A meeting place for creativity, community and culture - Candidates' Pack: Director, Collingwood Yards

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   A meeting place for
  creativity, community
       and culture

     Candidates’ Pack:
Director, Collingwood Yards

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        About
         us

Collingwood Yards is a meeting place for creativity, community
and culture.

Collingwood Yards is a new, permanent and affordable home for
scores of artists and independent arts organisations working
across music, visual arts, performance, creative industries and
beyond. Situated across the former Collingwood Technical School
campus, the site consists of three buildings and a leafy central
courtyard.

Located in one of Australia’s most diverse, rapidly transforming
and dense inner-city neighbourhoods, Collingwood Yards is a
growing hub of artists and small-to-medium-sized arts
organisations. Collingwood Yards forms the largest part of the
wider Collingwood Arts Precinct which also incorporates the
adjoining home of Circus Oz. The precinct is a vital part of a
greater ecosystem that connects to artists and creative and
community organisations across Collingwood and around the inner
north of Melbourne.

Collingwood Yards is an initiative of Contemporary Arts Precincts
Ltd (CAP), a not-for-profit social enterprise established to deliver
vibrant, cross-disciplinary creative precincts that provide spaces
and support for small-to-medium creative organisations and
individuals. CAP Ltd empowers the collaborative development of a
sustainable, ambitious, challenging and inspiring arts ecology. We
catalyse a creative context that builds the capacity for artists,
creative practitioners and cultural organisations to grow and
develop by offering spaces and resources that allow artists to
engage with each other and with the wider community.

IMAGES: Photography by Stefan Postles

                                              DIRECTOR, COLLINGWOOD YARDS – CANDIDATES’ PACK – P.2

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        About
       the role

The Director has primary accountability for facilitating an
environment of collaboration and experimentation among
Collingwood Yards’ tenant community. The Director nurtures
positive and constructive relationships with a broad range of
stakeholders including artists, creative organisations, funders and
partners, and local and state governments, ensuring Collingwood
Yards remains a vibrant and sustainable site.

Working with a collaborative and dynamic team, the Director of
Collingwood Yards will develop, lead and implement the
organisation’s second five-year strategic plan.

The Director of Collingwood Yards is responsible for maintaining an
organisational culture of excellence that champions diversity,
interdisciplinary collaboration, respect and inclusivity. The Director
works closely with the Board and its Sub-Committees, including
the First Peoples Reference Group, and Collingwood Yards’ tenant
community.

Collingwood Yards is an initiative of Contemporary Arts Precincts.
The Director reports to the Board of Contemporary Arts Precincts
as the organisation’s executive role.

                                               DIRECTOR, COLLINGWOOD YARDS – CANDIDATES’ PACK – P.3

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         Role
        outline

Location              Collingwood Yards, 35 Johnston St Collingwood
Reporting to          The Board, Contemporary Arts Precincts
Working with          The Director leads the Collingwood Yards team including General
                      Manager, Communications and Partnership Manager, Tenancy and
                      Community Manager, Operations Manager, Site Manager and
                      Groundskeeper
Position type         Ongoing three-year contract, renewable, full-time, with flexible working
                      arrangements as organisational policy for all staff
Salary details        $115-130,000 depending on skills and experience, plus standard
                      superannuation and leave entitlements
Term                  From late March 2021
Applications due      12:00pm (noon) AEDT on Monday 22 February 2021
To apply              Please follow the Application Process below. First Peoples, people with
                      disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,
                      and people of gender and sexual diversity, are strongly encouraged to
                      apply.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

