Description

About the Role:

Housed within our Immigration Department, the Arts & Culture Program Manager is a unique, mission-critical role designed to demonstrate how art and culture can be powerful vehicles for healing, resilience, and resistance. In this role, you will lead our creative place-keeping and anti-displacement efforts, centering the lived experiences of our undocumented community members. You will partner closely with local artists, culture bearers, and organizers to co-create spaces where undocumented residents can process trauma, reclaim agency, and step into their power as formidable storytellers and protectors of their neighborhoods. 

Key Responsibilities:

Cultural Healing & Creative Programming 

Curate & Coordinate: Develop, implement, and evaluate culturally relevant arts programming, public art installations, and community events that celebrate local heritage and counter displacement. 

Radical Inclusivity: Ensure all programming is deeply rooted in racial equity, social justice, and the unique history of the local community. 

Resource Allocation: Manage project budgets, negotiate fair compensation contracts for artists, and oversee logistics for cultural activations. 

Bridge Building & Collaboration (Internal & External) 

Relationship Stewardship: Build and maintain deep, trust-based relationships with local artists, culture bearers, grassroots organizers, and community organizations. Co-Creation: Facilitate community workshops, listening sessions, and advisory councils to ensure programming and advocacy efforts are co-designed with the community, not just for them. 

Transparent Communication: Maintain consistent communication across all internal and external teams to ensure transparency, safety, and shared alignment in all initiatives. 

Advocacy & Storytelling: 

Amplify Narratives: Utilize creative storytelling (e.g., oral histories, visual arts, digital media) to amplify the voices of migrant residents, shifting public narratives and honoring their role within the community. 

Place-Keeping & Anti-Displacement: Drive cultural strategies that resist the physical and cultural displacement of immigrant communities, anchoring their history and presence in the local landscape. 

Policy Intersection: Work alongside advocacy teams to align cultural programming with local policy efforts aimed at preventing displacement and protecting cultural landmarks. 

Program Design & Administration:

Grant Stewardship & Collaboration: Partner closely with the Director to manage and execute grant deliverables. This includes attending external meetings, network convenings, and funder briefings related to the grant to ensure our arts and culture initiatives remain compliant, visible, and deeply aligned with our funding goals. 

Mentorship & Supervision: Supervise, mentor, and guide program interns dedicated to this work, fostering a supportive environment that helps develop the next generation of immigrant justice cultural organizers. 

Administrative & Organizational Duties 

Attend and actively participate: In all-staff meetings, team meetings, 1:1’s, org-wide programs/events as required. 

Complete: Timesheets, credit card reconciliation entries, invoices, etc. as necessary in a timely manner.

Requirements

Required Qualifications & Skills:

Community Rooted: 2–3 years of experience in arts administration, community organizing, cultural programming, or a closely related field. 

Digital Storytelling & Tech Savvy: Proficient in using creative and administrative tech platforms to manage programs effectively. This includes design tools like Canva and Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., Photoshop, InDesign) for creating accessible community materials, as well as standard project management, communication, and digital collaboration tools. 

Lived/Local Expertise: Deep familiarity with the unique socioeconomic challenges (gentrification, displacement, immigration enforcement) facing our community. Bilingual Skills: Fluency in Spanish is highly preferred to build authentic, trust-based relationships. 

Note: A formal degree is not required. We highly value equivalent lived experience, a proven track record in immigrant-led organizing, and non-traditional educational backgrounds. 

Core Competencies:

Safety & Discretion: High emotional intelligence and an absolute commitment to maintaining confidentiality, safety, and digital/physical security protocols for vulnerable community members. 

Equity-Driven: Strong alignment with anti-racist principles and a demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice. 

Adaptability: Comfort navigating ambiguous environments and shifting community dynamics with empathy and a collaborative spirit. 

A"Weaver" Mindset: Exceptional interpersonal skills with a proven ability to bring internal teams and external community partners together through transparent, consistent communication. 

A Positive Worldview: Committed to believing a better future is possible when the collective works together towards mass liberation.

Please email your resume to hr@palenquelsna.org