The Deputy Director provides thought leadership, conceptual and managerial oversight related to a broad array of grants, programs, initiatives, and operations.

This position is responsible for work of considerable difficulty and serves as a member of the executive team for the Arts Commission—an agency with a mission of service and a focus on reciprocity, dialogue, and information/resource-sharing.

This position reports to the Executive Director.

Primary Responsibilities

Overall, this position:

• In alignment with the agency mission and in partnership with the Executive Director, establishes a policy and service agenda and provides direction to agency grants, programs, initiatives, and operations, maintaining knowledge of trends, external resources, and opportunities.

• Collaborates with team members to identify and work to undo inequities in agency practices and distribution of/access to resources.
• Utilizes dialogue, feedback, and other data to analyze processes and procedures, and then develop and implement practices, standards, goals, and methods for improvement.

35% │ Agency Leadership

• Provide strategic, ethical, credible, collaborative leadership for/with agency staff, board, partners, and constituents.
• Develop and implement planning and performance-measurement processes, to support a just and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities in alignment with agency mission and goals.
• Work with Executive Director on agency budgeting and relevant monitoring and reporting processes for grants and programs.
• Identify, manage, and actively foster inter-agency, community, and national partnerships supporting priority focus areas and the development of strategic opportunities.
• Represent the agency’s work and interests within state government, in community partnerships, in media, and in statewide and national settings.
• Collaborate with agency staff to integrate relevant research into program and policy decisions.

35% │ Grants, Programs, Strategic Initiatives, Communications

• Collaborate with agency staff and diverse stakeholders to develop and maintain innovative grant programs.
• Collaborate with agency staff and diverse stakeholders to develop effective and accessible non-grant services and public programs.
• Provide oversight to or direct administration of strategic initiatives.
• Direct the communications team to ensure relevant promotion and communication of grants and programs.
• Oversee the development and implementation of relevant timelines to encourage staff, stakeholder, and participant success, and to allow procedural and reporting deadlines to be met.
• Oversee the development and implementation of systems and standards to ensure constituents receive responsive, high-quality counsel and technical assistance.
• Oversee the codification and implementation of relevant logistics and procedures, including appropriate retention of data, files, and archives.
• Collaborate on the evaluation and assessment of existing systems and procedures to ensure continuous improvement and increased efficiency.
• Monitor and stay informed of regulations and laws applicable to arts funding and other forms of support.
• Develop and monitor the budgets of grants, programs, and initiatives in association with the Director of Finance and Operations and Executive Director.

25% │ Supervision + Operations •

• Responsible for staff in Arts Learning, Individual Artists, Organizational, and Tribal Relations program areas, plus occasional contractors and interns working in support of relevant program areas.
• Manage and directly supervise Director level staff to set strategic goals with clear outcomes and deliverables in support of a values-based agency and positive team culture, including individual professional development and growth.
• Collaborate on operations design and certain human resources processes in association with Executive Director and Director of Finance and Operations.
• Identify and implement new opportunities to enhance a sense of belonging and social connection in an agency with satellite employees.
• Ensure timely development and submission of grant application materials, annual funding requests, and periodic reports to authorizers.

05% │ Other Duties

• Correspond with constituents and develop sufficient knowledge of agency programs, procedures, and policy to respond accurately and comprehensively to requests for information.
• Provide backup to programs and operations as needed in a small agency.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Skills:

• Exemplary listening, interpersonal communications, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Exemplary organizational skills and the ability to prioritize concurrent projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong skill/ability to supervise, support and resolve conflict with and between staff.
• Strong skill/ability to manage, organize, and properly document information.
• Strong skill/ability related to program/project/event management.
• Strong skill/ability with standard office products and diverse online systems.
• Strong decision-making skills and the determination to see projects through to the end while making necessary and sometimes difficult pivots when appropriate.

Knowledge:

• Practices and approaches related to equitable, asset-based public service.
• Practices and approaches related to (and differences between) equity, inclusion, and access in arts and culture-based service and engagement.
• Principles, practices, and techniques related to engagement strategies, intercultural communication, collaborative decision-making, consensus building, and facilitation.
• Arts and cultural disciplines, policy, history, and trends.
• Government and arts policy leadership and management.
• Operational structure of the nonprofit sector, nonprofit arts organizations, and other public services.
• Grantmaking and grant writing principles, methods, and techniques.

Ability to:

• Connect with, inform, and engage various publics in service of the Arts Commission’s mission.
• Build effective relationships with individuals, groups, and communities of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures.
• Effectively guide agency staff on grants, programs and services development and delivery.
• Learn about and navigate operational structures of local, state, tribal, and federal government.
• Manage competing priority tasks with efficiency and good judgment.

• Manage collaborative teams with respect and encouragement.
• Provide useful, timely, and sensitive customer service to diverse constituencies and authorizers.
• Show respect for professional, avocational, formal, and informal art forms and practices.
• Know when to ask for help, advice, and support.

Selective Preferences

• Bachelor’s degree in an arts discipline, arts administration, public policy, education, humanities, nonprofit administration, or related discipline
• 5 or more years of experience and/or training within a nonprofit organization, government agency, grantmaking organization, educational institution, research entity, or creative sector business
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Interested candidates should review the requirements and position responsibilities below. Applications must be submitted via https://azstatejobs.azdoa.gov/. Reference Requisition Identifier 530905.

Complete applications include: A) a cover letter not to exceed 2 pages, B) a resume or curriculum vitae, and C) names, titles and contact information for no fewer than 3 professional references including previous supervisors. Items A, B and C should be combined and submitted as one PDF. Please include your last name in the PDF file name.

Applications will be accepted through 11:59pm, Friday January 31, 2025. Not all applicants will receive a response.

The Arizona Commission on the Arts is an EOE/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer. During all phases of the selection process, applicants may request a reasonable accommodation, such as assistance applying online, a sign language interpreter, or alternative document formats, by contacting info@azarts.gov or 602-771-6502.