●   Develop and lead the implementation of Collingwood Yards’ second five-year strategic plan,
    delivered via annual business plans with clear and measurable goals to be reported against
    via written and/or verbal reports to the Board at Board meetings and as required.
●   Facilitate an environment of collaboration and experimentation, exploring new models of
    partnering, cross-disciplinary approaches and audience development and engagement.
●   Oversee tenant management and leasing, inclusive of site operations and the selection of
    tenants leading to a vibrant and sustainable site and a balanced tenancy mix.
●   Nurture positive and constructive relationships and develop strategic alliances with federal,
    state and local governments, as well as with a broad range of artistic organisations locally,
    nationally, and potentially, internationally.
●   Appoint, manage and support staff while maintaining the established organisational culture
    and championing diversity, interdisciplinary collaboration, respect and inclusivity.
●   Ensure that Collingwood Yards maintains excellent public engagement and high-quality
    branding, communications and marketing, including through social media.
●   Supported by the Board, actively drive the organisation’s fundraising and partnership-
    building to attract committed partners.
●   Oversee excellent risk management, inclusive of occupational health and safety and
    compliance with all applicable local, state and federal legislation and regulations.

                                              DIRECTOR, COLLINGWOOD YARDS – CANDIDATES’ PACK – P.4

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     Selection
      criteria

●   Conceptual and organisational leadership skills, including the
    ability to lead strategic thinking, business systems and
    planning, program development, policy and physical
    infrastructure.
●   Demonstrated people management skills, with a strong record
    of leading diverse, high-achieving teams.
●   Experience running an artistic facility, building or precinct,
    including the ability to be a hands-on problem solver who can
    address issues creatively as they arise.
●   Proven ability to manage financial outcomes, including the
    establishment of budgets and accurate reporting and
    forecasting.
●   Highly articulate communication skills with a strong capacity to
    communicate vision and objectives and engage a wide variety
    of stakeholders inside and outside the organisation in achieving
    that vision.
●   Excellent relationship, partnership and stakeholder
    management skills, with the proven ability to build, foster and
    support communities of diverse stakeholders and partners
    inclusive of Collingwood Yards’ tenants, First Peoples, local
    neighbourhood, arts communities, and local and state
    governments.
●   Deep knowledge of the local and national arts sector including
    key state and national organisations, current issues and trends,
    independent creative practice, small-to-medium creative
    enterprise and social enterprise, and funding sources and
    opportunities.
●   A proven track record in fundraising, including grant writing,
    partnership building and networks with government and
    philanthropic funders.
●   Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the needs
    of Collingwood Yards’ tenants, including an understanding of
    First Peoples cultural protocols.

                                              DIRECTOR, COLLINGWOOD YARDS – CANDIDATES’ PACK – P.5

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         How
       to apply

1. If after reading through this document and visiting our website,
     you have further questions about the role, please call Eugenia
     Flynn, Chair, Contemporary Arts Precincts Recruitment
     Committee, on 0411 899 183 between 9:00am and 5:00pm
     AEDT, Monday to Friday.
2.   Your application should consist of a covering letter, your
     statement against selection criteria, a brief CV, and the names
     and contact details of three professional referees – as a single
     PDF with your name and the position title as the document’s
     name. Please keep in mind that if you don’t address the
     selection criteria, we won’t be able to assess your application.
3.   Applications should be sent to
     recruitment@testpattern.com.au by 12:00pm AEDT on
     Monday 22 February 2021.
4.   After the close of applications at noon on Monday 22 February
     2021, shortlisting will quickly take place, and to be fair to all
     applicants, no late applications can be accepted.
5.   While all applications will be acknowledged by email, only
     shortlisted applicants will be contacted personally, and we
     appreciate your patience during this time.
6.   Interviews will take place on Thursday morning 4 March 2021,
     either face-to-face or via Zoom. If you already know that you
     are unavailable at this time, you must make mention of this in
     your covering letter.
7.   If shortlisted, we will contact you by phone to let you know the
     time and location of your interview, outline anything that you
     may need to prepare, and request your accessibility
     requirements and preferred pronouns.
8.   All applicants will be advised of the outcome of the process.
     Applicants will also be offered the opportunity to request
     feedback within a specified time period.

                                                DIRECTOR, COLLINGWOOD YARDS – CANDIDATES’ PACK – P.6

DIRECTOR, COLLINGWOOD YARDS – CANDIDATES’ PACK – P.7