Chief Operating Officer for Mural Arts Advocates

Background

Mural Arts Advocates ("MAA") seeks to fill a newly created position of Chief Operating Officer ("COO"). MAA is a Pennsylvania Nonprofit corporation, qualified under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for the exclusive purpose of supporting and advancing the mission and programs of the Philadelphia Murals Arts Program ("MAP"). MAA operates pursuant to Bylaws which govern the nomination and election of its Board of Directors which serves without compensation.

Founded in 1984 by its current Executive Director, Jane Golden, MAP has facilitated the creation of nearly 3,000 murals throughout the City of Philadelphia, earning the City international recognition as American's "City of Murals." It is the nation's largest public arts initiative and the only public/private organization using mural making for community rejuvenation, education, youth engagement, behavior modification and crime prevention. Currently, through a combined permanent staff of approximately thirty committed professionals, MAP and MAA manage a wide and rich variety of targeted initiatives to enhance the City environment and experience for a diverse group of constituents, including thousands of youngsters engaged in its education programs. Opportunities for the creative growth of MAP are limited only by financial resources.

The Executive Director of MAP is an employee of the City of Philadelphia, and sets the agenda, vision and creative standards for the program. MAA executes most aspects of the programs designed by MAP, and engages in activities including, but not limited to, the following: strategic oversight and planning; fund raising and development; operations ranging from art education to producing community murals; contract administration and finance and accounting.

Reporting Structure

The COO is to be employed by and report to the President of the MAA, who in turn reports directly to the MAA Board of Directors. The President of the MAA is the Executive Director of MAP who currently serves without compensation from MAA. The other direct report to the President is the Director of Public Engagement (a.k.a. Development Director). The division directors of MAA, including the Program Directors for Education and Community Murals and Controller will report directly to the COO.

Key Responsibilities

The COO's key responsibilities are as follows:

• Financial reporting, accounting, budgeting, process controls, risk insurance and treasury management.
• Program coordination and compliance; contract negotiation and administration; grant negotiation and administration; and securing and complying with licenses and permits.
• Administration and operational activities required to support the organization, including all core activities such as mural making and education.
• Facilities and site maintenance which encompass MAP's newly expanded headquarter facility as well as numerous sites throughout the City of Philadelphia where MAP has installed major murals and public art.
• Human resources – payroll; performance reviews; hiring, advancements and terminations, all with the prior consent of the Executive Director of MAP.
• Interface on a daily basis with the Director of Public Engagement.

The COO's ultimate responsibility is to assure that each MAP project or program is fiscally sound, appropriate data is collected and reported, and each is compliant with MAP's obligation to multiple sponsors, grantors and contractors. To accomplish this goal, the COO must build and refine systems and infrastructure and attract and retain the key personnel required to have MAA fully support the mission of MAP.

Interactions

In order to facilitate and monitor program and project compliance throughout the organization, the COO will regularly interface with a variety of significant MAP relationships including the following:

• MAA's Executive Committee of the Board and Board Chair
• Legal advisors
• Strategic and planning consultants
• The Managing Directors Office of the City of Philadelphia
• High level funders, sponsors, and grantors
• Banking relationships, outside public accountants, risk management/insurance broker
• Various licensing and permitting authorities
• Artists, instructors and other vendors

Qualifications

A strong candidate must have:

• Excellent communications skills
• Contract negotiation and management skills
• Strong relationship management experience enabling effective interaction with a broad range of high level individuals from the public and private and not-for-profit sectors, as well as all levels of the MAP/MAA organizations.
• Strong planning, project management and organization skills
• Aptitude for learning quickly about a diverse set of new issues and organizations that require creative problem solving skills
• Solid direct experience with financial and data management.
• Ability to handle multiple and diverse tasks simultaneously
• Commitment to MAP's mission and high standards of conduct

Compensation and Benefits

MAA will offer a salary based on experience and skills, as well as a complete benefit package including employer-paid health and disability insurance.

All candidates should apply c/o:

City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center

1727-29 Mt. Vernon Street

Philadelphia, PA 19130

Attn: Mural Arts Advocates Recruiting Committee

Mural Arts Program, Art Education Department

Lead Art Instructors & Assistant Art Instructors – Big Picture

Description:

Mural Arts Program's Big Picture is an after school art education program that operates 15 locations throughout the city of Philadelphia. The program runs in three 10 week sessions in the school year starting in October 2008 and ending June 2009, three days a week, 3:00 – 6:00 pm. The summer session runs for 6 weeks starting in July 2009, five days a week, 9 am – 12 pm or 1 - 4pm.

