ABOUT ACF 

ACF’s mission is to support and advocate for individuals and groups creating music today by demonstrating the vitality and relevance of their art. The organization does this by empowering composers with resources and funding, advocating for artists through storytelling and connections, and engaging the arts sector as thought leaders. Working with an ecosystem of artists, programmers, presenters, teachers, funders, and audiences, we lead an anti-racist strategy to our work, believing a fairer world for artists benefits all of us.

Starting as an artist collective co-founded by composers Libby Larsen and Stephen Paulus (the Minnesota Composers Forum), the organization has continually evolved to support living composers (and expanded the definition of a composer). Our partnerships with the McKnight and Jerome Foundations have continued for almost as long as the organization's existence. This position is part of a strategic restructure of the organization to focus ACF’s efforts more on advocacy and storytelling. To learn more about ACF, visit our website at www.composersforum.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Executive Director, and working closely with the Minnesota-based CEO, the Community Director is active in the artist community of Minnesota, seeking opportunities to gather artists, deepen civic engagement with the music community, and inform ACF’s advocacy work. They represent ACF with artists, artistic collaborators, social justice organizations, and other possible community-based partners. Their primary role is to oversee the McKnight Fellowship program, facilitating annual awards to mid-career and visiting artists and participating in McKnight Artist and Culture Bearers Fellowship activities, and contributing to ACF’s partnership with the Jerome Foundation engaging artists in Minnesota and NYC.

In addition, they contribute to events and activities ACF hosts or co-hosts. It is ACF’s desire to continue to develop relationships in its own community and to inform its larger advocacy efforts on behalf of composers. The ideal profile is a practicing artist with extensive organizational experience - as a staff or board member or as a consultant. They will work both independently and as part of the staff team. This person oversees our primary open application grant process and must be willing to learn and analyze the process to ensure alignment with anti-racist strategies. Past experience with facilitating panels is a plus.

Please note: as a member of ACF’s staff you and immediate family members are ineligible to apply for McKnight Arts and Culture Bearer Fellowship programs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

McKnight Fellowships

• Oversee ACF’s McKnight Composer Fellowship and McKnight Visiting Composer Residency - Develop and maintain updated program guidelines, annual budgets and awards, application systems, panel reviews, webpages, and announcements/promotions.  

• Onboard and support awardees: Identify artist’s goals and chart out a timeline for their projects; maintain contact throughout award

• Review ongoing funding applications, communications, and external inquiries to determine opportunities for greater clarity, accessibility, and anti-racist approach

• Recruit artists to apply for programs, promote current and alumni cohort activities

• Supervise program contracts updates and payments to artists and vendors

• Facilitate development opportunities for awardees, e.g. branding/profile strategy with ACF staff; invite feedback to inform program

Minnesota Community 

• Support Executive Director’s oversight of artist-centric programs by supporting meeting planning and execution, as well as serving as artist contact

• Support current and previous artist awardees by directing questions about payments and opportunities as possible

• Coordinate with ACF staff and consultants on various Minnesota community activities, e.g. artist gatherings, concerts, special events, and public listening parties 

• Represent ACF in the robust artist activist community; cultivate partnerships, promote activities for artists to participate

Other

• Contribute to ACF's storytelling as an advocacy organization, highlighting involvement in Minnesota

• Capture and communicate music creator testimonials and community impact stories; collaborate with ACF Social Media and Communications team, providing the information and assets necessary to create engaging campaigns for the programs and to amplify the work and stories by ACF artists and partners

• Collaborate with ACF staff to craft case-making for supporting and investing in today’s music creators as well as promote and fund ACF’s programs. 

• Offer administrative and logistical support with gatherings, campaigns, and other activities to engage the larger ecosystem in supporting composers/artists.

Possible additional responsibilities as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3-5 years experience in artist development and/or community work is required. This may include management of personal projects.

• Experience serving as part of an artistic planning and/or curation team and a network within new music communities are assets.

• Experience designing initiatives across musical approaches is required

• Proficiency in Google Suite is required; experience with customer management database (i.e. Salesforce) and project management software preferred

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; public speaking experience required 

• Strong organizational and project management skills, attention to detail, and a high degree of accuracy are essential

• Must be able to operate at the highest level of integrity, managing sensitive and  confidential information

• Ability to think creatively, problem-solve in advance, meet deadlines, and work in a fast-paced environment with minimal direction  

• Availability to occasionally work evenings and weekends

• Ability to occasionally travel outside of Minneapolis/Saint Paul

• Self-directed, with a strong work ethic and collaborative skills

*In an effort to identify the best candidates, we encourage applicants who may not meet all criteria and are still interested in this position to apply. 

HOW TO APPLY
Submit resume and cover letter describing why you are interested in this role at ACF on SmartRecruiters.com. We recommend uploading your cover letter as a PDF but it can be submitted as an email on this portal.

Please only contact ACF if you have difficulty with submitting your information.

Position is open until filled. Applications received before June 2, 2025 will be reviewed first. Three references will be requested from those invited to interview (it is not necessary to share until then).

SALARY and OFFICE EXPECTATIONS
The salary for this part-time, non-exempt position of approximately 20 hours/week at $45,000/year. We anticipate the successful candidate will be active in their own creative and other work, so hours are flexible with the exception of full-staff meetings/events and possible invitations from external partners. We provide a computer, a physical office space, and a $30/month stipend towards your home office costs. 

A national organization, ACF is based in St. Paul, Minnesota and continues to operate from a physical office there. Half of the staff live in MN, but organizational communication is done primarily through virtual platforms, with occasional full-staff in-person retreats and board meetings. 

ADA SPECIFICATIONS
This job operates on occasion in an office environment (and otherwise remote). This role routinely uses standard office equipment. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear.