Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY  

Director of Education reports to the Artistic Director and is responsible for the creative and administrative leadership of education programs for young people. Curiosity is a driving impulse behind Lookingglass’ work on stage and in our community. Guided by the Company’s mission to make theatre “exhilarating, inspirational, and accessible to all,” Lookingglass’ Education Department cultivates creativity, expands access, and transforms classrooms and communities across the city we call home. 

The Director of Education works to enhance overall development and implementation of all educational programs (camps, classes, workshops, residencies) in alignment with the organization’s core values and mission. This role will be responsible for building our CPS residencies, public programming, and the Young Ensemble program. An outward facing role that serves as connector in building and maintaining partnerships in educational, cultural and civic spaces.  

The position requires a comprehensive approach to engaging communities of all ages and inspiring a love of theater and the arts in the community.  

Primary Duties & Responsibilities 

General 

• Provide strategic leadership, vision, design, and direction for the continued development and operations of LTC educational programs. 

• Develop and maintain Lookingglass-specific curricula in partnership with internal and external stakeholders 
• Collaborate with the Artistic Director to design a continuous season of educational programming including residencies, classes, workshops, and camps 
• Develop new educational programs around the mainstage season that encourage audience participation and attendance 
• Supervise the coordination and running of camps, workshops, classes  
• Create and manage education budget  
• Hire, supervise, mentor and lead educational staff and teaching artists to deliver best in class programming 
• Develop assessment tools to evaluate programs success and provide quantitative and qualitative results 
• Supervise the Associate Director of Education in: 

• Facilitation of all residencies, professional development trainings and workshops 
• Coordination of the menu of tuition-based classes to be offered each year, and coordinate registration, fee-payments, venue confirmation, etc. 
• Utilize CRM database to coordinate payments, pricing, contracts, and maintenance of program records and communications. 

• Build connections between the Education Department key stakeholders and work closely with other members of the senior staff to achieve the overall goals of LTC. 
• Work closely with the Development Department to secure funding for educational programs including delivering presentations, writing program descriptions, histories, and long-term planning, researching and writing grant proposals, proofreading sponsorship proposals, and participating at special events and functions related to education 
• Assist with writing, editing, and proofreading of education publications including articles and educational program specifics newsletters, programs, and web features 
• Continue personal education training and development. 
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with Education Directors at other theatres. 

Residency/Public Programming 

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with Chicago Public Schools and other community partners 
• Serve as lead instructor as needed, this includes researching curriculum, writing lesson plans and preparing class materials 

• Supervise Teaching Artists and approve all lesson plans 
• Work alongside Associate Director of Education to design, administer, and analyze assessment measures of the efficacy and impact of programming. 

Young Ensemble 

• In collaboration with Artistic Director, select annual production and hire creative team 
• Supervise Young Ensemble program, including: budget, hiring and mentoring creative team, auditions, casting, rehearsals, and managing creative quality of the productions. 
• Collaborate with design team on production needs 
• Ensure rehearsal space and practices are safe, humane, respectful, inclusive and equitable 
• Serve as Director as needed 
• Attend rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and performances as needed 

AEI 

• Honor organization’s commitment to best AEI practices by developing and implementing strategy to diversify educational programs, partners, and teaching methods 
• Participate in organization-wide anti-racism work and incorporate an anti-racist lens into daily practice. Lookingglass recognizes that we have much to do as we work towards being anti-racist and being a more equitable institution. This work, by the Board, Ensemble, and staff, is ongoing. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Three or more years in a leadership position in educational focused work  
• Previous experience working with youth 

• Proven experience in curriculum development 
• At least three years of demonstrated success in arts based educational design and program delivery 
• Strong organizational skills and 360-degree collaboration, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines. 
• Genuine passion for and knowledge of arts education  
• Understanding of anti-racism and anti-oppression principles and practices, application of these principles in a classroom setting, and the ability to interact effectively with people of diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. 
• Ability to work evenings and weekends, as necessary. Some programs, such as Young Ensemble, occur outside of the traditional school day 
• Ability to pass a background check in compliance with local and/or federal employment laws. 
• Ability to work in a hybrid workplace. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Appreciation and understanding of LTC’s mission and aesthetic.  
• Ability to articulate the vision, goals, and impact of the Education programming with stakeholders. 
• Experience of and enthusiasm for building programs and solving problems with creativity.  
• Ability to access both administrative and artistic skillsets in executing work. 
• Comfort navigating large bureaucratic systems, such as Chicago Public Schools. 
• Experience working in multiracial and multicultural environments.  

Compensation  

COMPENSATION: $65,000  

BENEFITS:  

Health Insurance 

• Choice of PPO or HMO; Organization covers the cost of 95% of the HMO plan. If PPO plan is elected, staff members pay the difference between the PPO plan and 95% of the HMO plan. 
• Vision & Rx plan; 
• This is reevaluated annually in June with the adoption of the health plan 

Paid Time Off 

• 12 paid holidays  
• Vacation, Personal, Sick and floating holidays, including birthday. 

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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