KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Partnership with Executive Director:

• Serve as the ED’s primary strategic partner, managing information flow across departments and ensuring the ED’s time and attention are directed toward the organization’s high-leverage priorities (fundraising, board relationships, artistic and strategic vision);

• Track action items and decisions emerging from ED-led meetings and drive follow-through across staff and departments;

• Surface emerging organizational risks, staffing gaps, or interdepartmental friction before they escalate, and resolve directly where possible;

• Translate Denniston Hill’s annual organizational goals into concrete workplans, timelines, and staff assignments;

• Represent the ED and the organization at select meetings, site visits, funder convenings, or public events when the ED is unavailable;

• Support the ED in preparing for capital campaign and endowment campaign milestones, including materials for feasibility study conversations and campaign counsel;

• Reduce executive bottlenecks by managing information flow, preparing briefs, and driving follow-through on key initiatives.

Communications:

• Lead Denniston Hill’s organization-wide communications strategy across website, newsletter, social media, press, and donor-facing channels;

• Steward institutional narrative and ensure consistency of message, tone, and voice across press materials, social media, and public programming;

• Develop and maintain editorial calendars spanning newsletters, website updates, campaign announcements, and social media, coordinating content around key organizational moments (e.g. Venice Biennale, annual Lunar New Year fundraisers, residency cycles, exhibition openings, etc.);

• Direct and manage external communications contractors and vendors, including social media consultants, PR firms, designers, and photographers — setting strategic direction, giving editorial feedback, and holding vendors accountable to timelines and budgets;

• Serve as a primary point of contact for press inquiries and coordinate press release development and distribution (e.g., Venice Biennale, exhibitions, capital campaign announcements, etc.);

• Partner with the ED and Director, Individual Giving + Partnerships to align messaging across fundraising campaigns, ensuring donor-facing language reflects organizational priorities;

• Maintain brand consistency (visual identity, templates, tone) across one-sheets, event materials and social media.

Operations, Including Finance:

• Oversee day-to-day organizational operations, including HR administration (shared with ED), IT systems, vendor management, and coordination with the Residency Manager on facilities-related needs;

• Partner with the ED and bookkeeper/accountant on annual budget preparation, monthly financial tracking, and reporting to the Board’s Finance Committee;

• Monitor cash flow and expenses against the operating budget, flagging variances and forecasting needs for the ED;

• Support financial administration of the capital campaign, including tracking staggered NYSCA reimbursements, Antica Terra Winery partnership revenue, and foundation grant disbursements against project milestones;

• Maintain and improve organizational systems — CRM/database (Salesforce or comparable), project management software, and shared documentation — to support institutional knowledge and efficient cross-team collaboration;

• Manage vendor and service-provider contracts, including insurance, payroll/HR platforms, and IT support;

• Support compliance with 501©(3) filing requirements and maintain organized documentation for board governance and audits;

• Support the organization’s New York City expansion, including office logistics and operational planning for a growing multi-site presence;

• Build and refine internal workflows, templates, and documentation that reduce reliance on institutional memory as the team scales.

The Managing Director has an entrepreneurial spirit and a systems-thinking mind, who understands that a thriving creative community requires both careful infrastructure and genuine human presence. This position calls for someone who is energized by complexity, enjoys building, leads with warmth and rigor in equal measure, and finds meaning in the details that others might overlook.

QUALIFICATIONS & QUALITIES:

Note: You don’t need to have all of these, and some of these are learned together!

● 7+ years of experience in nonprofit management, arts administration, or a related field—and, ideally, a genuine connection to the creative communities Denniston Hill serves.

● Excellent oral and written communication skills.

● Strong digital presentation skills.

● Experience managing staff.

● Experience working closely with an Executive Director or senior leadership

● Adept at building and managing relationships with staff, consultants, members, coalition members, and community partners.

● Familiarity with building or improving organizational systems.

● Experience using Salesforce welcomed; equally valued is an interest in and knowledge of other relevant CRM tools.

● Proficiency with Google Suite, Slack, AirTable, Zoom or comparable systems and tools.

● Willingness to take initiative and think outside the box.

● A demonstrable ability to turn ambitious ideas into workable plans.

● Skilled at prioritizing, analytical thinking, problem-solving and able to employ these in making sound recommendations.

● Strong attention to detail, excellent project management skills, including the ability to multitask, manage deadlines, and work efficiently both independently and as a team.

● An outgoing nature and an affinity for collaborative work settings.

● Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and with people from a variety of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, religious, sexual, gender, and generational backgrounds.

● Experience in the practice of tactfulness, discretion, and diplomacy.

● Ability to think creatively, balanced by a willingness to learn.

● Enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, art that makes a difference.

● Willingness to work with artists.

● Compassion, flexibility, and a sense of humor are highly valued.