Executive Director, Visual Arts Nova Scotia

Sonia Chow courtesy of Sonia Chow, VANS Mentee

JOB CALL: Executive Director
Visual Arts Nova Scotia

Term: 30 hour/week, 4 days a week, $50,000/year.
Application deadline: May 3, 2023, 12 p.m. ADT

Location: Must be comfortable working independently from home, as well as in the VANS office in Kjipuktuk / Halifax.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia prioritizes equity, sustainability, and connection through continuous updates to our governance, outreach, and program delivery. We are looking for an Executive Director who is enthusiastic, compassionate, collaborative, and open-minded to help us reach our values-based strategic goals.

This highly motivated, friendly, and well-organized leader holds a deep commitment to the arts community and demonstrates excellent leadership, fundraising, project management, interpersonal, and resource management skills, and is comfortable working both independently and collaboratively.

The Executive Director oversees all aspects of the organization’s operations and finances, including fund development, evaluation, communications, partnerships, strategic planning, and programming of year-round activities, under the guidance of the Board of Directors. Duties include grant writing and reporting; fundraising; program development and implementation; management of financial records and budgets; hiring and management of staff and volunteers; regular reporting to the Board of Directors; and general administration. Detailed organizational objectives can be found in our strategic plan here.

ABOUT VANS

Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS) is a registered charity founded by artists for artists in 1976 to support, promote, and advocate for the visual arts sector in Nova Scotia. We believe in a future where a career as an artist is accessible, sustainable, and recognized as an integral part of our communities.

VANS supports artists through education, connection, and advocacy. We operate across Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the L’nu, also known as Nova Scotia. We prioritize artist-to-artist learning through workshops, mentorship, and sharing information about meaningful opportunities.

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION

The ideal candidate is a highly motivated and well-organized leader with keen attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities. They possess a patient, generous, open-minded, curious, and enthusiastic management style.

They demonstrate a willingness to be flexible and versatile in a changing environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency. They are eager to facilitate creative and non-traditional approaches within the organization.

They are a natural coach and support staff, volunteers, artists, partners and champion VANS to funders, stakeholders, and the general public. They collaborate effectively with staff to set goals, resolve conflicts and make decisions that enhance team cohesion. As an effective communicator, they can adjust communication styles to a variety of contexts.

They enjoy analyzing problems and identifying root causes and communicating solutions clearly. They can assess situations, determine priorities, urgency, and risks, and make sound decisions within the framework of established policies and strategic plan.

They are committed to addressing the changing needs of artists and conditions in the arts sector, and develop supports aligned with the vision and values of the organization. They are willing to experiment with approaches to move the organization forward, set goals, create and implement plans and evaluate processes and outcomes. They are comfortable with advocating to groups, funders, and government officials. For a full job description click here.

TO APPLY

Apply now by Clicking Here!

Applications will be accepted until 12 p.m. ADT on May 3rd, 2023.

Please be sure to include a cover letter that speaks to your experience, but we also want to get a glimpse of your personality.

VANS is committed to employment equity, and we will prioritize applications from those who self-identify in their application as Indigenous Peoples, Black, Persons of the Global Majority, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, newcomers to Canada and/or Persons with Disabilities. Working with P4G and Shaping Change Leadership Consulting, VANS will provide the successful candidate with four weeks of leadership training and onboarding to encourage and support emerging equity-deserving leaders in the cultural sector.

Want to chat with someone directly? Reach out to our Lead Placemaker:
Julieta Diaz-Beltran, julie@p4g.ca