Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives

Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives

College of Performing Arts–Mannes, Jazz, and Drama

The New School

June 2024

The New School’s College of Performing Arts, comprised of the Mannes School of Music, School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and School of Drama, is seeking a highly qualified Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives to join its senior leadership team. Reporting to the Executive Dean, the Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives is a key partner to the Executive Dean and other College leadership to ensure success and achievement in three primary areas of leadership, including but not limited to: overall strategic marketing and communications; board, donor, and staff engagement; and the incubation and early implementation of special projects.

The Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives manages and supports the ongoing rapid pace of change at The College of Performing Arts and is a champion for the mission and vision of the college. They will build strong relationships within the college and The New School to advocate for the priorities of the college and its three schools while fostering a warm, collaborative, and inclusive environment of students, faculty, and staff. The Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives provides direct staff support to the Executive Dean as needed.

The Director of Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives is a systems thinker who shares a love of the performing arts and performing arts education. They create and evolve structures that support, scale, and sustain assertive and effective marketing and communications, new core programs, strategic initiatives, and special projects. This includes identifying opportunities to improve and align the operations of the college and its programs, shepherding high profile special projects such as artists and organizations in residence and hallmark special productions and performances, and building alignment amongst the students, faculty, staff, board members, donors, and other key stakeholders across our three performing arts schools and college.

The New School is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and particularly seeks applications from members of underrepresented groups, as well as candidates who share this commitment.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

Strategic Marketing and Communications

• Refine and implement a sustainable plan for internal and external marketing of events and external communications, including press.

• Liaise with university partners around marketing, communications, enrollment management, and development.

• Ensure that university driven communications and marketing reflect the core values of the college.

• Oversee a staff of three, as well as a team of student workers.

Board, Donor, Staff, and Faculty Engagement

• Help plan and implement the series of annual meetings of the Board of Governors.

• Work closely and develop strong relationships with key board members and donors.

• Coordinate with university development partners on stewardship of individual donors and major institutional opportunities.

• Oversee the college’s faculty governance structure including school-based faculty committees.

• Help plan and implement full-staff meetings.

Special Projects

• Work with Executive Dean and Deans Council to identify, develop, and incubate special projects, such as new resident ensembles, short-term residencies, complex new faculty hires and assignments, new major institutional partnerships, special performances/productions and other special programs.

Planning and Implementation 

• Serve as a member of the CoPA Dean’s Council; collaborate on high-level strategy and decision-making.

• Organize and prioritize critical issues and projects with and on behalf of the Executive Dean.

• Oversee strategic initiatives from planning through execution. 

• Serve as a conduit in communicating mission, vision, and strategic priorities to staff and faculty throughout the college.

• Represent CoPA with internal and external senior leaders and strategic partners.

• Manage the onboarding process for new full-time faculty, staff, and select part-time faculty.

• Troubleshoot enterprise lev