Chief Executive Officer

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chief Executive Officer of Studio in a School (SIAS) will lead and inspire a transformational and nationally recognized organization that supports students from classrooms to careers, transforming how young people experience the visual arts. Building on SIAS’s legacy of connecting practicing artists with students, schools, and cultural institutions, the CEO will shape the organization’s vision for the future to ensure that arts education continues to remain accessible, inclusive, and innovative.

The CEO will be a passionate champion of arts education and equitable access to creative opportunities. As the organization’s chief spokesperson, they will articulate its mission, goals, and values across all constituencies, internally and externally, serving as a visible and inspiring advocate for its work. Building on the organization’s track record of success and strong brand, the CEO will leverage opportunities for growth, innovation, and deeper impact. They will engage, inspire, and empower a high-performing and deeply committed staff while strengthening relationships with partner schools, artists, philanthropic and cultural partners, and communities.

Providing strategic and operational leadership, the CEO will oversee all aspects of the organization’s operations, including artistic and educational programming, business management operations, staff leadership, and long-term financial sustainability. They will enhance the organization’s long-term vitality by raising its external visibility, building a strong organizational culture, empowering a high-performing team, and by engaging effectively with the Board of Trustees to ensure sound fiscal stewardship and to deepen ties with the New York City arts education community and beyond. In addition, the CEO will expand philanthropic and earned revenue streams, and cultivate a vibrant organizational culture rooted in collaboration, creativity, and accountability.

Key Relationships

• Reports to:
  • Board of Directors
• Direct reports:
  • Chief Development Officer
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Chief Program Officer
  • Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
• Other Key Relationships:
  • Current and prospective donors, supporters, and partners
  • New York City Public Schools
  • Partner schools
  • Cultural organizations
  • Staff and Teaching Artists

Key Responsibilities

In partnership with the Board of Directors and staff, the Chief Executive Officer will:

• Refine and implement a developing strategic plan that is aligned with the organization's vision, mission, and values.
• Serve as an important voice and advocate in the arts and art education in New York City and at the national level.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, professional development, accountability, and excellence across all levels of the organization.
• Build and sustain SIAS’s existing partnerships and seek to actively create new, meaningful arts education programming and initiatives.
• Partner with the Chief Development Officer to build and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies, including individual giving, foundation grants, and government support.
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with existing donors and actively seek new funding opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Board and staff to develop and monitor annual budgets, operational plans, and impact, ensuring financial sustainability and progress toward strategic objectives.
• Serve as the main point of contact with the Studio’s union partner, including negotiating and managing collective bargaining agreements.
• Partner effectively with City and County leaders in New York City, including the Mayor’s office and other elected officials and City agencies, the NYC Public Schools, New York state and national cultural organizations, and other potential partners.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The Chief Executive Officer of Studio in a School will be a passionate and engaging leader with a growth and success mindset who can inspire, motivate, and lead an organization as it enters a key phase of its evolution. The CEO will bring an inclusive, collaborative approach to team leadership and partnership management, internally and externally, and will be an active, creative, and effective fundraiser in support of the organization’s mission.

Ideal Experience

• Strategic Stewardship and Fundraising: A bold thinker who will play a highly visible advocacy role on behalf of the organization, developing, maintaining, and expanding relationships with financial supporters. Additionally, able to identify and build new sources of individual and organizational philanthropic support.
• Mission-Orientation: Commitment to SIAS’s mission and core values. Deep understanding of, and/or demonstrated appreciation for, supporting underserved communities with a focus on arts education access, opportunity, and equity.
• Inspiring and Enterprising Leader: Experience serving as an inspiring, authentic, and credible leader, skilled in guiding leaders and empowering high-performing teams while successfully driving results and implementing strategic goals.
• Executive Leadership and Management: Strong track record of successful oversight, strong stewardship, efficient management of finance, human resources, and operations and promoting a culture of inclusion, excellence, and high-quality execution at all levels within the organization.
• Union Negotiations: Success in working within a unionized environment and experience in negotiating collective bargaining agreements.
• Partnership with a Board: Experience partnering and collaborating effectively and transparently with a Board of Directors. Ability to identify and cultivate new Board members for the organization.

