Director Office of Arts & Innovation (Student Affairs, Student Engagement)

We are seeking a Director of the Office for Arts and Innovation (OAI) who will be responsible for curating, creating, and executing co-curricular artistic activities across the Homewood Campus and beyond. This position oversees and advises all co-curricular student arts organizations (approx. 60), Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, and the Digital Creative Media Center. OAI supports student engagement across all co-curricular arts genres including dance, a cappella and vocal arts, theater, visual arts, and instrumental ensembles. In addition to implementation and effective management of co-curricular arts activities at the Homewood Campus, the Director is an active collaborator across the Hopkins enterprise in identifying and executing arts engagement opportunities that involve Homewood students and serve the Hopkins enterprise. The director will also be active in fundraising for arts programming in addition to providing fundraising opportunities and training for student organizations, and will be responsible for all corresponding departmental budgets.

The director will be responsible for creating and communicating a comprehensive array of art programs and creative student engagement that enhance the JHU undergraduate experience, provide opportunities for student learning and engagement, and create a sense of affinity and belonging for students. These services will augment and complement the academic mission of the university. The OAI director reports to the Deputy for Student Engagement and directly supervises professional staff for Hopkins Symphony, the Creative Media Center, a theater manager, a budget specialist, and part-time ensemble directors (4).

OAI is housed in Student Affairs on the Homewood campus. Evening and weekend hours are expected and required.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Initiatives and Assessment (25%)

• Create and oversee a compelling long-term strategic vision that unifies the arts, including arts spaces, student programs, and student arts leaders, that builds community engagement.
• Conduct and coordinate comprehensive assessments of departmental initiatives that support data-driven recommendations.
• Assess campus community interest and needs, resources, and national trends in the arts.
• Collaborate effectively with many different groups: students, faculty, staff, orchestra advisory board, vendors, guest artists, local and national arts administrators.
• Oversee the purchase, use, and repair of all co-curricular arts equipment across the Homewood campus and in corresponding arts facilities, including all co-curricular theatrical performance facilities, 8 individual practice rooms, and rehearsal spaces. Coordinate with colleagues for facilities work orders/maintenance for Student Center and other arts spaces.
• Manage and oversee curation of the Student Center art wall with rotating exhibits of student art, selected by JHU students and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with faculty in academic arts departments across campus and the entire JHU enterprise, including the Provost’s Office of Arts, Film & Media studies, Program for Visual Arts, Music theory, Theater and Writing Seminars, Peabody, International Arts + Mind Lab, Fast Forward U, Centers for Diversity and Inclusion, and more.

Advising and Oversight (25%)

• Provide leadership, mentorship, and effective guidance and advising for co-curricular student arts groups and student leaders in the Office for Arts and Innovation, including dance, music, a cappella, theatre, comedy, and visual arts.
• Oversee Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, comprised of students, staff, faculty, and community members.
• Oversee of the Creative Media Center, including full-time staff, student employees, and cross-campus partners.
• Produce annual special events such as Orientation a cappella and dance concerts, Family Weekend Show, Peabody/Homewood double degree recital, multi-group a cappella & dance concerts, and guest artist performances and workshops.
• Manage the HopArt Program for undergraduates.
• Partner with Leadership Engagement and Experiential Development, Hopkins Student Centers, Student Engagement, Events & Scheduling Services, and Campus Safety to ensure proper policy enforcement & safety for student events.
• Convene regular meetings and programming for the Peabody/Homewood dual-degree cohort, supporting student needs and connecting with university resources.
• Create, manage, and run Pre-Orientation programs for the Office of Arts and Innovation and the CDMC.

Policy Development and Management (20%)

• Work with student groups, professional staff, colleagues, and departments across campus to develop a cohesive approach to arts programming, contributing to annual programming calendars and optimal flow of events throughout the year.
• Review and manage all entertainment and purchasing contracts for Office for Arts and Innovation guest artists with JHU Purchasing and oversee management of contract best practices with student organizations.
• Create and oversee policies for and management of practice rooms, including student staffing and supervision, in collaboration with Hopkins Student Centers staff.
• Market programs and services that reach the diverse constituencies of the campus community.
• Work with other Student Engagement directors to develop a cohesive team approach to student engagement, student and program development, and event support involving arts programs.
• Serve on university committees as needed, including the Arts Innovation Grants, Sudler Arts Prize and Homewood Arts Task Force.

Supervision and Management (20%)

• Responsible for supervision, coaching, mentoring and performance management of staff, detailed above.
• Develop and monitor budgets for Office of Arts and Innovation, Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, and the Creative Media Center, including corresponding gift and endowment accounts.
• Submit annual budget requests as appropriate to advance the vision and strategic goals of the institution.
• Develops arts programming schedule that targets and ensures expected revenue projections.
• Oversee and assist with all programming from areas above (approximately 75 events each semester).

Publications and Website Maintenance (5%)

• Create, update, and maintain websites to include resources, event information, etc.
• Develop methods of communications for virtual and in-person programs including printed and digital resources.

Other duties as assigned (5%)

• Serve on committees as assigned.
• Represent the office for open houses and orientations, speaking on arts at Hopkins.
• Serve on leadership team for Student Engagement.
• Serve as a member of the Student Expression Support team and support and advise students and student organizations on engaging in free expression in alignment with university policies and practices.

Required Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities

• Knowledge of practices and important issues in multiple art forms, including vocal and instrumental music, dance, comedy, theatre, and visual arts.
• Able to demonstrate a student-centered philosophy with a genuine interest and commitment to the success of all students through co-curricular activities.
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize, complete multiple complex projects simultaneously, solve problems, and foster collaboration.
• Strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Knowledge of academic, social, and cultural transitions that first-year students face.
• Proficient in stage management, technical theatre, marketing, grant writing, legal issues, and fundraising.
• Ability to develop and implement short- and long-range plans to meet program needs.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate operations and develop and implement corrective action to resolve problems.
• Demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Knowledge of website management and online event and ticketing platforms.
• Experience working with college students in the performing arts is highly desired.
• Experience working with a diverse student body.

About JHU

The Johns Hopkins University was America’s first research university, founded for the express purpose of expanding knowledge and putting that knowledge to work for the good of humanity. Today, Johns Hopkins has approximately 6,500 faculty, 6,200 undergraduate students, and 17,600 graduate students across 230-degree programs at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. JHU has multiple campuses in Baltimore and campuses serving graduate students in DC, Italy, and China. Johns Hopkins stands alone among top research universities in its extraordinary commitment of attention and resources to ensuring student success and particularly those from first-generation or limited income (FLI) backgrounds, making bold, sustained, and dramatic investments in the student experience over the last 15 years.

Student Affairs at JHU

Student Affairs on the Homewood campus is made up of 23 departments ranging from Residential Life, Dining, Athletics and Campus Recreation, to Student Engagement, Student Conduct, Student Transitions and Family Programs, Center for Student Success, Center for Social Concern, and University Student Services administrative units like Human Resources, IT, and Communications.

Student Affairs at Johns Hopkins educates beyond the classroom, helping students to deepen their self-awareness, develop relationships, nurture inclusion, and find fulfillment in the collegiate experience to ensure lifelong success and meaningful contributions to our global community. Our culture is defined by our commitment to the “Aspirations for Student Learning,” which play a critical role in helping us fulfill our mission. We challenge, encourage, and support students to:

• Live with curiosity
• Deepen self-awareness
• Engage in meaningful collaboration
• Grow in confidence
• Practice responsible leadership

Student Affairs enjoys a close relationship with Academic Affairs at JHU, and with shared responsibility for delivering on one of the University’s highest priorities: ensuring that highly talented students from a wide range of backgrounds, regardless of their ability to pay, thrive during and after their time at JHU. We work closely with our colleagues in Student Health and Well-Being, Academic Affairs, Integrated Learning and Life Design, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to ensure students can take full advantage of all that JHU has to offer.

Our team is seeking student-centered, success-oriented professionals who want to make a difference in students’ lives. Ideal candidates in Student Affairs are curious, solution-seeking, have a can-do attitude, and are committed to the dignity and equity of all persons. If you enjoy student-centered work, work focused on building relationships and fostering community, that is rarely the same day-to-day, engaging with both college students and colleagues in-person as well as virtually, and have an entrepreneurial spirit, we want you to join us!

Hopkins Student Affairs Statement on Inclusion, Community, and Excellence

At Johns Hopkins, we strive to be a model of a pluralistic society in which we acknowledge, embrace, and engage diverse identities, perspectives, and experiences. We seek to build and buttress an inclusive intellectual and physical environment to ensure that all members of our community know with certainty that they belong at Johns Hopkins and we aspire to equitably share the benefits and burdens of dismantling persistent systemic barriers to individual and communal success.

Hopkins Student Affairs is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community for students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds:

• We believe that diversity is inherent to excellence and that the broad diversity of talents, cultures, identities, and experiences of our community members are core to our ability to deliver exceptional student development and learning experiences.
• We strive to support a student experience where academic, leadership, and community engagement opportunities spur discovery and learning; encourage a respect for and valuing of the perspectives of others; and foster a sense of belonging and connection across our student, broader university, and Baltimore community.
• We strive to create a learning environment where our students feel invited to learn from, and contribute to the learning of others through the sharing and honoring of each other’s perspectives, identities, cultures, talents, and experiences.

Hopkins Student Affairs seeks to hire, and support the professional development of, colleagues who: are equity-minded; demonstrate a commitment to inclusion; share a keen understanding of the importance of our identity as a diverse community of learners; are poised to contribute to our efforts to support student learning and offer robust leadership development and community engagement opportunities; and can contribute to our efforts to foster student connection and a sense of belonging across our university.

• Master’s Degree in arts management or an arts-related field.
• At least 5 years of experience as an arts administrator.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Classified Title: Director Office of Arts & Innovation  
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/ME  
Starting Salary Range: $66,215 - $116,130 Annually ($98,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.) 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: Mon - Fri / 08:30am - 05:00pm (weekdays, evenings and weekends required) 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Location: Homewood Campus  
Department name: Office of the Arts & Innovation  
Personnel area: University Student Services