Senior Arts Manager

Senior Arts Manager, Lebanon

• 4 days per week, in office location, ideally starting by 1st December or earlier
• 1,700 USD per month (salary based on experience, including tax & social security)
• 1-year contract with high likelihood of renewal based on performance and availability of funding (with 3-month probation period)

Seenaryo is seeking a Senior Arts Manager to support the Seenaryo team in Lebanon. This position will be based in our office in Ashrafieh, Beirut, with visits to projects across Lebanon (which may include overnight stays) and regular contact via Zoom with our teams in the UK and Jordan. This role will be primarily focused on establishing, managing and evaluating theatre projects, for children, youth and women. The Senior Arts Manager reports to Seenaryo’s Head of Arts and works closely with our Arts Manager, Programme Manager and Finance & Procurement Coordinator. S/he will manage Seenaryo’s Junior Arts Manager in Lebanon. S/he should have a minimum 3 years of experience in the sector or role. It is preferable if s/he has a passion for education and arts.

Managing Theatre Projects

• Managing the scheduling and budget of all theatre projects in Lebanon, in line with current systems and processes including contracting freelancers, deciding on suitable space, time frames, tracking budget and liaising with partners
• Setting up & overseeing the project logistics (transportation, food/refreshments, managing Covid-19 guidelines)
• Contributing to the design and development of evaluation processes as well as independently running evaluation for projects, analysing data and contributing to reports
• Completing risk assessments for all projects and being aware of safeguarding requirements for all projects (reporting issues where necessary to Safeguarding Lead)
• Providing oversight and support on all arts projects as needed
• Optional: creative input into theatre projects (depending on skills and interests of the candidate)

Managing, coordinating & mentoring staff members

• Manage Seenaryo’s Junior Arts Manager in Lebanon: leading weekly catchups with her, troubleshooting and supporting her to set and fulfill her task list
• Ensure freelance staff are informed and well prepared for all engagements
• Work with Head of Arts and Junior Arts Manager to monitor and mentor performance of freelance staff and set goals for development
• Assist with the recruitment and training of new freelance staff members
• Managing and (optionally) mentoring freelancers: this involves being part of planning meetings, observing sessions, providing feedback and guidance and recommending and selecting freelancers for specific projects based on their experience and suitability
• Observing and troubleshooting rehearsal processes

Strategy & Partnerships

• Meeting new potential partners to set up projects
• Arranging all logistics with partners before a project begins
• Maintaining contact with partners throughout and after projects to ensure smooth running and follow up
• Gathering data and analysing data as necessary
• Contributing to the writing of management and donors’ reports (as needed)
• Gathering data from partners as necessary for reporting requirements
• Assisting with planning & strategy discussions relating to theatre programmes in Lebanon
• Co-ordinating and development of relationships with Seenaryo’s partners and funders

Communications, Finance & Admin

• Securing press coverage and preparing press packs for designated projects, as well as maintaining relationships with press contacts to ensure regular profiling
• Generating relevant comms and social media content
• Maintain rigorous records in petty cash logs and provide correctly documented receipts for all payments and purchases
• Comply with Seenaryo Financial Procedures when paying staff, purchasing and making payments
• Supporting wider team operations on general office management, systems and processes

As part of an ambitious and growing organisation the role will also involve engaging with the Lebanon team and wider organisation in other tasks not listed above, within reasonable expectation and in agreement with the Senior Arts Manager’s line manager e.g. contributing to Seenaryo guide development, etc.

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

We are looking for someone with:

• More than 3 years of experience in project management and/or coordination in the arts (particularly theatre) or non-profit sector
• An enthusiastic approach and the ability to multitask
• An ability to self-motivate, use initiative and work independently on projects from start to finish
• An openness to new challenges and learning new skills
• An ability to work within a small, multi-disciplinary team
• An ability to be creative with new ideas and effectively problem solve
• Fluency in Arabic and English
• Experience using Microsoft Office and Google Suite (including Excel/Spreadsheets and Powerpoint/Slides), Google Drive and Zoom
• Driver’s licence and car (preferred)

About Seenaryo

Seenaryo is a leading specialist in theatre and play-based learning with under-served communities in Lebanon and Jordan. We use theatre and play to transform education and support people to learn, lead, heal and thrive in their classrooms and communities. Having reached over 110,000 children, youth and women since 2015, Seenaryo was winner of the Arts, Culture & Heritage prize at the 2023 UK Charity Awards, has received a 2023 Innovation Award from TheirWorld, and was one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s 120 Global Innovators. In 2022, Seenaryo created 39 original theatre productions. We also trained 668 teachers to transform learning through play using the Seenaryo Playkit mobile phone app, reaching 15,574 schoolchildren.