Associate Director of Development for Major Gifts

Irish Arts Center (IAC), based in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, and renowned for presenting dynamic, inspiring, collaborative experiences of the evolving arts and culture of Ireland and Irish America in an environment of warm Irish hospitality, is seeking an Associate Director of Development for Major Gifts, to join the seven person development team, as the organization completes its third successful year of ambitious programming in a state-of-the-art new home.

Founded in 1972, Irish Arts Center (IAC) is a national and international home for the presentation, development and support of work from artists and cultural practitioners, established and emerging, who work in Irish, Irish-American and other contexts, in traditional, contemporary, and modern disciplines. We seek to broaden the lens of Irish culture to include artistic work that might not traditionally be seen as “Irish,” but engages the relationship between Irish culture and other cultures represented in New York City and around the world.

Irish Arts Center aims to provide cultural experiences for artists and audiences that are innovative, dynamic, meet the highest standards of excellence, and celebrate our common humanity, in an environment of warm and welcoming Irish hospitality. We seek to preserve and engage the evolving history and traditions of Ireland and Irish America, while actively embracing the modernity, dynamism, and diversity of the global Irish diaspora, and Ireland’s identity as a modern European country, placing Irishness in dialogue with the broader cultural ecology of New York City and beyond, as we seek to inspire, innovate, and entertain. As we have throughout our history, the Center also provides community education programs in Irish arts and culture, and seeks to increase access to the arts for adults and children of all ages and ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Having navigated the unimaginable challenges of COVID, Irish Arts Center opened a fully funded $60 million new building, a 21,700 square foot hub for the arts, in December 2021, the culmination of a more than a decade-long transformation into one of New York’s most beloved multidisciplinary cultural institutions.

Designed by New York-based architects Davis Brody Bond (National September 11 Museum, The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center), with consultation and support from Ireland’s Office of Public Works, the new Irish Arts Center is an historic collaboration between the people of Ireland and New York, signifying a new era in the cultural life of the global Irish diaspora, and providing an important new canvas for the development and presentation of the performing arts in New York City.

Surrounding its opening, The New York Times called the new Irish Arts Center “a home as big as its aspirations…a major technological upgrade for the center.” American Theatre magazine lauded the Center’s “…bold, forward-looking vision, embodied in a space that marks a welcome addition to the New York cultural landscape.”  Time Out New York wrote, “Now, with an extra 21,700 square feet just around the corner on 11th Avenue, Irish hospitality, culture and festivity can blossom.” The new Café at Irish Arts Center, with food and beverage service by Hell’s Kitchen wine bar Ardesia, provides a constant sense of warmth and community. As Time Out New York described, “It’s so welcoming that you may want to sit for a couple of hours, but that’s the point.”

The Center is led by Aidan Connolly, Executive Director since 2007, and a senior team that includes Pauline Turley, Vice Chair; Rachael Gilkey, Director of Programming; Barry Ó Séanáin, Director of Development; Vivian Fong, Director of Communications and Marketing; and Jon Harper, Chief Operating Officer.

The Associate Director of Development for Major Gifts will join the development team, reporting to Director of Development, and working in partnership with the Executive Director, Vice Chair, and Director of Development as a team of active lead fundraisers to achieve significant contributed revenue growth for the organization, commensurate with the high standards of our programming and the overall Irish Arts Center experience.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

As the Irish Arts Center has experienced significant growth in recent years, new opportunities and challenges have arisen for the organization. These include:

Opportunities

• Converting audiences developed over the last three years (numbering more than 44,000) into funders
• Leveraging our track record of successful programming across the disciplines of theatrical performance, dance, live music, as well as visual arts, film, literature and humanities, to develop and cultivate new supporters
• Leveraging a growing media profile (with more than 14 reviews or features in the New York Times) to attract new donors, and increase funding levels among existing donors.
• Utilizing IAC facilities and reputation for warm Irish hospitality to deepen relationships among new and existing donors
• Capitalize on significant public sector funding for Second Phase of capital campaign to generate additional gifts for the Growth and Sustainability and Endowment campaigns.

Challenges

• Ensuring programming sustains quality and continues to excite and inspire a breadth of audiences and supporters
• Increasing the velocity of fundraising activity to identify and cultivate new supporters and significantly expand pipelines for less mature contributed revenue lines
• Executing with efficiency and strategic focus
• Achieving significant revenue growth while ensuring work-life balance for employees

Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

POSITION DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Associate Director of Development will join the development team, reporting to Director of Development, and working in partnership with the Executive Director, Vice Chair, and Director of Development as a team of active lead fundraisers to achieve significant contributed revenue growth for the organization, commensurate with the high standards of our programming and the overall Irish Arts Center experience.

This individual will take a primary role in growing IAC’s funding base at the $2,500 to $10,000 level, with a focus on building out our Claddagh Circle program, while also expanding the pipelines for other contributed revenue lines, including special events.

