Allied Media Projects is Hiring an AMC Program Director
AMP is excited to announce that we are hiring a new AMC Program Director. Our current AMC Director, Morgan Willis, will be transitioning into a new leadership role within AMP’s Sponsored Projects Program, bringing to that program all of the visionary organizing skills she has honed through the past five years of directing the AMC.
We are looking for an AMC Program Director with a passion for the art of network cultivation and facilitation, event production, and with experience in media-based organizing. The AMC Program Director will assist Morgan throughout the organizing process for AMC2017 in preparation for assuming full responsibility for the role by January 2018.
This position is full time and based in Detroit, Michigan. The deadline to apply is November 27, 2016 at Midnight EST. The target start date for this position is January 3, 2017.
Working at AMP is fun, dynamic, and challenging. AMP is a growing, grassroots organization that is continually evolving and we are seeking candidates who are passionate about their work and excited to contribute. We offer a good salary and generous benefits.
About AMP
Allied Media Projects has two core initiatives: the Allied Media Conference and the Sponsored Projects program.
Held every summer in Detroit, the Allied Media Conference brings together a vibrant and diverse community of people using media to incite change. The conference is created each year through a participatory design process and features over 300 hands-on workshops, film screenings, Detroit tours, art and music events. Over 2,000 people attended the 18th annual Allied Media Conference in June of 2016.
AMP’s Sponsored Projects program offers support to social justice-oriented art, media, and technology projects in the form of: fiscal sponsorship, project planning and management, communications strategy, and fundraising. The network of AMP sponsored projects is growing, with over three dozen active projects at the time of this posting.
To learn about the AMC, check out the following links:
About the AMC Program Director Role
The AMC Program Director will spend a full year in training prior to assuming the full responsibilities of this position. During the training year, they will assist the current director through the process of producing and evaluating AMC2017, and initiating planning for AMC2018. By January 2018, the Program Director will assume the full role described below.
The AMC Program Director will be responsible for directing three overlapping areas of work: community facilitation, content development, and event production. Within each of the areas described below they will have significant support from other staff members at AMP.
Community facilitation
The AMC Program Director facilitates more than 100 volunteer coordinators of tracks, practice spaces, and network gatherings to produce the core content areas of each Allied Media Conference. This work includes:
- Supporting and training coordinators in content development, fundraising, and outreach through facilitating the annual AMC Coordinators Retreat and utilizing the “How We Organize the AMC” handbook, the content of which they are responsible for updating annually.
- Making connections between ideas, people, and resources across the various content areas. For example, connecting leaders of the Kids Practice Space with leaders of the Prison Justice track to design a session for kids about imagining a world without prisons.
- Leading collaborative decision-making processes between coordinators to select the content for their tracks and practice spaces, ensuring smooth, accessible workflows for decision-making.
- Problem solving and resolving any issues or conflicts that emerge amongst coordinators, between coordinators and AMP staff, and among AMC participants during the conference.
Content development
- Listening to the AMC’s broad network through surveys, attending events, convening focus groups, and having one-on-one conversations.
- Promoting participation in the conference by conducting targeted outreach to potential presenters and coordinators
- Designing big picture programming, including making final decisions about conference content, building out the schedule of 300+ sessions, and shaping the opening and closing ceremonies.
Event Production
- Fundraising, including sponsor outreach and support with grant writing and reporting.
- Logistics, including working closely with key vendors and partners such as Wayne State University and the Detroit Institute of Arts; designing and managing a temporary staff and volunteer structure for conference production.
- Communications, including writing blog posts and other promotional materials, public speaking and press interviews, developing online and printed program information, and more.
Ideal Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have many of the following qualifications:
- Based in Detroit or willingness to relocate to Detroit full-time
- A developed perspective of social justice, social change, and social equity
- Vision and imagination for a more just and creative world
- Leadership abilities to organize with grassroots communities and a passion for facilitating the leadership of others
- Experience at the AMC as a participant, volunteer, presenter, or track coordinator
- Experience as a media-based organizer
- Experience in event production
- Experience with conflict mediation, de-escalation, and facilitating challenging conversations.
- Experience with creative problem-solving in a collaborative setting
- Experience designing and leading creative, participatory workshops
- Experience facilitating productive, enjoyable meetings in person and virtually
- Ability to learn and refine communications, data and organizing systems, including building and navigating spreadsheets and online management systems
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Ability to build relationships across diverse issue areas and identity groups.
- Comprehensive understanding of accessibility; experience producing events that are accessible to people with disabilities, non-english speakers, queer and trans* people, parents, low-income people, and multiple age groups
- Familiarity with principles and practices of collaborative design
- Familiarity with Detroit social justice organizing and ability to draw connections between Detroit and other communities within the national AMP network.
- Ability/desire to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, and willingness to travel occasionally.
How to Apply
Please send the following to work@alliedmedia.org:
- Short introductory letter and a resume/CV
- A short statement that highlights the three qualifications listed above that you feel most confident in and the three you feel most challenged by
- Two writing samples that demonstrate your written communications skills
- Contact information for three professional references
Applications will be accepted until November 27, 2016. Interviews will take place in early December. Our ideal candidate will be able to start on January 3, 2017.
Allied Media Projects is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, HIV serostatus, disability, height, weight, veteran status or marital status.