Applications Now Accepted for Association for Cultural Equity Executive Director Position

The Association for Cultural Equity (ACE) is now accepting applications for the position of Executive Director.  We are looking for a visionary leader for our organization, which is committed to sustaining the world’s expressive traditions through preservation, research, dissemination and reconnecting communities with their cultural heritage.

ACE is a living archive that puts its collections at the service of source communities, endangered cultures, emerging cultural leaders, students and teachers at all levels, and the scientific community.  The Global Jukebox features hundreds of recordings from throughout the world accompanied by rich contextualization, including Journeys that enable visitors to explore a tradition across multiple cultures. Our digital platforms also include the Lomax Digital Archive and a YouTube channel of Lomax’s video collections, which have had over 31 million views. ACE’s Repatriation Initiative returns copies of documentation to communities in the US, Caribbean and Europe, while the Endangered Cultures/Emerging Leaders Initiative trains cultural leaders in documentation practices and creates collaborative educational programs. We carry out comparative studies of music and dance drawing from the Cantometrics and Choreometrics frameworks. ACE’s partners include community cultural organizations, archives, libraries and academic institutions in the US, Europe and the Caribbean. 

Responsibilities of the Executive Director:

• Lead the staff and board in strategic thinking around short and long term organizational vision, messaging and growth.
• Work closely with staff to expand and improve ACE’s programs and evaluate and ensure their effectiveness and excellence.
• Lead funding development initiatives with support of board, staff and consultants. Apply to public and private funding sources.
• Work closely with the Managing Director to ensure financial stability and prudent expenditures.
• Lead communication efforts for ACE in support of visibility and reputation.
• Represent ACE’s work at relevant professional convenings.
• Actively maintain existing relationships and build new collaborations with funders, consultants, artists, organizational partners and scholars.
• Oversee and evaluate the work of staff and consultants, including recruiting and mentoring new staff and interns.
• Report to board of directors, providing ongoing communication about significant organizational, programmatic and financial developments along with monthly written reports of activities. 

Desired Qualifications:

• Broad ​​knowledge of, and passion for, American and world traditional music and dance is preferred. Experience in public folklore, ethnomusicology, and cultural programming is desirable.
• Successful fundraising and grant writing experience.
• Administrative, governance, supervisory and management experience..
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, organize, and manage actual and virtual public programs.
• Demonstrated ability to think productively and creatively, and to communicate effectively with multiple audiences, including the general public.
• Proven ability to work successfully with funders, academic and public sector colleagues, other organizations and government agencies, and community members.
• Highly motivated, self-directed and able to work collaboratively and respectfully with colleagues in a small office environment.
• A university or college degree in Folklore, Ethnomusicology, Anthropology or a related field preferred.

The Executive Director will work full time.  The salary range is $70,000 - $85,000, commensurate with experience. Contributions are provided towards medical insurance. Generous vacation and holiday leave. ACE is housed at our offices in New York City.

To apply, please send a letter of interest that addresses qualifications along with a c.v. or resume and relevant samples of work to recruitment@culturalequity.org.