The purpose of the Special Projects Manager role is to design and deliver a wide range of inspiring Special Projects that enrich the lives of young people in under-resourced communities through creative writing and storytelling.
The Special Projects Manager is charged with designing and delivering high-quality creative writing-based projects to young people aged 7 to 17 (Stages 2 to 6) in a variety of contexts.
Often delivered in collaboration with other arts and cultural organisations or artists, these projects bring together young people from a number of schools or groups to write and create a shared public outcome that they can be proud of.
This outcome could take many forms: a book, script, series of short films, or an exhibition that mixes words with dance or art or film.
Projects might run for six months or over multiple years, and can involve small or large groups of students.
It is vital that all projects are culturally appropriate, draw on diverse cultures, and give our students opportunities to authentically express their ideas and beliefs.
Where appropriate, the Special Projects Manager will consult and work with Elders and Traditional Custodians, and First Nations writers and artists.
The Special Projects Manager will ensure our projects are of the highest quality, aligned to our Theory of Change, and make the biggest possible difference in the lives of the young people who participate.
Every Story Factory special project is unique.
In the past, we have collaborated with Belvoir Street Theatre, the Female Factory and artist Blak Douglas to produce books, scripts, or an exhibition.
The Special Projects Manager will be responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with writers, artists and organisations to collaboratively design possible new projects.
They will provide detailed information to the Chief Financial Officer to enable them to create accurate budgets for projects, and support the Head of Fundraising to find funding for projects.
Once funding is secured, the Special Projects Manager will work to ensure these projects are inspiring for the young people who participate and offer ways to stretch their skills and engage with writing as an artform.
They will work closely with the Publishing & Production Manager and Engagement & Operations Lead, who manage the administrative and logistical aspects of delivering these projects, to ensure all projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to funders' specifications, with a high-quality public outcome.
They will also collaborate with the Communications and Publishing Lead to ensure that student voices are amplified and shared as much as possible throughout the life of the project.
The Special Projects Manager is also responsible for the design and delivery of Story Factory's fee-for-service projects.
These might range from a commission from a local council to support young people to write creatively about the issues they see in their area, to eliciting input from young people into a master-planning process.
The Special Projects Manager will attend scoping meetings with the Executive Director, and be able to proffer possible creative direction on the spot.
They will then refine their ideas and be able to pitch them back to the client, adjusting them to meet both the client's needs and our organisational goals.
They will then lead the delivery of the project, ensuring this is done on time and to the client's specifications.
The successful candidate will be a very experienced and inspiring educator with a vibrant creative vision.
They will have a strong understanding of schools and curricula, and also be full of ideas which they can translate into tangible, impactful projects.
Crucially, they will have the ability to elicit strong pieces of writing from young people (Stages 2-6) with a range of abilities and from diverse backgrounds, often within short time frames.
They will be highly collaborative, work well under pressure, and have the skills to adjust projects as necessary to meet the needs of the young people we work with.
All our work with young people is strengths-based, and being able to identify and nurture the strengths of young people from First Nations and CALD backgrounds is essential.
This is a unique opportunity for an outstanding educator to engage their creative abilities to deliver meaningful impact to thousands of young people in under-resourced communities.
Click the link below to see the full Job Description: https://www.storyfactory.org.au/about/work-with-us/ Please submit Resume and Cover Letter.