Responsibilities:

Engage students in our curriculum which offers students the technical and creative foundation necessary to imagine, design, and create a mural. Lessons are designed with both short and long-term goals in mind, incorporating artistic and social history in addition to basic art processes; we encourage our students to reflect on themselves, their families and the communities in which they work and play.

Qualifications:

Big Picture instructors possess strong leadership skills, teaching experience, and the ability to manage a classroom of 15 students. Big Picture seeks to build safe spaces with and for the youth we serve, and our students' work demonstrates their capacity for thinking deeply and creating fearlessly. We are looking for individuals excited about the opportunity to collaborate with youth, muralists, and other educators in a context that demands flexibility, innovation, and enthusiasm. Applicants will have an arts background, teaching/mentoring experience with at-risk middle and high school students, and an appreciation for working in partnership with multiple communities. Applicants must demonstrate the organizational skills necessary for managing paperwork and correspondence between site locations and Big Picture staff.

School Year Hours (Three Days a Week): 3:00 – 6:00 pm.

Summer Hours (Five Days a Week): 9:00 - 12:00 pm or 1:00 - 4:00pm

To Apply:

Send cover letter, resume and samples of artwork to Mural Art Program, attn: Big Picture Program, 1729 Mt. Vernon Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130 or fax to 215-685-0757 or email to rodney.camarce@muralarts.org. No phone calls please.

All Mural Arts educators are required to submit a PA Child Abuse Report, PA Criminal Background Check, and FBI Background Check upon 30 days of hire. A provisional clearance is required prior to beginning work.

Art Instructor - Mural Corps

Description: Mural Arts Program's Mural Corps is an after school art education program that operates in 8 locations throughout the city of Philadelphia. This program is a rigorous mural painting and art education program for teens. The art instructor is viewed as a mentor to the students, sharing their training and sensibility with the youth (class ratio of 10 to 1).

The Fall, Winter and Spring programs run in three 10 week sessions, two days a week, 3:30 – 6:30 pm starting October 6, 2008 and running though June 2009. The Summer session runs for 6 weeks, July to mid-August 2008, five half days a week.

Mural Corps Instructors must have a degree in Art or Art Education, have some experience painting murals, possess strong leadership and classroom management skills, teaching experience, and a desire to work with teens.

Instructor Salary: $25/hour

To apply, email the following items in one folder:

• cover letter
• current resume
• 10-20 images, jpeg files at 72 dpi, with the images' longest dimension not exceeding 700 pixels. Each file should be labeled as follows: imagenumberyourfirstinitiallastname.jpeg. Example: 01_jdoe.jpeg, 02_jdoe.jpeg
• corresponding image list with the following information: image number, title, medium, size and date.

Send to Louise Radochonski, louise.radochonski@muralarts.org. No phone calls, no hardcopies.

All Mural Art educators are required to have a PA Child Abuse Report and PA Criminal Background Check upon 30 days of hire.

Deadline: September 15, 2008

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

The Mural Arts Program is always seeking dedicated individuals to volunteer their time. If you have a few hours on a consistent basis or if you only have time to help with an event once in a while, we could use your help. Opportunities exist for artists (great learning experience and way of gaining solid mural-making experience), office assistants, and event assistants. If you are interested, please let us know your hours of availability and what type of work you are interested in. You can email us at info@muralarts.org or send a completed Volunteer Application http://www.muralarts.org/pdf/vol-app.pdf

to:

Volunteer Opportunities

Philadelphia Mural Arts Program

1729 Mt. Vernon Street

Philadelphia, PA 19130

Thank you!

Mural Tour Docents

Do you love the murals in Philadelphia? Do you wow your friends and family with your knowledge of Philadelphia when they visit you? Then become a Mural Arts Program Mural Tour Docent! Mural Tour Docents are volunteers with a love of public art who explain the murals, the processes in which they are made, and information about the neighborhoods where they are. Join us for our 2008 season! We can be flexible with your schedule, as tours run 7 days a week during daylight hours. You can do as little as one tour a month, or as much as three or more. No experience necessary, though tour guide experience is certainly a plus! Training will be held on Thursday, January 24 at 6pm at the Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center at the Thomas Eakins House. For information, please call 215-685-0754 or email tours@muralarts.org.

The Mural Arts Advocates is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MAA and MAP do not discriminate in hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age sexual orientation, marital or familial status, national origin, non-job related disability, or status as a veteran.