Program Officer, Creative Economy; NEFA

Posted on March 16, 2020

The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) is a 501(c)3 organization with an annual budget of $8.4 million. NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation.

As an organization, NEFA values an equitable, diverse, and inclusive world, which we interpret as all people having fair access to the tools and resources they need to realize creative and community endeavors. We acknowledge structural inequities that have excluded individuals and communities from opportunities based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography and strive to counter those inequities in our work.

NEFA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and is invested in creating an equitable and inclusive working environment and organizational culture. We are committed to hiring individuals who share, value, and support these goals, and who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. NEFA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Program Officer for Creative Economy will coordinate the operations of the creative economy program’s processes and tools. NEFA’s Creative Economy program strengthens New England's creative community by supporting its visibility (for individual artists and collectively as a community) as well as its connection and knowledge building (both internally among artists and externally with the broader community). This is in service of the vision of a visible, inclusive, and connected New England creative economy that can strengthen and sustain itself.

Artists and creatives are at the core of making all communities thrive. A stronger creative economy is one that is celebrated, supported, well-informed/data driven, and connected to itself and the broader ecosystem.

The Program Officer, Creative Economy will support the implementation of recommendations identified by a recent sustainable growth planning process for the program and for Creative Ground , NEFA’s free, New England-wide online creative economy directory and research database. NEFA’s past creative economy work has supported the region’s creative sector by highlighting the rich cultural activity of New England, quantifying its impact, connecting its leaders, and providing opportunities for the sharing of research frameworks and local creative economy initiatives.

The next phase of work will upgrade and deepen engagement with Creative Ground, which spotlights the region’s robust creative community and enables users to find and connect with the region’s cultural nonprofits, creative businesses, and artists of all disciplines; as well as increase its use as a critical research tool for NEFA’s service and learning from artists and creative enterprises in New England, further facilitating connection with New England’s State Arts Agencies as well as other creative economy data stakeholders.

The Program Officer is responsible for sustaining and supporting the enhancement of the functionality of the Creative Ground website and other creative economy tech platforms; supporting creative economy data projects; and setting up and implementing systems of support and accountability for the creative economy team and its service to constituents. This is a tactical program operations position requiring substantial situational assessment skills, project management /department coordination expertise, enthusiasm for working with websites and databases, and a strong appetite for learning and teaching new tools and processes.

The Program Officer reports to the Program Director for Research and Creative Economy and works in partnership with the program associate. The Program Officer also works with NEFA’s grant program staff to advance the organization’s impact in the region and with NEFA’s other technology and data staff to support and enhance systems…