The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is dedicated to strengthening New York City’s vibrant cultural life by providing funding and support to New York City’s cultural community, including the 34 cultural institutions that comprise the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) and more than 1,200 non-profit cultural organizations. This constituency represents a diverse array of internationally renowned cultural organizations, including performing arts centers, museums, theaters, wildlife centers, botanical gardens, visual arts and film centers, as well as community-based organizations and arts education programs. DCLA also manages a significant portfolio of cultural capital projects; provides free donated materials and supplies for arts programs; provides capacity building and technical assistance support to cultural groups; and commissions works of public art.
ResponsibilitiesThe Department of Cultural Affairs is seeking a Panel and Operations Specialist for the Programs Services Unit, which distributes $85 million annually to 900 organizations through a number of grant programs. As an administrator of public monies, this position is critical to the agency’s overall mission and is essential to ensuring that all the transactional elements of the unit’s grantmaking are moving smoothly. The Panel and Operations Specialist will manage key aspects of the signature grantmaking process, the Cultural Development Fund’s (CDF) panel process while supporting management of the operations portion of the Programs unit's workload. Working with the Director of Operations and the Grantmaking Operations Coordinator, the position provides support for leadership and the program officers in the unit, managing the data and documentation necessary to advance grant funding, including the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) and City Council Initiative funding. The Panel and Operations Specialist oversees the core peer panel review process essential to the agency’s grantmaking by managing the panelist recruitment and selection work and also participates in ongoing unit operations including communications to the field; creation of documents, processes and practices to enhance the workflow; supports the Director and the agency’s IT unit to troubleshoot CRM matters pertaining to the new Salesforce platform and interacts with consultants retained to assist in the annual panel production process. The successful candidate must be able to handle multiple tasks and work on assignments within deadlines both independently and with colleagues. As a member of the Programs unit, the Panel and Operations Specialist responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage the recruitment, onboarding, administration and facilitation of approximately 200 external panelists needed to run 35 panels over a concentrated six-month period;
• Provide active oversight of the expanded panelist recruitment and training activities and related panel production, from panel sessions through assessment and debriefing, during an annual

panel season;

• Work with the Director of Administration to prepare the annual panel schedule, including the assignment of eligible applicants to specific panels;
• Work with Unit staff on maintaining eligibility status for incoming applications and summarizing findings at the end of each panel season;
• Work with others in the unit to manage related CDF production throughout the year, including preparation of instructional webinars, seminars and collateral materials, website updates and

communication to grantees regarding CDF applications, updates, final reports and supplemental materials;

• Serve as the Unit’s point of contact with IT and others regarding the ongoing use of Salesforce;
• Manage unit workflow progress reports, internal tracking documents and progress reports; with Grantmaking Operations Coordinator;
• Assist in preparing communication to the cultural sector about agency activities and updates regarding Programs and CDF;
• Work with Director of Operations in planning and implementation of seminars, training sessions, convenings, and other events developed by the agency;
• Manage the development of statistical and narrative reports;
• Oversee management of data to demonstrate the impact of programs administered by the agency on local communities and the sector;
• Actively participate in unit working groups throughout the year.

Only those candidates under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls. For more information about DCLA, visit us at www.nyc.gov/culture
All appointments are subject to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.
Minimum Qualifications

• Five years of full-time experience in planning, coordinating, budgeting, producing, organizing, administering or directing a cultural program or a cultural institution; or
• Four years of full-time experience as a practitioner in any of the performing or visual arts plus at least one year of experience described in (1) above; or
• A baccalaureate degree issued by an accredited college, including or supplemented by 24 credits in one of the visual or performing arts or in arts management plus one year of full-time experience as described in 1 above; or
• Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" or "3" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in 1 above. Experience of a substantial nature will be considered on a pro-rated basis, if it is not full-time.

Preferred SkillsThe preferred candidate must have strong computer skills and be extremely detail oriented. In addition, a working knowledge of non-profits, arts management and of the NYC cultural community is necessary. The successful candidate must demonstrate excellent task management and project oversight skills clear verbal and written communication and strong interpersonal skills must have the ability to work productively under pressure both independently and as a team member must be self-motivated knowledge of grantmaking and panel processes is valued. A successful candidate will demonstrate expertise with Microsoft Excel, and with database and CRM systems (Salesforce preferred). Cover letter and resume required.
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
Additional Information
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
, $56,317.00 – $64,764.00