Essential responsibilities include:

• Working in partnership with the Director of Development to develop and execute systems to increase the volume of fundraising activity to convert prospects into supporters, with a focus on increasing the pipeline of new donors from $2,500 to $10,000
• Conduct direct email and phone contacts to ensure repeat attendance at performances and cultivation events
• Solicit meetings, phone, and video calls
• Develop and execute meet and greets to build prospect base through networking
• Expand our cohort of volunteer fundraising and networkers to expand the base of support
• Meet KPI’s to achieve increased pipeline growth across key contributed revenue lines at the $2,500 to $10,000 level
• Serve as strategic partner as part of the fundraising leadership team on annual fund planning and to ensure efficient, successful execution of IAC priorities

Qualifications, Special Attributes and Qualities

Ideally, the successful candidate will possess these skills and experience:

• Five (5) years of active fundraising experience, ideally in an arts organization, with demonstrated record of results
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to remain focused on essential goals
• Willingness to be held accountable for results
• Strong interpersonal communication and collaboration skills; willingness to share ideas and support colleagues toward shared success
• Entrepreneurial in spirit with demonstrated interest and ability to find innovative ways to achieve efficient, transparent operations that fortify growth potential
• A collaborative nature, secure in ability to successfully coalesce strong personalities and opinions.
• Sales driven orientation with strong attention to detail.
• A passion for the mission and goals of Irish Arts Center
• Experience in the not-for-profit arts sector preferred
• An understanding of working within a lean, fast-paced, multi-tasking cultural environment

The following personal attributes are also desirable:

• High emotional intelligence, focused prioritization, results orientation, and an ability to build relationships of trust.
• A fierce commitment to excellence and an ethic of personal responsibility.
• Highly organized and detail oriented professional with a passion for efficiency, execution and follow through
• Discipline, rigor, and a determined work ethic.
• A sense of humor, someone who can laugh at their own foibles.

As IAC is committed to representing diverse identities in its artistic programming, so too is the organization committed to diverse representations in the administrative team. Irish Arts Center is an equal employment opportunity employer, and will consider all applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, creed (religion), color, sex (including gender expression), national origin, sexual orientation, military status, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristic, marital status or domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Physical Factors:

Working Requirements (Travel Requirements, Overtime, Shifts, On-Call, etc.):

This is an in-person and hybrid position, requiring on site attendance at least three days per week.

Compensation and Start Date

The salary range for the Associate Director of Development is $95,000 – 105,000 commensurate with experience and includes a full benefit package, including four weeks paid vacation, a high quality health insurance plan (with 100% employer-paid premiums), 403b retirement investment plan, and commuter benefits.  Deadline for applications is Tuesday, September 10th, however we encourage interested applicants to submit their materials as early as they wish.

This is a full time, exempt position requiring on site attendance at least three days per week.  Some evening and weekend work required. Irish Arts Center currently provides a monthly commuting credit for full time employees who are either required to or who elect to work on site at least three days per week as a general rule.  Remote work policy in general and the hybridity status of all roles is subject to business and organizational needs and may change at any time at the discretion of management, with input from relevant staff and supervisors.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or new ones may be assigned.

How to Apply:

Please send applications with a cover letter and resume in a single PDF to applications@irishartscenter.org with your last name and “Associate Director of Development” in the subject line (e.g., “Doe, Associate Director of Development”). Please include where you found the job posting in your email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a closing date of September 10th. No calls, please.

About Irish Arts Center:

Irish Arts Center (IAC) is a national and international home for artists and audiences of all backgrounds. Based in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, Irish Arts Center presents, develops, supports, and promotes work from established and emerging artists, providing cultural experiences that are innovative, collaborative, diverse, authentic, and emotionally and intellectually transporting, meet the highest standards of excellence, and celebrate our common humanity in an environment of Irish hospitality. Founded in 1972, throughout our history the Center has also provided community education programs and access to the arts for adults and children of all ages and ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Irish Arts Center recently completed construction of a $60 million landmark new permanent home, including a state of the art flexible performance and arts space for the presentation and development of work across a range of disciplines, including music, dance, theatre, film, visual arts, literature and the humanities; classrooms and studio spaces for education programs, development, and collaboration; technology to stream and distribute content on the digital platform; and an avenue-facing lobby café that is a hub for hospitality and interaction between artists and audiences.  As part of a second phase, IAC will renovate its adjacent existing 51st Street building to provide a second, intimate performance space—the historic Irish Arts Center theatre—optimized for the most intimate live music and conversation, recordings, podcasts, master classes and special events, and a courtyard entrance on 51st Street where the historic Irish Arts Center and the new building meet.

As IAC is committed to representing diverse identities in our artistic programming, so too are we committed to diverse representations in our administrative team.  Irish Arts Center is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, creed (religion), color, sex (including gender expression), national origin, sexual orientation, military status, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristic, marital status or domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

New York’s Irish Arts Center Upgrades to a ‘Flagship Hub’

The $60 million building in Hell’s Kitchen, which will present theater, dance, music and more, is scheduled to open in December.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/theater/irish-arts-center-new-york.html

A Big Table: What the New Irish Arts Center Means for New York

The company’s glittering new $60 million building, long in the works, puts the emphasis on multidisciplinary programming and Irish hospitality.

https://www.americantheatre.org/2021/12/17/a-big-table-what-the-new-irish-arts-center-means-for-new-york/

New York’s Irish Arts Center Gets a New Lease of Life

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/new-york-s-irish-arts-center-gets-a-new-lease-of-life-1.4729343

https://irishartscenter.org/