Founded in 1999, Cool Culture is a New York City based nonprofit that seeks to amplify the voices of families and strengthen the power of historically marginalized communities through engagement with art and culture, both within cultural institutions and beyond. The organization currently partners with 50,000 diverse families, more than 400 Early Childhood Centers and Department of Education schools, and 90 cultural institutions in New York City. Through this collaboration, Cool Culture promotes arts and culture as a means to build awareness and inclusion, strengthen family engagement and early childhood education, and activate leadership in our communities.

We are a small and resourceful team that wear multiple hats, understand the importance of being agile and nimble in achieving our mission, and seek clear direction while also being comfortable with ambiguity.

ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS

Cool Culture programs operate at the citywide and neighborhood level. We support a network of families, early childhood centers, Title I schools, cultural institutions and artists in cultivating storytelling, relationship building, and healing through arts and culture. We believe the exchange of individual diverse stories provides a larger narrative for addressing systemic inequities.

Our CityWide Programs bring together a unique network and innovative programming for families that affirms NYC’s diverse cultures and increases participation in the arts and culture, and include Family Pass (free access to 90 cultural institutions for families with children preK to the 1st grade), Bring the Cool family festivals, Cool Pops (pop ups at museums), Virtual Tours, and a forthcoming digital app.

Our We Are All Curators suite of programs harness the power of the arts and culture to: 1) to lift up the curator in all of us by making meaning through creative expressions, to critique dominant narratives and conditions impacting families and their communities, and to support families and partners in activating creativity for justice.

The Program Manager, CityWide Initiatives serves as liaison between our early childhood centers and school partners, supporting program enrollment, and family registration for our Family Pass program, our central means for engaging 50,000 families in New York City’s dynamic art and cultural landscape. The Program Manager also serves as a liaison between the organization and our museum partners,  by creating systems to support partnership, as well as the collection of data about families’ visitation experiences. Informed by regular dialogue with our various partners to learn about their interests and capacities, the Program Manager helps with program design, implementation, communications, and development of an exciting new digital app.

The Program Manager, CityWide Initiatives will temporarily report to the Director of Programs as we hire for a new position, Director of Citywide Programs, and works with the Program Coordinator to: 1) effectively design, implement and manage all aspects of annual school enrollment and family registration that includes enrollment criteria, technical processes, distribution, and payment; 2) amass knowledge about and regularly gather information from our partners and other early childhood centers, schools, cultural institutions to enhance family access and experiences (includes documenting visitations/experiences at museums); 3) help analyze and report emergent learnings to provide recommendations for project sustainability and increased pass usage; 4) continually identify opportunities for achieving our social justice through art and culture.

Collaborating with all members of the Program Team, the Program Manager, CityWide Initiatives supports our Family Festivals and other museum and community activities. They also work with Development and Communications as necessary to enhance funding opportunities, outreach and messaging.

WHO YOU ARE

• You have at least 4 years experience effectively managing project implementation in the nonprofit sector, innovating to strengthen projects, and juggling multiple responsibilities, priorities and deadlines
• You have an excellent command of Microsoft Office and/or Google Apps (spreadsheets, organization, and data is your happy place), familiarity with Canva, Adobe suite or other design software is a plus
• You have strong oral and written communication skills – proficiency/fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Mandarin/Cantonese is a plus
• You are attentive to detail, proactive and entrepreneurial
• You have  a well-honed analysis of issues of equity, structural racism and patriarchy and your  own privileges, and experience partnering with BIPOC communities
• You enjoy working in an environment that privileges collaboration and interdependence over hierarchical structures and autonomy
• You are adaptable, responsive, proactive, and comfortable with change
• You are comfortable with embracing the ethos that good ideas can come from anyone.
• You have have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• A working knowledge of family engagement,  NYC public schools, early childhood care centers and its art and cultural landscape is a plus

This full time position is open until filled. The salary range for this role is 45-55k and commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package included. Currently remote due to COVID restrictions. Offices are at 80 Hanson Place, Suite 605, Brooklyn, NY 11217.

• Please email hr@coolculture.org with the subject line “Program Manager, CityWide Initiatives (Your Name)”
• Include as attachment(s), your resume and answers to the application questions below. Number your responses according to the question number and please limit your response to 200 words each.

1. Briefly tell us about a time when you managed a large-scale program or project and brought improvements to the operations. What was your process and what led to its success?
2. Tell us about how you work with others. What is your approach to collaboration, what do you find challenging, and how do you exchange feedback?
3. In what ways have you worked to address issues of equity, structural racism and patriarchy, as well as your own privilege,  in your work practices and products?
4. Why are you interested in working with an organization seeking to “amplify the voices of families and strengthen the power of historically marginalized communities through engagement with art and culture, both within cultural institutions and beyond.”