Rosie’s Theater Kids is an arts education organization founded in 2003 by Rosie O’Donnell and Lori Klinger that serves students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience theater, positively changing the trajectory of their lives by providing comprehensive classes in music, dance, and drama as well as thoughtful mentoring and structured academic guidance. Through its in-school, after-school, and summer programs, RTKids reaches over 1,500 New York City public school students each year and has taught musical theater to over 25,000 students since its founding.

Reporting to both the organization’s Arts Plus and ACTE II Program Manager and the Director of External Relations, the Program & Development Assistant supports the RTKids team and its students by carrying out important programmatic and fundraising tasks and functions to help ensure the smooth operation of our organization. This position offers deep learning about the inner workings of a busy nonprofit, an opportunity for growth and advancement within the organization, and the unique experience of interfacing with all stakeholders, including Board Members, donors, organizational leadership, staff, teachers, and students and their families.

As the organization enters its 20^th year, it seeks an enthusiastic full-time Program & Development Assistant to support the work of the Program and Development Departments as well as other members of the RTKids team at its five-story home, the Maravel Arts Center, in the heart of New York’s Theater District. During the school year, the person in this position will work in-person from 11:00am – 7:00pm ET Tuesday-Friday and 8:30am-4:30pm ET on Saturday, and 10:00am – 6:00pm ET Monday-Friday during the summer.

Responsibilities

Program Management & Administration (60%)

• Maintain student attendance records, contact files, registration documents, and annual fee records for all students
• Assist with fitting, maintaining, and organizing dance clothes, shoes, and class-related supplies
• Be on site for ACTE II classes and rehearsals, and assist students before and after classes and at rehearsals as needed
• Ensure that students follow proper check-in and dismissal procedures
• Monitor student participation in set-up, restoration, and clean-up of studios and common areas before and after classes
• Organize, chaperone, and oversee field trips, including permission slips, tickets to Broadway and off-Broadway shows, and other offsite activities; assist with any travel and residency programs
• Assist and support student auditions, projects, discussions, and performances and all other special events, including set-up, student supervision, and post-event restoration
• Purchase and maintain food in the student café, supplies in the first aid kit, hygiene supplies, and office supplies in the ACTE II office, and organize items in the lost and found

Development (30%)

• Provide administrative support to the Director of External Relations, including with respect to Board relations and the successful management of quarterly Board Meetings
• Conduct and organize research of individual and institutional prospective donors and support current donor engagement and stewardship
• Create and maintain updated documents for grant proposals, including, but not limited to, budgets and documents that display organizational and programmatic statistics and facts
• Assist with meetings, site visits and building tours with donors and other visitors
• Maintain the donor database in Salesforce, managing comprehensive tracking notes, proposal submissions, letters sent and received, phone calls made, gifts and grants received, and generating acknowledgement letters to all donors
• Assist in planning and executing special events for donor cultivation and fundraising throughout the year; support the planning of RTKids’ annual Passing It On Gala by attending regular meetings, providing input, and acting as an additional contact for backstage, onstage, and house logistics

Communications (10%)

• Assist in the maintenance of social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter) to generate regular content and grow audience
• Maintain updated press kits and materials
• Support Director of External Relations and staff with website redesign and ongoing web maintenance

Qualifications

Skills & Abilities

• Conversational or fluent in Spanish (preferred) or Chinese
• Resourceful with excellent written, verbal, analytical, and organizational skills
• Establishes goals, clarifies tasks, and plans work to accomplish desired results in a timely fashion with attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build, sustain, and deepen relationships with RTKids Board Members, staff, donors, families, and students
• Flexibility, a sense of humor, and the ability to multi-task the demands of a busy nonprofit organization
• Fluidity with technology and all Microsoft and Google applications; proficiency with Salesforce database a plus

Education, Experience & Knowledge

• A college degree or associate degree is required
• Experience in arts education and a deep respect for young people
• Desire to learn and grow, both as an individual and as part of an organization, and to learn and apply diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism principles to all work and interactions

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $45,000 to $48,000 depending on experience.

RTKids’ compensation package includes a medical plan for staff and their qualified dependents, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, a 403(b) plan with an employer contribution after one year of service, and generous paid time off-off policies.

Please email a cover letter and resume addressed to Lauren Wessler, Director of External Relations, at lauren@rosiestheaterkids.org. Candidates should highlight language skills and any personal and professional connections to the student population served by RTKids. Those interested are encouraged to apply as quickly as possible as applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Only those scheduled for interviews will be contacted, no phone calls please.

Rosie’s Theater Kids’ headquarters is in Hell’s Kitchen and currently employs a full-time in-person approach to working on site. All RTKids employees are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Successful employment is dependent upon a thorough background check.