The Ontario Arts Council is a publicly funded agency of Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. OAC’s primary purpose is to award grants to professional artists and arts organizations.
Competition numbers: 3-19 (Dance) & 4-19 (Theatre)
Deadline date for submissions: October 2, 2019 at 5pm
Affiliation: Unionized
Remuneration: $69,120 - $103,679
The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is inviting applications for two Program Officer positions, one specialized in Dance and one for Theatre, to manage granting programs that fund individual artists, arts groups, and arts organizations. Both positions would also be responsible for other multi-disciplinary granting programs such as Touring and Market Development.
These are interesting opportunities for accomplished mid to senior level arts professionals to apply their arts administration experience and broad arts discipline knowledge and understanding to support the advancement of the field through OAC’s granting programs, and lead the development, oversight and administration, of assigned granting programs.
Your leadership, combined with an innovative and thoughtful approach regarding the diverse needs of Ontario’s Dance or Theatre communities, enables you to act as a critical link between them and the OAC.
Key Responsibilities:
- Responsible for applicant granting support, feedback and consultation; communicate program goals, priorities, principles and strategies; provide information and advice on programs and the application process
- Manage, develop and provide administrative oversight of the assigned granting programs
- Guide the granting process, including review of applications, selection of assessors, conduct assessment meetings, prepare oral presentations and written grant recommendations and reports, and communicate results
- Facilitate the peer-assessment grant review meetings
- Plan, manage and administer program budgets and program workflow, and supervise associated staff
- Handle, in conjunction with the Director of Granting, any issues and concerns
- Develop and maintain relationships with arts communities, organizations, funders and partners
- Identify needs of specified or discipline specific artists and arts organizations, provide input into related strategies and policies, and support the implementation of programs and services in response to those needs
- Engage in consultation around the assigned grant programs to determine continued relevance to identified needs
- Conduct outreach and development for the arts communities represented by the assigned granting programs
- Provide support to various programs when Officers require additional assistance due to absences, work on special projects, and high-volume periods
- Work occasional overtime, attend events on evenings and weekends and travel to different regions in Ontario to meet with artists and arts organizations to build awareness of OAC programs, and provide hands-on training on the granting process
Key Qualifications:
- A minimum of 5 years’ mid-to-senior level arts administration experience in a theatre and/or dance organization.
- A post-secondary education in the arts or an equivalent combination of professional experience and education related to the responsibilities is required
- Sound knowledge and understanding of the trends and key issues in Dance or Theatre in Ontario, and an existing broad network of individual artists and arts organizations
- Multidisciplinary arts knowledge and experience working directly with artists and arts organizations of different disciplines
- Proven ability to provide direction and leadership in the implementation of arts development strategies, programs and initiatives
- Experience and knowledge in grant writing and public funding systems
- Experience facilitating group decision making processes
- Excellent and effective oral and written communication and presentation skills in English; with knowledge of French, ASL or other languages an asset
- Practical financial knowledge and direct experience with project and arts organization operating budgets
- Successful experience supervising and overseeing project plans and the workflow of staff
- Solid organizational and administrative practices and the ability to multi-task
- Excellent interpersonal, and consultative skills
- Sound judgement, initiative and flexibility
- Good teamwork skills and able to work collaboratively with a diverse set of individuals internally and externally
- Advanced computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Willingness and ability to work occasional overtime and to travel throughout Ontario on a regular basis, as required
- A valid driver’s license is preferred
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and resume by 5 p.m. (please note that applications that do not include a cover letter will not be considered):
