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Assistant Director - Job Description

Split This Rock calls poets to the center of public life and fosters a national network of socially engaged poets. From our home in the nation’s capital we celebrate poetic diversity and the transformative power of the imagination. All of Split This Rock’s programs are designed to integrate poetry of provocation and witness into public life and to support the poets who write and perform this critical work.

Split This Rock’s cornerstone program is a national festival, held every two years in Washington, DC. The next festival is scheduled for March, 2014. We also have a robust youth program, publish poetry online, organize social justice campaigns, and present readings, workshops, and discussions year-round. For more information, please see the website: www.splitthisrock.org

The Assistant Director’s role is to provide organizational, fundraising, and programmatic support to further Split This Rock’s mission. The mix of duties varies based on the cycle of the organization; during festival years, the festival is the primary focus. In off years, the focus will be on organizational development, fundraising, and Split This Rock’s other programs.

This position is full-time, including some evening and weekend hours. Split This Rock, though an independent non-profit organization, is housed within the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, located blocks from the White House. We are a small, scrappy organization fueled by passion for social justice and a love of poetry and the arts.

Roles and Responsibilities

Program:

• Lead festival planning and implementation
• Work closely with the Executive Director to recruit and support a volunteer Festival Planning Committee
• Maintain a festival work plan and calendar
• Serve as liaison to panel and workshop facilitators
• Manage featured poet travel, accommodations, and hospitality
• Serve as liaison to venues and vendors
• Administer registrations and scholarships
• Provide oversight for program book and festival materials
• Ensure festival accessibility
• Oversee volunteer recruitment and management
• Document processes and procedures
• Assist with other programs as needed
• Plan and implement Split This Rock events
• Build partnerships, both local and national

Communications:

· Manage website, including a 2012 redesign process

· Coordinate Split This Rock communications strategy

· Work to increase subscribers to all forms of communication, including snail mail, email, Facebook, blog, Twitter

• Oversee festival marketing
• Develop marketing timeline, in consultation with committee and director
• Manage marketing procurement
• print materials (postcard, brochure, poster, etc.)
• website, email campaign, social media
• mailings
• advertising

Development:

• Research and acquire donor management software
• Implement donor management system
• Work with the director to develop a fundraising calendar
• Monitor foundation and government grant and reporting deadlines
• Oversee direct mail and email fundraising campaigns
• Assist the director with grant writing, as needed
• Work with the Fundraising Committee to plan and carry out fundraising events

Administration and Finance:

• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers and interns
• Manage electronic and paper filing systems

Reporting: The Assistant Director will report to the Executive Director and will work in partnership with staff, board members, and volunteers to assist in preparation, organization, implementation, and documentation of Split This Rock’s programs.

Skills and Background: The ideal candidate for the position of Assistant Director will have:

· A commitment to social justice and the role that the arts can play in social change

· Extensive experience in events management and working in non-profit settings

· Strong intercultural understanding

· Proven written and oral communication skills

· Fundraising experience

· Volunteer management experience

· Demonstrated excellent attention to detail

· A BA or equivalent experience

The projected start date is late May, 2012. Salary is in the 40s, plus benefits.

Split This Rock is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and encourages applications from people of color, women, differently-abled, LGBTQ, and other groups that have historically been subject to discrimination.

To apply, submit a résumé, writing sample, and thoughtful cover letter to info@splitthisrock.org with “Application for Assistant Director” in the subject line. Deadline: April 30, 2012. No calls please.