Deputy Director: Fleisher Art Memorial

Overview

The Deputy Director is a senior leadership position charged with overseeing the progress and success of Fleisher Art Memorial’s organizational strategies (akin to a Chief Strategy Officer). These include institution-wide assessment and evaluation to ensure that programmatic and operational initiatives effectively and efficiently align with Fleisher’s mission, vision, and intended public impact, in service to Philadelphia residents who face barriers accessing art education and experiences.

In the coming months, the Deputy Director will provide critical leadership to staff and faculty in implementing its post-pandemic recovery plan by leading data-driven analysis of newly-developed online and offsite programs to leverage new mission-aligned opportunities and to build capacity. Successful implementation may result in a new online platform of educational programs that augment accessibility and student experience.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, Fleisher staff and board had drafted its strategic plan, broadly outlining strategies under three core imperatives: Education, Access, and Empowerment. In close collaboration with the Executive Director, the Deputy Director will develop, communicate, execute and sustain strategic plan and initiatives in ways that are rooted in equitable access to art, including DEAI strategies. They will provide leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for Fleisher’s programming that engages more than 20,000+ children and adults each year in-person and a new online audience.

The successful candidate will be a team-oriented leader who finds fulfillment in supporting a collective vision. They will harness the energy of an ambitious creative team towards shared goals, and embrace an intentional organizational culture of learning, transparency, and accountability. They are able to balance maximizing impact with a strategic application of resources and capacity. They are confident and diplomatic, able to cultivate and facilitate partnerships and relationships. An open, curious appreciation for the visual arts is essential.

Essential Functions

Leadership

  • Participate in the conceptualization, development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies for furthering the achievement of Fleisher’s culture and values, overall vision and mission through its strategic priorities and alignment of all programs and activities.
  • Ensure ongoing excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent achievement of high quality in all Fleisher programs and activities.
  • Establish a DEAI-forward/Anti-Racist ethos and institution-wide commitment to defining and shaping actionable, policies, procedures and practices across programming and operational functions.
  • Regularly and clearly communicate progress to the Executive Director and Leadership Team. Attend meetings of the Board of Directors and serve as point on specific committees.
  • Contribute to Fleisher’s national reputation as a thought leader through speaking engagements, articles and studies, and other means of sharing best practices with the field.
  • Identify and develop new strategic initiatives and partnerships. Sustain and strengthen select ongoing strategic initiatives and partnerships, and ensure their experience with Fleisher is positive and rewarding for shared stakeholders.

People Management

  • Provide leadership of cross-departmental communication and cohesiveness to ensure effective use of time and resources to achieve integrated execution of strategies and initiatives.
  • Recruit, develop, motivate, supervise, and evaluate a high‐performing staff.
  • Schedule, manage, and develop these people. Encourage an overall spirit of teamwork and collaboration within Fleisher, setting an example for the staff at all times.
  • Ensure that job descriptions are relevant and that regular performance evaluations are conducted, and that sound human resource practices are in place.
  • Plan and implement professional development opportunities and practices to train and support high-quality faculty, staff, and assistants.
  • Experience working with, supporting, engaging and motivating non-profit Boards & Committees.

Resource Management

  • Work with the staff, Business Manager, and Executive Director in preparing an annual operating budget that includes resources for advancing strategic initiatives.
  • Provide leadership to staff in planning, constructing, monitoring, and managing Fleisher’s budgets within approved guidelines.
  • Support Development Department in identifying new funding opportunities and strategies. Monitor and maintain obligations associated with funder requirements.
  • Prepare and be accountable for the design and execution of detailed project plans with clear timeframes.

Communications, Public Relations

  • Serve as an ambassador of Fleisher throughout the community at all times, maintaining and enhancing Fleisher’s visibility and reputation. Represent Fleisher and serve as key point person for community organizations looking for opportunities to engage their stakeholders with art education opportunities at Fleisher or seeking ways to partner.
  • Build and maintain strong cooperative relationships with community partners and organizations locally, regionally, and nationally.
  • Work with Communications Director to market programs and to capture stories that illustrate impact of programs. When necessary, review, and revise program content and faculty information for print, web, and social media.
  • Support Communications Director and Registrar in expanding Fleisher’s capacity to provide translated materials, forms, and other program information on-site and off-site to local community.

Qualifications

Baseline Knowledge & Skills

  • Four-year degree in arts administration, art education, child development, related field, or equivalent experience. Advanced degree preferred.
  • Strategic planning and monitoring. Experience with Theories of Change, Logic Models, Needs Assessment, and/or Intended Impact Statements valued.
  • Strong management, facilitation, and supervisory skills that exemplify our core value of continuous learning. You will educate your team as a Learning Partner, using a coaching and mentoring approach that helps your team feel supported, recognized, valued, and able to connect with colleagues.
  • Experience working with, supporting, engaging and motivating non-profit Boards & Committees.
  • You can describe your racial equity journey related to undoing racism and dismantling oppression, and foster a DEAI-forward/Anti-Racist ethos and institution-wide commitment to defining and shaping actionable, policies, procedures and practices across programming and operational functions. You are committed to lifting up the power and promise of marginalized groups.
  • Excellent writing skills and confident public speaking skills. Additional language skills a plus.

Abilities

  • Strong drive to work collaboratively.
  • Creative, hard-working, confident and capable in managing time and activities deliberately and efficiently. You are skilled at prioritizing and setting boundaries so that you can focus on each task with clarity and purpose.
  • Experience in a professional environment demanding thoughtfulness, sophistication, and confidentiality with ability to relate well to people from many different backgrounds. To have empathy and compassion for self and others when under stress or when things don’t go as planned.
  • Strong sense of accountability with a “can-do” attitude.
  • Deep commitment to lifelong learning and arts education.
  • Professional demeanor, especially under pressure; strong attention to detail and ability to accurately under deadline.
  • Willing and able to balance work with personal life to include some evenings and weekends.

Salary: Approx. $70,000 annually, with five weeks of vacation/personal time. Fleisher employees receive a competitive compensation package, including options to enroll in health, dental, life insurance, and pension plans; a Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) employee badge that provides access to museums nationwide; and access to educational and professional development opportunities.

To apply: If this description seems like a good match for your personality, skills, and career goals please send us a cover letter, resume, and three references (all in one document) through Submittables. Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2021. All candidates will receive a response — finalists should expect three separate interviews. References will be called for finalists only. All submissions will be held in the strictest confidence by the search committee. Start date is flexible, from immediate to September 1.

Fleisher’s core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain a diverse and inclusive environment. As an equal opportunity employer we are committed to employment practices that ensure employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.

Fleisher strongly encourages individuals from marginalized and underrepresented groups to apply. Fleisher is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.