Critical Leadership Capabilities

• Building Organizational Capacity
  • Provide clear leadership and understanding of SIAS’s programmatic, financial, physical and human assets, and meet the organization’s evolving needs.
  • In partnership with the Board of Directors and the staff, refine and implement a developing strategic plan that has a clear emphasis on organizational growth and success and expands and diversifies development opportunities, translating this plan into clear priorities and direction for the team and drives its successful execution.
  • Provide critical leadership to attract, retain, and empower a talented and diverse team; promote and sustain a culture of accountability.
  • Balance short-term decision making while conveying a long-term vision for how SIAS can evolve to drive greater impact and results.
  • Effectively partner with and leverage the Board to ensure that both governance and leadership are aligned to set and achieve organizational priorities.
• External Relations and Fundraising
  • Cultivate and build donor relationships, creating and inspiring enthusiastic support for SIAS and creating clear goals and outcomes for the organization’s fundraising efforts.
  • Bring new donors to the organization to support, expand, and diversify fundraising.
  • Articulate SIAS’s mission, value, and impact effectively and with passion and serve as an authentic and compelling internal and external spokesperson.
  • Demonstrate impeccable credibility, integrity, and ability to create and maintain strong relationships built on trust and transparency with staff, school partners, donors, and the extended SIAS community.
  • Work collaboratively with the Board to broaden and deepen relationships with cultural, corporate, and philanthropic partners.
• Collaborating and Partnering
  • Communicate the long-term direction and collaborate with the staff on how to reach it. Build a strong sense of empowerment, accountability, and shared responsibility across the organization.
  • Authentically engage and develop trust and credibility with the Board, staff, and external constituencies.
  • Develop collaborative, inclusive, and ongoing partnerships with relevant organizations and enhance the scope and impact of the organization’s impact.

Other Personal Characteristics

• Authentic connection to and infectious passion for the SIAS mission.
• A love and passion for being in partnership with school communities. Genuine interest in the lives of SIAS colleagues, students, and members of the extended SIAS community.
• An empathetic, inclusive, resilient, and decisive leader with good judgement in alignment with SIAS’s mission and values.
• Confidence and willingness to listen and learn openly, empower others, make challenging decisions, and share credit.
• Exceptional written, interpersonal, and verbal communication skills with an eagerness to connect with people from a range of backgrounds.
• Strong understanding of and/or connection to New York City.

ABOUT SIAS

Studio in a School believes every child deserves access to high-quality arts education—and SIAS has been making that happen since 1977. Founded by philanthropist and MoMA President Emerita Agnes Gund during a fiscal crisis that gutted public school arts programs, SIAS has spent nearly five decades proving that art isn't a luxury—it's essential.

The Mission: Expand access to visual arts education and careers by connecting practicing artists with students, schools, and cultural institutions.

The Approach: SIAS places professional artist instructors directly in underserved schools across all five boroughs, delivering rigorous, engaging visual arts programming where it's needed most. Through summer internships with leading cultural organizations, SIAS also opens pathways for students to explore careers in the arts.

The Impact:

• 30,000+ students served annually across 170 NYC public schools and beyond
• 250+ internships each year with museums, galleries, and cultural institutions
• 28 dedicated staff members
• $9 million annual budget backed by a $15 million endowment
• Support from individuals, foundations, and corporations

For more information, please visit https://studioinaschool.org/.

The estimated annual base salary range for this position is $240,000-$290,000 based on skills, experience, abilities, and organizational needs. In addition to the annual salary, Studio in a School offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package. This role requires working four days a week in the Studio offices and one day of remote work each week.