SUMMARY

A part-time position reporting to the Senior Director of Education and working in concert with SPARC’s Executive Director and Director of Development. The New Voices Program Director is responsible for planning and executing of the annual New Voices for the Theater program.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide leadership and supervision of the Playwright in Residence, Program Manager, Program Assistant, and all members of the festival company (both paid and volunteer).
2. Lead the search, recruitment, interviewing, and hiring of the professional Playwright In Residence.
3. Assist/supervise the Program Manager with the facilitation of the collection and distribution of submitted works as needed during the submission period.
4. Work in concert with the Playwright in Residence to review final drafts and final selections of student plays.
5. Conduct regular and timely correspondence and coordination with all parties involved in the New Voices Program, including all SPARC personnel, New Voices staff, students and parents, professional directors and actors within the Richmond Community.
6. Make arrangements for room, board, and transportation for student playwrights in residence, with the support of the Program Manager.
7. Secure adequate space for instruction, workshops, rehearsals and performance.
8. Lead marketing of the program for student participation and public attendance of the final festival, with the support of SPARC’s Director of Marketing.
9. Keep all files and planning updated on the SPARC server and accessible by SPARC staff at any time on a continual basis throughout the year.
10. Completion of a final report of the program by July 31, 2019.
11. Other duties as assigned by the Senior Director of Education or Executive Director.

QUALIFICATIONS

Personality:

• Student focus. Our ideal candidate has a strong student focus, putting their learning, enjoyment, and safety above all else.
• Positive attitude. Our team succeeds when all members have a can-do spirit, are fun to be around, and do not complain, make excuses, or gossip.
• Self-starter, self-manager. We need someone who takes initiative, anticipates needs, and gets things done on time.
• Detail oriented. There are many moving pieces in SPARC, and we need someone who makes complex things seem simple.
• Positive communicator. We want someone who can be counted on to focus on the positive, inspire the team, value his/her colleagues, and have enthusiasm for representing SPARC to groups large and small (including brief public remarks).
• Trustworthy. Our team and constituents need to be able to count on the follow-through and responsiveness of the person in this role.
• Decisive. Though senior leadership is always available to support you with sensitive problems, we need someone comfortable making decisions and judgment calls.
• Adaptive. We need someone who is able to handle unexpected situations in stride, work with multiple personalities and who is prepared and capable to step in for a member of his/her team at a moment’s notice.
• Committed to excellence. We give our students, families, faculty, and the community a “wow experience” with SPARC at every opportunity.

Professional:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience: At least 3 years’ direct teaching experience in performing arts education. Prior experience administering educational programs, especially in playwriting, a plus.
• Artistic and Creative: Experience with playwriting, and with working with professional actors, directors, and production teams.
• Technical: Advanced skills with Microsoft Office.
• Transportation: Possesses a car, valid driver’s license, and acceptable driving record.
• Enthusiasm for details, organization, and deadlines.
• Experience with or significant knowledge of SPARC’s programming and core values.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable.

ANTICIPATED ANNUAL SCHEDULE

TO APPLY

To apply, please submit the following materials to swermus@sparconline.org by September 17, 2018:

• Cover letter and PDF of your resume
• Writing sample
• Contact information for personal and professional references

If you’re not a candidate for this position, please share it with others who you think might be a good fit!