Purpose:

The Assistant Director is responsible for supporting the implementation of the South Arts initiative, In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture, and other traditional arts programming including but not limited to grants, systems management, and convening programs.

Responsibilities:

The Assistant Director will primarily assist with the development and implementation of In These Mountains, Central Appalachian Folk Arts & Culture, an initiative supporting folk arts and culture in Appalachian Regional Commission counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The position will provide support for the In These Mountains Grants Program, and the Folk Art Instructors and Emerging Traditional Arts Program cohort convenings in addition to working with key program partners to support folk arts education, mentor and apprentice artists programs, graduate student fieldwork and community scholar training.  

Tasks include, but are not limited to:

Assist with planning and presenting online and/or in-person Folk Art Instructors and Emerging Traditional Artists Program cohort convenings, respectively.

Generate contracts, letters of agreement, memos of understanding and other similar documents.

Develop applications and surveys.

Organize and review grant applications, final reports, and support materials.

Provide technical assistance to grant applicants and recipients.

Responsible for notes from meetings with funders, partners, and artists.

Recommend fieldwork photos/videos/soundbites for South Arts social media/website.

Draft programming information for South Arts website and communications.

Organize and review partner final reports and support materials including details of specific program folk arts education activities.

Organize and ensure proper labeling and organization of fieldwork materials.

Provide graduate student fieldworkers technical assistance.

Assist with evaluation of all program components including participant interviews.

General

Respond to inquiries via telephone and email

Follow internal accounting procedures to generate payments associated with invoices, memos of agreement, and contracts.

Complete related program and organizational tracking, correspondence, and/or follow-up for all assigned projects.

Create, read, analyze, file, retrieve, and maintain organization of program files, and fieldwork documentation.

Required Knowledge

Office Administration and Management - Thorough knowledge of business and management principles involved in planning, resource allocation, and coordination of people and resources, comprehensive knowledge of administrative office procedures and systems.

Customer Service - Thorough knowledge of principles and processes for providing excellent internal and external customer service

Technology - Knowledge of office electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software. Knowledge of report building, strategies for data collection, and presentation.

Preferred Knowledge

Folklife and/or oral history fieldwork processes and procedures.

Grantmaking - General knowledge of foundation and government grantmaking.

Non-profit Arts Operations - General knowledge of non-profit arts and cultural sectors.

Required Skills

Critical Thinking - Uses logic and reasoning to understand, analyze, and evaluate complex situations and research information to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to the training needs identified; combines pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; presents numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.

Written Presentation - Possesses sense of design and print layout for balanced composition and format/font consistency as necessary.

Interpersonal Relationships - Develops and maintains cooperative and professional relationships with employees at all levels of the organization to include representatives from other departments and organizations.

Judgment and Decision Making - Evaluates the best method of research and then exercises appropriate judgment in establishing priorities and resolving complex matters; considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Required Abilities

Communication - Excellent ability to communicate complex ideas and proposals effectively so others will understand to include preparation of reports, agendas, and policies. Excellent ability to listen and understand information and ideas presented verbally and in writing. Ability to handle all interactions and issues with poise, tact, and diplomacy and in a confidential manner.

Coordination of Work - Ability to establish and implement effective administrative and management programs and procedures. Ability to plan and organize daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time management. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establishes a personal schedule accordingly. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines, and events.

Accounting/Budgeting - Ability to perform arithmetic, algebraic, and statistical applications. Ability to employ economic and accounting principles and practices in the analysis and reporting of data.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree preferably in the liberal arts and/or a field such as Appalachian Studies, Arts Management, Cultural Anthropology, Folk Studies, or Oral History.

A minimum of five years of combined experience in arts administration, public sector folklife programming or other pertinent areas, and/or project management, including working with artists, non-profit grants management, and event planning.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Basic knowledge of MS Office, with advanced knowledge of:

Outlook - scheduling meetings, managing calendars, use of rooms and other advanced functions; also managing, importing, and exporting contacts; task management.

Word - document formatting, review options/tracking, mail merge, layout options.

Excel - spreadsheet creation; column and row formatting; data sorting; page formatting, including borders, gridlines, and use of headers and footers.

SharePoint - file and data sharing collaboration.

Microsoft Teams - file and date sharing collection.

Basic knowledge of online systems including:

CRM - constituent relationship management systems; some Salesforce experience beneficial.

Basic knowledge of creating marketing/promotional level documents for internal and/or public use.

Other Requirements:

Occasional travel up to 5% of the time.

The position will be based at the South Arts’ office in Atlanta, Georgia.

The position is a temporary time limited position (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2024)

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.

The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes.

Use of fingers - Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.

Salary and Benefits:

Salary – $47,500.00 (non-negotiable); Benefits – South Arts offers an excellent benefits package that includes health, dental, and life insurance; long-term and short-term disability; vacation; paid holidays; and a 403(b) plan with company match.

The position is a temporary time limited position (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2024)

Application Submission: Deadline: Open until filled

Email resume and cover letter to:

Attn: Human Resources

E-mail to: hr@southarts.org

South Arts’ mission is advancing Southern vitality through the arts. South Arts is a non-profit regional arts organization founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with regional perspective. South Arts’ offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to address the role of the arts in impacting the issues important to our region, and to link the South with the nation and the world through the arts.

The organization works in partnership with the state arts agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, member states, foundations, businesses, and individuals.

For more information about South Arts, please refer to our website at www.southarts.org

Equity Statement:

South Arts is an inclusive employer and adheres to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission standards. South Arts does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, military status, economic status, or geographic location in any of its activities or operations.