Arts Council Oklahoma City · 2 days ago
Festival of the Arts Director
Oklahoma City, OK
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$60K/yr - $60K/yr
5+ years expArts Council Oklahoma City is a nonprofit dedicated to enriching lives through the arts. The Festival Director will be responsible for conceiving, planning, executing, and evaluating the signature festival, leading all aspects of the festival lifecycle including programming, operations, logistics, marketing, and community engagement.
Non-profit Organization Management
Responsibilities
Lead the overall vision and strategy for the festival, aligning it with the mission and goals of ACOKC
Develop, manage, and monitor the festival budget (including revenue forecasts, expense tracking, vendor payments)
Collaborate with the marketing/communications team to promote the festival: branding, messaging, website, social media, press, community outreach
Secure and manage sponsorships, grants, partnerships, and vendor/artist contracts. Build and maintain relationships with artists, performers, vendors, sponsors, local businesses, community groups, and city departments
Oversee scheduling and programming: curated arts, coordinate artist contracts, performance logistics, and technical/production needs
Lead operations and logistics: site planning, permits/licensing, vendor layout, vendor relations, safety/security, volunteer management, hospitality, on-site staff scheduling
Manage staffing of the festival: hire/manage festival staff, recruit/train/coordinate volunteers, specify roles and responsibilities, ensure strong customer service and attendee experience. Oversee 28 committees responsible for the recruitment of 2,500 volunteers
Ensure accessibility, inclusivity, and engagement of underserved communities, aligning with ACOKC’s mission of participation in the arts for all
Monitor and enforce compliance with relevant local regulations (permits, insurance, health & safety, ADA/accessibility, vendor/contractor requirements)
Post-event evaluation: collect data, feedback, metrics (attendance, financials, vendor/artist satisfaction, press coverage), prepare reports and recommendations for improvement
Work proactively with the Executive Director and Board on long-term festival strategy, growth opportunities, innovation, risk management, and sustainability
Represent ACOKC and the festival in public: events, meetings, media engagements, and community forums
Assist the Executive Director in the maintenance of ACOKC buildings
Maintain Festival inventory and ACOKC production inventory
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree – (Arts Administration, Event Management, Business, Marketing, or Related Field)
5 + Years of progressive event management or festival director-level experience, preferably within arts/non-profit/cultural organizations
Demonstrate experience with large-scale, multi-day public events
Strong budgeting and financial management skills: comfortable managing complex budgets, revenue streams, and expense forecasting
Strategic thinker with close attention to detail and strong organization skills; able to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Proven ability to secure sponsorships, partnerships, and develop funding relationships
Easily builds strong working relationships, with the ability to recruit and manage volunteers successfully
Excellent leadership and people-management skills
Outstanding verbal and written communication
Public-facing presence required
Knowledge of Excel, Google Suite, Adobe, Canva, and Microsoft Office
Flexible availability, including readiness to work during events, lunches, evenings, and weekends
Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and ability to work as part of a team
Ability to be flexible and respond quickly to change
Events require the ability to spend an extended duration standing and the ability to lift 50 pounds
Willingness to work outdoors and in various weather conditions during events
Ability to operate a personal vehicle
Preferred
Creative and visionary: able to envision the festival's future, propose new initiatives, enhance attendee/artist experience
Collaborative: works well with internal teams, community partners, sponsors, and artists
Resilient: comfortable managing stress, shifting priorities, problem-solving on the fly
Passionate about the arts and community impact: believes in the power of the arts to transform communities, and can articulate that mission
Benefits
Benefits include health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance – at no cost to the employee.
401(k) retirement plan and 15 paid holidays annually.
10 sick days annually and accrued PTO.
Company
Arts Council Oklahoma City
OUR MISSION: Bringing the Arts and the Community Together OUR VALUES: * Arts Council OKC believes that a healthy community has a vital and accessible array of art offerings that support lifelong education and participation in the arts.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase