- Salary
- $90k – $110k/yr
- Location
- Jersey City, NJ, NJ, US
- Type
- Full-time
- Seniority
- Director
- Education
- Bachelor
- Source
- GovernmentJobs
Description
Department: Office of Cultural Affairs
Reports To: Mayor / Mayor's Office
The Director of Cultural Affairs provides executive leadership for the City's Office of Cultural Affairs and serves as the City's senior leader for arts, culture, cultural policy, public programming, and community cultural development.
The Director is responsible for developing and implementing the City's cultural strategy; overseeing a diverse portfolio of public programs, events, grants, and cultural initiatives; managing relationships with artists, cultural organizations, community groups, institutions, elected officials, philanthropic partners, and City departments; and ensuring the effective administration of the Office's programs and resources.
The position combines cultural leadership, public-sector management, grantmaking, event production, policy development, community engagement, partnership development, budget management, and cross-departmental coordination.
The Director oversees an office responsible for hundreds of cultural events and activities annually and serves as a primary liaison between Jersey City's cultural community and municipal government.
1. Executive Leadership & Strategic Direction- Provide vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the Office of Cultural Affairs.
- Develop and implement short- and long-term cultural policies, initiatives, and priorities for the City.
- Advise the Mayor and senior administration on arts, culture, cultural development, public programming, and related policy matters.
- Establish departmental priorities, performance goals, and operational strategies.
- Oversee the development and implementation of annual and multi-year cultural plans.
- Represent the City at public meetings, cultural events, conferences, panels, and other civic and professional forums.
- Identify emerging opportunities and challenges affecting Jersey City's cultural sector.
- Ensure that Cultural Affairs programs reflect the City's diverse communities and cultural landscape.
- Lead and manage the Office of Cultural Affairs, including full-time, part-time, seasonal, and contracted personnel.
- Establish clear staff responsibilities, workflows, performance expectations, and accountability structures.
- Supervise operations and ensure effective use of staff and financial resources.
- Develop policies and procedures to improve departmental efficiency and service delivery.
- Manage competing priorities across a large and diverse portfolio of programs.
- Foster a collaborative, professional, and inclusive departmental culture.
- Identify staffing, technology, equipment, and resource needs.
- Develop and maintain systems for institutional knowledge, documentation, and continuity.
- Develop, manage, and monitor the Office's annual operating budget.
- Oversee expenditures, contracts, purchasing, procurement, and financial compliance.
- Allocate resources across programs based on strategic priorities and available funding.
- Monitor program budgets and financial performance.
- Work with Finance, Purchasing, Law, and other City departments to ensure compliance with municipal requirements.
- Identify opportunities to leverage City resources through external funding and partnerships.
- Prepare budget requests, justifications, presentations, and responses for the administration and governing bodies.
- Ensure that programming commitments are aligned with available financial and operational resources.
- Oversee the City's Arts & Culture Trust Fund and related grantmaking programs.
- Develop grantmaking strategies that support the City's cultural ecosystem and address community needs.
- Oversee application, review, award, contracting, payment, and reporting processes.
- Maintain transparent and equitable grant review procedures.
- Recruit and manage independent grant review panels.
- Establish reviewer training and evaluation procedures.
- Expand access to grant opportunities through multilingual outreach, technical assistance, webinars, and community engagement.
- Monitor grant compliance and evaluate program outcomes.
- Develop relationships with artists, cultural organizations, and other grant applicants.
- Identify opportunities to expand public and private funding for the City's cultural sector.
- Oversee the City's cultural programming portfolio, including performances, festivals, exhibitions, concerts, film programs, community events, and other public activities.
- Provide executive oversight of major City-sponsored events and cultural initiatives.
- Oversee planning, production, staffing, permitting, contracting, artist management, logistics, public safety coordination, accessibility, and post-event evaluation.
- Manage large-scale public events involving significant attendance and complex operational requirements.
- Ensure that programming is high-quality, accessible, culturally responsive, and aligned with City priorities.
- Develop relationships with artists, producers, presenters, venues, and cultural institutions.
- Establish appropriate standards for event production, safety, accessibility, and community impact.
The Office oversees, permits, and/or coordinates 400+ events and performances annually, requiring significant coordination across City departments and external stakeholders.
- Oversee the City's cultural and community event permitting function.
- Serve as a primary liaison between event organizers and City departments involved in event review and approval.
- Coordinate with Police, Fire, Health, Public Works, Transportation, Economic Development, Parks, Law, Risk Management, and other relevant departments.
- Identify and resolve interdepartmental issues that affect event applicants.
- Monitor changes to departmental policies, fees, staffing requirements, and procedures that affect cultural and community events.
- Advocate for an efficient, transparent, and accessible permitting process.
- Balance community expectations with public safety, regulatory, operational, and financial requirements.
- Establish effective communication and escalation procedures for complex events.
- Provide leadership for municipal public art initiatives and policies.
- Oversee the Jersey City Mural Arts Program and other public art initiatives.
- Develop partnerships with artists, property owners, institutions, community organizations, and public agencies.
- Establish appropriate processes for artist selection, commissioning, site development, contracting, installation, maintenance, and documentation.
- Support the development of cultural infrastructure and long-term cultural assets.
- Lead or support cultural planning initiatives that inform the City's future cultural strategy.
- Serve as a senior point of contact for Jersey City's arts, cultural, and community sectors.
- Maintain relationships with neighborhood organizations, cultural groups, artists, residents, schools, and community leaders.
