Managing Director

Founded in 1997, GrubStreet is the leading literary arts center in the country. We are a hardworking and creative bunch and pride ourselves on a warm and supportive work environment. We are seeking a Managing Director who will be responsible for the financial, administrative, and operational management of our organization. This includes leadership on financial planning and management, people and culture, information systems, and business development. The Managing Director will be a critical member of the Senior Management Team and will work closely with our board of directors.

The Managing Director should have strong executive leadership skills, a demonstrated love and passion for the arts, a demonstrated commitment to DEIB, and an entrepreneurial spirit. The Managing Director will report to the Executive Director and work closely with the executive leadership team to ensure that we are achieving our strategic, financial and organizational goals and that we are able to achieve sustainable growth in the coming years. They will ensure that we are operating efficiently and equitably, that we have the systems and training in place to ensure that our employees have what they need to thrive, that our goals and planning are exciting and achievable, and that our staff culture is collaborative and healthy. The Managing Director will also work with staff and our partners to think creatively and with entrepreneurial vision as we grow and fulfill the promise of our new arts center. 

The Managing Director currently has three direct reports: the Director of Arts Center Experience and Operations, the HR Manager, and the Finance Manager and will lead the overall Administrative and Space Activation teams (including Café Manager, front desk staff and other administrative support).

We encourage BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), LGBTQ , people with disabilities, and other communities historically underrepresented in arts administration spaces to apply. GrubStreet strives to dismantle every system, process, or structure that would discourage any person from working with us. We actively seek diversity, equity and inclusivity because the excellence of our work and the value of its impact depend on them. We strive to create an environment where the perspectives we bring to our work are valued as much as the work we produce.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• As a member of our senior leadership team, working with the senior team and board to ensure that GrubStreet is on mission, a fair and equitable workplace, financially sustainable and artistically dynamic. 

Financial and Strategic Planning 

• Lead yearly strategic and financial planning with external accounting consultants, Finance Manager, team leads, and Senior Leadership team. 
• Responsible for ensuring organizational evaluation and reporting, both for tracking program effectiveness and impact, audience demographics, and other important metrics.
• Lead work with Finance Manager, Director of Arts Center Experience and Operations, Café Manager and other appropriate staff to ensure sustainability of new programming and functions. 
• Be an active partner to  the Executive Director and Board Treasurer in overall Financial planning and oversight. 

People and Culture

• Oversight of our HR function and internal communications.
• Responsible for ensuring our HR policies, practices, benefits, and compensation packages are fair and equitable. 
• Responsible for managing organization-wide work plans aligned with strategic planning, which facilitate smooth operations, encourage collaboration, and help the organization reach its goals.
• In partnership with HR Manager, responsible for staff engagement and staff meeting planning, including shared learning and professional development.
• Responsible, in collaboration with leadership team and HR Manager, for ensuring ongoing anti-racism, intersectional anti-bias and DEIB training.

Operations, Administration, and Website

• Provide Oversight and Leadership for overall facilities management, IT/AV, and space usage. Working with staff and external facilities management consultants (paid on retainer to handle facilities maintenance and repairs) to ensure space is safe, healthy, major systems like HVAC are well maintained, and that we are radically inclusive and welcoming. 
• Oversee website strategy and support vendors. Manage relationship and strategy with website consultants (currently finalizing new website), ensuring that our website is well-maintained, vendors are responsive to staff needs, and provide project management for future website upgrades. 
• Oversight of insurance plans and risk analysis.

Qualifications

We acknowledge that there may be exceptional candidates who may not fulfill all these criteria, and we are aware that you might offer valuable insights, experiences, and skill sets that we haven't considered. If this resonates with you, we encourage you to submit your application and share your story with us.

• 7 years of experience in a senior management or director level leadership role with proven track record of success in financial and strategic planning and operations, preferably at a nonprofit
• Strong business and management skills
• Significant experience overseeing HR functions at similarly sized organization
• Passion for creating inclusive communities and DEIB work
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to lead across diverse teams
•  Experience with staff training and professional development

Position Details

GrubStreet is an equal opportunity employer. We provide a competitive salary and benefits package and a dynamic, collaborative work environment. The salary range for this position is $95,000 - $120,000, commensurate with experience.

About the Organization

GrubStreet, the largest creative writing center in the U.S., annually engages over 8,000 students – both teens and adults – in programs that range from two-hour workshops to year-long graduate-level seminars.  At GrubStreet, our mission is to remove barriers — social, financial, and cultural — to the writing world, and provide rigorous artistic guidance in a supportive community. We work to ensure writers of all backgrounds have what they need to develop their voices and share their stories. 

Our teachers are working artists who bring the highest quality instruction and mentorship to storytellers. We also host a major writing conference each year and public storytelling events. The education and networks we facilitate foster a richer local writing scene, with a strong focus on increasing opportunities for writers of color, low-income writers, and teen writers. Our programs eliminate common barriers to participation in the arts and lifelong learning, and build community among participants. We continue to increase scholarships and provide free writing programs (including bilingual classes) for adults and teens in low-income communities across Boston.

Statement of Belonging

At GrubStreet, belonging means creating and maintaining spaces where we boldly share our voices, our experiences, and our work as writers, readers, and audience members. Every member of our community commits to engaging across differences with curiosity and a desire to learn and grow together.

Community Agreements:

• Practice cultural humility, ask questions, and engage with different perspectives
• Grace to speak in draft form and be open to making mistakes
• Check our biases and be aware of how we carry our own identity and privilege 
  

Position Status: Full time; exempt

Position Level: Director, 7 years of experience at this level preferred

Position Reports to: Executive Director

Location: Boston (Hybrid) with option for working remotely 2 days/week

GrubStreet’s policy is to assure equal employment opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants by prohibiting discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  This practice applies to all terms, conditions and privileges of employment including hiring, transfer, compensation, layoffs, promotions, training, benefits, termination and retirement.

Salary : $95,000 - $120,000