a resume and cover letter using the online application form at:

https://www.nefa.org/about_us/employment

The deadline to apply for this position is Monday, September 10. A review of applications will begin immediately.

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