- Respond to constituent and community concerns related to cultural programming and City services.
- Attend community meetings as needed, and provide information regarding City programs and resources.
- Ensure that Cultural Affairs programs are accessible to residents across neighborhoods and demographic groups.
- Develop outreach strategies to communities that may be underrepresented in City cultural programs or grantmaking.
- Develop and maintain partnerships with cultural institutions, universities, foundations, corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
- Identify and pursue philanthropic, state, federal, and other external funding opportunities.
- Prepare or oversee grant proposals, partnership agreements, sponsorship opportunities, and funding requests.
- Cultivate relationships with funders and institutional partners.
- Leverage public and private resources to expand the City's cultural offerings.
- Represent the City in regional, state, and national cultural networks.
- Advise City leadership on proposed legislation, ordinances, policies, and initiatives affecting arts and culture.
- Review proposed legislation for operational, financial, and programmatic impacts on Cultural Affairs.
- Work with the Law Department and other departments to develop policies and procedures that affect cultural programming and events.
- Provide testimony, briefings, reports, and recommendations to the Mayor, City Council, and other governmental bodies.
- Ensure that legislation and administrative policies appropriately reflect the operational realities of the Office and the cultural community it serves.
- Serve as a public spokesperson and representative for the Office as appropriate.
- Work with the City's Communications team on public announcements, press releases, campaigns, and major initiatives.
- Develop messaging around cultural programs, grants, events, and policy initiatives.
- Represent the Office at public events, press conferences, conferences, panels, and community meetings.
- Prepare presentations, speeches, reports, briefing documents, and public remarks.
- Communicate complex municipal processes and policies clearly to artists, organizations, residents, and community stakeholders.
- Establish systems for measuring program effectiveness, attendance, community participation, economic impact, and other relevant outcomes.
- Use qualitative and quantitative data to inform program development and resource allocation.
- Oversee collection and analysis of program data.
- Prepare annual reports, grant reports, presentations, and other performance documentation.
- Use evaluation findings to strengthen programs and demonstrate the impact of public investment in arts and culture.
The position requires demonstrated expertise in several intersecting areas:
- Arts administration
- Municipal government
- Cultural policy
- Grantmaking
- Nonprofit and public-sector management
- Public programming
- Large-scale event production
- Public art
- Community engagement
- Budget and financial management
- Fund development
- Partnership development
- Interdepartmental coordination
- Contract and vendor management
- Government relations
- Communications
- Program evaluation
Leadership
Ability to establish a clear vision, manage complex operations, build strong teams, and make sound decisions in a highly visible public environment.
Cultural ExpertiseDeep understanding of the arts and cultural sector and the role that cultural activity plays in community development, economic development, civic identity, and quality of life.
Public-Sector ManagementAbility to navigate municipal systems, regulations, procurement, budgets, legislation, public accountability, and interdepartmental processes.
Relationship ManagementExceptional ability to build and maintain relationships with artists, community members, cultural organizations, elected officials, City departments, funders, institutions, and other stakeholders.
Project & Event ManagementAbility to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders, deadlines, budgets, vendors, permits, and operational requirements.
CommunicationExcellent written, verbal, diplomatic, and public communication skills.
Problem SolvingAbility to identify operational challenges, mediate competing interests, develop creative solutions, and make decisions under pressure.
Equity & AccessibilityCommitment to ensuring that public cultural resources, programs, and opportunities are accessible and responsive to the City's diverse communities.
Typical Scope of ResponsibilityThe Director's portfolio includes responsibility for:
- A municipal cultural affairs office
- Major citywide festivals and public events
- Municipal arts and culture grantmaking
- A multi-million-dollar Arts & Culture Trust Fund
- Public art and mural initiatives
- Community cultural programming
- Event permitting and interdepartmental coordination
- External partnerships and fundraising
- Cultural policy and planning
- Staff and seasonal personnel
- Operating and program budgets
- Relationships with hundreds of artists, organizations, community groups, and cultural stakeholders
- Bachelor's degree in arts administration, public administration, nonprofit management, cultural policy, business administration, or a related field
- Significant professional experience in arts administration, cultural affairs, nonprofit management, public-sector management, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience managing staff, budgets, programs, and complex projects.
- Demonstrated experience working with artists, cultural organizations, community stakeholders, and/or public agencies.
- Experience developing and managing partnerships and external funding.
- Experience with public programming, event production, grantmaking, or cultural policy.
- Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Equivalent combinations of education and professional experience may be considered.
The Director works in a highly dynamic public-sector environment in which priorities can change rapidly. The position requires regular interaction with elected officials, City leadership, community stakeholders, artists, cultural organizations, residents, and other government agencies.
The position requires flexibility to attend evening and weekend events, meetings, performances, festivals, and community programs as necessary.
The Director must be comfortable operating simultaneously at the strategic, administrative, political, community, and operational levels.
Position ImpactThe Director of Cultural Affairs has a direct role in shaping the City's cultural identity, supporting its creative economy, expanding access to arts and culture, strengthening cultural organizations and artists, and creating opportunities for residents and visitors to participate in civic and cultural life.
The position combines policy and strategy with hands-on execution. Success requires not only an understanding of the arts and cultural sector, but also the ability to navigate municipal government, manage complex public events, administer public funds, build partnerships, and translate community needs into effective City programs.
This is a Civil Service Job and you must eventually pass and qualify for the applicable Civil Service title.
To apply for this job with the City of Jersey City, please fill out our Employment Application.
