Director of Programs

ABOUT COOL CULTURE

Cool Culture is a nonprofit BIPOC-led social justice organization that works to ensure that families of color and families experiencing poverty have access to the cultural resources they need to thrive.

Our community consists of 50,000 families annually. 83% of our families are BIPOC, 47% speak a primary language other than English, and the majority face economic injustices. Our community also includes more than a thousand educators from over 450 early learning programs and schools who speak our families’ languages and reflect their demographics. We also reach hundreds of museum educators and cultural workers from 90 of NYC’s museums, historical societies, botanical gardens, wildlife, and science centers. Cool Culture’s small team reflects the diversity of our families as well: We are Latinx, Black, Asian American, LBGTQ+, parents, caregivers, siblings, educators, policy makers, artists and authors with a deep commitment to social change. If this sounds like you, keep reading!

PROGRAMS

Cool Culture programs operate at the citywide and neighborhood level. Across NYC, Cool Culture connects a community network of over 50,000 families, educators from 450 early childhood centers and schools, and hundreds of museum staff from 90+ cultural institutions. We offer families free access to our partner cultural institutions, multilingual programs, resources and large-scale Family Festivals. We collaborate with educators through Seminars and Workshops designed to build family engagement and equitable learning environments; and we support museum staff to develop relationships with historically marginalized communities through co-design of programs and Cool Culture’s Family Audience Data Project. In our Neighborhood-based Initiatives, families participate in art activations in their schools and at museums; form Cool Culture Clubs to tour cultural institutions, create art, and, build community. They also curate exhibits and co-design Family Festivals in cultural venues for the larger community of families––all in collaboration with educators, museum staff, and local artists.

ABOUT THE POSITION

We are a small and resourceful team that wears multiple hats, understands the importance of being agile and nimble in achieving our mission, and embraces the flexibility required to move quickly while able to act with autonomy and independence, exercising sound judgment and taking initiative when needed. The ideal candidate must have a practice that is informed by a racial equity framework, and a deep understanding of equity and social justice that is actively integrated into their practice. In line with this experience, they should enjoy working in an environment that embraces collaboration, shared accountability, and interdependence.

The Director of Programs at Cool Culture will be responsible for the execution, facilitation, and assessment and refinement of CityWide and Neighborhood-based initiatives in line with our Theory of Change; and in partnership with marginalized families and communities, educators, artists and museum staff. Working in partnership with the Fractional Developer of Movement Building and Program Design, the Director of Programs ensures that these initiatives are designed and delivered to center those most affected by inequity, amplify the voices and increase activism of families, build authentic relationships, and strengthen communities. The Director will also be charged with working with the Executive Director, Director of Development and Program Team to continue the buildout of new cross-organizational systems for project management and for collection of quantitative and qualitative data, sharing with our community network, and will collaborate with the team to develop a multi-year plan for organizational sustainability and growth.

A transdisciplinary practitioner, the Director of Programs brings experience in all aspects of programming and program operations, from program implementation, assessment, systems design, team management, development, and budgeting, as well as program and curriculum design. The Program Director will lead a Program Team that currently consists of the Assistant Director of CityWide Initiatives, teaching artists, and a team of curriculum and program consultants. This position reports to the Executive Director and serves as the staff liaison for the Board of Directors’ Program Committee.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Program Design & Oversight

