Arts Program Administrator

Position Description

A Dream Coming True, Bob Henry, 1998 (9th & MLK Way)
Please Note: This opening will close at 5:00 pm 11/12/2024.

Tacoma, the City of Destiny , has a workforce of dedicated, talented employees with unique skills and perspectives. We embrace innovation and strive for excellence and community engagement. Those who call Tacoma home have access to a diverse population, affordable housing, and a gateway to Puget Sound, Mount Rainier National Park, and the Olympic Peninsula.

The Arts & Cultural Vitality (ACV) Division of the Community and Economic Development (CED) Department is seeking an experienced, creative leader who can guide the City’s Public Art Program. This position manages the City’s Public Art Program, with oversight from the ACV Division Manager and the Tacoma Arts Commission. It develops, implements, and manages the yearly workplan for public artwork acquisitions and maintenance, in alignment with goals and initiatives of ACV, CED, the City, clients, and community partners. It manages the program budget, contributes to policy development, and is the lead staff for the Public Art Program.

Successful candidates will have experience working in the public art field as an administrator and will be energized by the opportunity to lead and grow a dynamic program. The position is suited for someone who is interested in a mix between program and project management work. Duties include supervising Public Art Project Manager staff and interns; managing Public Art projects (including selection processes and contracts); managing maintenance for the Municipal Art Collection; and managing the program budget, which is a mix of funding from the City’s 1% for Art, discretionary contributions from other departments, and partnerships with outside agencies. The ideal candidate will have solid foundational knowledge of best practices in public art, including contracting, artist selection, and artwork conservation. Their grounding in public art will give them a strong foundation for creative and compassionate administration, and their commitment to building and maintaining relationships will be central to how they shape a connected, responsive program. The Public Art Program supports the City’s overarching priorities through its work, including advancing justice & equity; building belief & trust; increasing access; supporting the community’s health & safety; and improving the local quality of life. This is a dynamic job for a dynamic person, with an opportunity to grow and shape the program. Candidates should be committed to working with City and community partners to support high-quality and equitable outcomes in public art across the City.

Key Responsibilities:

• With oversight from the ACV Division Manager and the Tacoma Arts Commission, develops overarching approaches and yearly workplans/budgets for artwork acquisitions and maintenance, in alignment with goals and strategic initiatives of ACV, CED, the City, clients, and community partners.
• Provides training, work direction, and review to Public Art Project Manager position and interns.
• Develops and implements public art projects for the City and partners (including Metro Parks 1% for Art policy). This includes budget and scope development; compiling resources and partnerships; project implementation and guidance; and approval of final product. Also includes administering art selection and jury processes; and developing and administering contracts with artists, fabricators, and contractors.
• Provides staff assistance to the Tacoma Arts Commission in the area of public art
• Prepares reports, applications, and presentations.
• Provides subject matter expertise to other City departments and partners, including budget estimates and suggested approaches.
• Plans, coordinates, and produces professional development workshops and programs related to public art.
• Represents ACV in the community.

Benefits
The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits for the whole family; paid holidays and personal time off; participation in Tacoma's Public Employees' Retirement System and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities. For more information on the City of Tacoma's benefit package feel free to explore City of Tacoma Benefits (Download PDF reader) .

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Tacoma's diversity is its greatest asset. Tacoma embraces its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic character. Communities of color and immigrant communities are fundamental to Tacoma's entrepreneurial spirit, workforce, and long-term success. In Tacoma, equity and empowerment are top priorities, meaning that all Tacoma residents must have equitable opportunities to reach their full potential and share in the benefits of community progress. One of our goals is for the City of Tacoma workforce to reflect the community it serves. We actively work to eliminate racial and other disparities and welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skill sets and experiences. Our goal is for Tacoma to be an inclusive and equitable place to live, work, and play.

Qualifications

Minimum Education*
Bachelor's degree in art, art history, fine arts, museum studies or directly related field

Minimum Experience*
4 years professional experience in art administration, program administration, museum curation or related

*Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements
Washington State Driver's License

The Ideal Candidate will have prior experience in the following areas:

• Demonstrated experience with public art program management, including scoping projects and developing 1% for Art program budgets.
• Demonstrated experience managing public art projects, including managing artist selection processes, contracting, and managing conservation/maintenance.
• Demonstrated experience integrating a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) lens into past work.
• Experience developing and managing staff.

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

Interested individuals should apply online and attach a detailed resume and cover letter describing your experience, training, and expertise as it relates to the responsibilities of this position. Applications received without the required resume and cover letter will not progress in the selection process.

Examination Process:
This is a competitive selection process. You will be required to respond to essay questions outlining your knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the essential functions of this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their responses to the Supplemental Questions reviewed and scored by a committee of subject matter experts, as the Experience and Training Test . These questions will be scored based on the information provided. It is the responsibility of the applicants to adequately describe all pertinent experience and training. Please make sure you read the questions and provide complete informative answers, including your roles in the position and key activities. DO NOT respond with see resume in lieu of answering these questions; this will result in a failing score. Providing false information will result in disqualification.

Applicants who have the strongest backgrounds related to the responsibilities of this position will be invited to participate in the interview process. Appointment is subject to passing a background check.

Communication from the City of Tacoma
NOTE : For questions regarding this specific recruitment contact Kat Flores, HR Analyst.
We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from cityoftacoma.org and/or governmentjobs.com must be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk email folders.

The online application system requires you to enter a substantial amount of information. Be prepared to spend at least an hour entering information. In order for your application materials to be considered, all information must be submitted by the closing date and time listed on this job announcement.

For assistance with the NeoGov application process, or questions regarding this job announcement, please contact the Human Resources office at 253-591-5400 by 4:00pm of the closing date of the job announcement. This will allow time to assist you before the job announcement closes. ( For technical difficulties using the NeoGov system , call the applicant support line at 1-855-524-5627 between 6:00am and 5:00pm Pacific Time.)

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 11/12/2024 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• City of Tacoma

• 253-591-5400

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