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Job Description
Description
Join the Palo Alto Art Center as Our Next Adult Studio Program Director
Are you passionate about art, community, and creative engagement? The Palo Alto Art Center is seeking a dynamic, Adult Studio Program Director to develop programs that engage the community through hands-on artmaking opportunities. In this key leadership role, you’ll oversee a thriving program of art classes, workshops, and drop-in opportunities that serve more than 2,000 diverse adult participants each year.
The Art Center’s vibrant studio facilities--a creative hub in the community--feature a fully equipped ceramic studio, and dedicated spaces for jewelry making, printmaking, drawing, painting, and fiber arts. You’ll be the driving force behind these programs, managing operations, developing innovative curriculum, and fostering an inclusive, inspiring environment for learning and artistic exploration.
In the process, you’ll engage a committed team of staff, contractors, and volunteers, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations while shaping the long-term vision of adult programs at the Art Center. This role blends hands-on operations with high-level strategy, offering the opportunity to make a significant impact in a beloved, community-centered institution.
Ideal Candidate Profile:- A strategic, detail-oriented planner with strong administrative and program management skills.
- A collaborative communicator skilled at working with artists, staff, and community members.
- A customer-focused leader who thrives in a public-facing, community-oriented environment.
- A creative professional with experience managing art studios—ceramics experience a plus.
- Familiarity with municipal operations and a passion for making art accessible to all.
Learn More About Us
The Palo Alto Art Center is your place to see and make art, activate your creativity and expand your community. We invite you to learn more about who we are and what we do click here: Palo Alto Art Center.
Essential Duties
The Adult Studio Program Director leads the strategic direction and daily operations of the Palo Alto Art Center’s Adult Studios Program, which serves over 2,000 participants and generates $550,000+ annually.
Responsibilities include:- Program Development: Plan, implement, and evaluate quarterly classes, workshops, and drop-in artmaking opportunities.
- Instructor & Course Management: Recruit and select instructors, manage proposals, contracts, and course scheduling through Civic Rec.
- Facility Oversight: Ensure a safe, welcoming studio environment across ceramics, jewelry, printmaking, painting, and fiber arts, scheduling appropriate staffing and managing safety measures, security, and compliance.
- Budget & Operations: Manage program budgets, monitor revenue/expenses, and process payments.
- Marketing & Promotion: Collaborate with Marketing Coordinator to promote programs and boost enrollment.
- Team Leadership: Supervise two staff members and a group of volunteers, providing training and mentorship.
- Customer Service: Enforce studio policies and ensure a positive participant experience.
- Fundraising Support: Partner with the Art Center Foundation on the annual Studio Sale, budgeting, and ongoing membership and donor engagement.
- Internal Collaboration: Work across program areas to align studio programs with broader Art Center and City of Palo Alto initiatives.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities which would typically be acquired through:- Bachelor's Degree in Arts/Humanities/Theater/Sciences or equivalent. Master's Degree desirable.
- Three years of experience related to the position.
- Experience managing an art studio
Supplemental Information
This position is represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The Selection Process:- Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
- Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
- Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
- The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
For more details visit our Careers Page, by clicking HERE.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 8/24/2025 11:59 PM Pacific - A strategic, detail-oriented planner with strong administrative and program management skills.
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show moreThe Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-NewsCity Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
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