• Work in deep collaboration with the Executive Director, Fractional Developer of Movement Building and Program Design, and members of Cool Culture’s Team to guide the overall strategic vision and successful execution of organizational mission and programs. Work in partnership with the Cool Culture board, staff, key stakeholders, and supporters.
• Hire, manage, train, mentor, and motivate Program Team and consultants, focusing on staff development and fostering an inclusive work culture.
• Develop and coordinate a relationship-centric leadership strategy by actively seeking input from Cool Culture families and other key partner stakeholders to guide program creation, including but not limited to: parents, caregivers, children/youth, educators, arts and cultural workers, museum staff, organization partners, government officials, advocates, and volunteers.
• Manage, implement and refine where needed bold and integrated programs that serve as a model in the field of family and community arts/culture engagement through popular education and cultural organizing frameworks, tools, and strategies grounded in reciprocity, accountability, and self-determination.
• Lead the Program Team in aligning all initiatives with Cool Culture’s mission to involve, engage and mobilize marginalized families, ensuring that each program is responsive to community priorities, and builds on the synergies of CityWide and Neighborhood-based programs.
• Support the team to develop, deepen, and maintain meaningful relationships with education and cultural institution partners, artists and other stakeholders that are part of Cool Culture’s community network; working with families to advocate for community priorities.
• Develop, manage, and monitor rigorous program assessments, benchmarks, and evaluations with an eye towards values alignment, program refinement, and organizational sustainability.
• Interface with the Cool Culture board and serve as the Liaison to the Program Committee. Utilize the committee as a resource and support in delivering successful and relevant programs.

Infrastructure & Systems Development

• In collaboration with the Director of Operations, design and strengthen new infrastructure and management systems to support cross-organizational collaboration and ensure that program operations are effective, efficient and flexible.
• Oversee management of all program and administrative tools to ensure program operations are effective, efficient, and flexible.
• Develop, manage and monitor the Program budget in collaboration with the Program Team

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Support and collaborate with the Development and Communications departments, including supporting grants management; leading programs, events, and other initiatives that bring visibility to families’ voices, and role as agents of change
• Ensure coherence of initiatives across the organization.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 10-12 years of experience leading the design, facilitation, assessment, and sustainability of community arts engagement, popular education, and family engagement programs; and/or related fields.
• Well-honed analysis of issues of equity, structural racism and patriarchy and your own privileges; and integrating this knowledge into programmatic approaches and execution.
• Experience developing and nurturing cross-organizational collaborations, establishing partnerships with government agencies and designing and managing program models that respond to community-specific needs, and offering possibilities for implementation at large-scale for systemic change.
• Experience creating a curriculum that supports early learners, parents as first teachers and knowledge of adult learning
• Experience with community building that extends beyond audience development; and work with BIPOC, multiracial, multigenerational, and LGBTQ+, New American/Immigrant and/or economically marginalized communities
• Experience managing a highly collaborative team, cultivating shared commitments, and being attentive to individual working styles and needs; and identifying and facilitating staff development opportunities.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding and passion for diverse artistic expressions and cultural practices, with the ability to engage meaningfully with creative communities and contribute to culturally informed initiatives.
• A strong conceptual and strategic thinker that can both zoom into the details and out to see the systems, patterns, and connections
• Experience implementing systems that support the development and monitoring of multiple projects (grassroots, as well as large-scale, cross-sector), and adapting to shifting needs – and a keen interest in contributing to the build out of rudimentary systems and to build new systems as needed
• Demonstrates the ability to build authentic, ongoing relationships with a variety of external partners to identify, enact, and achieve common goals.

Nice to Have Attributes:

• Knowledge of the NYC family engagement and education landscape, including early childhood education, arts integration, curriculum development, teaching artist equity, and educator (school and/or museum) professional development.
• Knowledge of NYC’s arts and cultural landscape, including trends, best practices, cultural organizing, and activism.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Proficiency/fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Chinese, or ASL.
• Command of Microsoft Office and Google Apps.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Canva, Adobe suite, or other design software.

Benefits include:

• Insurance: 90% employer contributed medical coverage, 100% employer contributed dental and vision coverage
• PTO: 4 weeks vacation in Year 1, 12 paid vacation days + office closure between Christmas Day and New Year's + summer Fridays (employees work 4 hours on Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Our office is currently hybrid, with a majority of our work done remotely. The office is located at 80 Hanson Place, Suite 605, Brooklyn, NY 11217. The candidate must have residency in the Tri-state area (New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut) or relocate within 60 days of hire.