Deputy Director

Socrates Sculpture Park 

Deputy Director

Position Title: Deputy Director 

Department: Development

Reports To: Executive Leadership

Position Classification: Full Time Exempt

Work Site Location: Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens

Salary Range: $130,000 - $140,000 per year

About Socrates Sculpture Park:

Socrates Sculpture Park is a community engaged New York City waterfront park dedicated to supporting artists in the production and presentation of public art. 

Socrates Sculpture Park was an abandoned riverside landfill and illegal dumpsite for decades leading up to 1986 when a coalition of artists and community members, under the leadership of artist Mark di Suvero, transformed it into an open studio and exhibition space for artists. Today, Socrates is an internationally renowned outdoor museum and a designated New York City public park.

Known for fostering ambitious and visionary artworks, Socrates has presented more than 1,200 artists on its five waterfront acres, providing them the financial support, materials, equipment, and space necessary to create large-scale works in the public realm. The Park is a center of cultural programming, a producer of contemporary exhibitions, a presenter of a multi-disciplinary performance series, and an arts educator. Socrates’ existence is based on the belief that reclamation, revitalization and creative expression are essential to the survival, humanity and improvement of our urban environment. 

Role Overview:

Socrates is seeking a Deputy Director, a newly created role that will work closely with Executive Leadership to build resources for the organization and help to systematize its administration. This multidisciplinary role will have a hand across operations and is ideal for a creative-minded, entrepreneurial thinker and doer. This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate who is on an upward trajectory towards executive leadership. 

Primary Responsibilities:

Fundraising and Resources

• Manage an institutional fundraising plan, ensuring benchmarks are met, sustained, and grown for an annual operating budget of $2-2.5 million
• Shape and establish annual fundraising priorities and goals, including institutional, corporate, and individual giving, and earned revenue
• Steward existing donors and build value for supporters of the organization 
• Build the funder prospect pipeline and enact a robust moves management protocol
• Develop the strategy and execution of two major annual fundraising events and smaller cultivation events as needed
• Develop a strategy for Board Reserve replenishment and sustainability
• Build compelling cases for support to attract new funding, and craft inspiring fundraising campaigns, collateral, proposals, appeals, and materials
• Liaise with programs team to align fundraising with programming needs
• Work closely with the finance team to ensure budgeting and fundraising benchmarks are in alignment 

Operations

• Work with Executive Leadership to negotiate and sustain relationships with New York City Parks and other government entities
• Build and manage operational systems to streamline administration, including information and project management flows
• Be a partner to Executive Leadership in the annual budgeting process, managing budget decision-making relative to income projections
• Work with the finance team to generate program-specific and special project budgets to support grant applications and fundraising needs
• Set and manage a cadence of staff engagement, including staff meetings, department check-ins, and team-building

Governance and Leadership

• Support Executive Leadership with Board of Directors cultivation and management, including preparing board presentations, board books and memos, and other board communications needs 
• Serve as a thought partner to Executive Leadership
• Along with Executive Leadership, be a spokesperson for the organization

Qualifications:

Competitive candidates will have at least 10 years of progressive leadership experience working with New York City-based nonprofit cultural organizations and a speciality focus in fundraising and operations. Candidates must have established relationships with New York City cultural funders and stakeholders, and must understand the importance of our local context of Queens and legacy of artistic production at the intersection of community engagement, ecological stewardship, and activism. Socrates is a highly collaborative workplace where decision-making is driven by our organizational values:

• Freedom of Creative Expression
• Open & Inclusive Public Access
• Artistic Experimentation & Exploration
• Community Collaboration & Civic Engagement
• Stewardship of the Land and Respect for Place
• Cultivation of Mutual Respect and Joy

The ideal candidate is, therefore:

• Committed to anti-oppressive values and practices
• A self-starter who also works well collaboratively 
• An accomplished fundraiser with a proven track record
• An organized, systems-thinker
• A high-caliber worker
• An efficient delegator and manager
• An experienced negotiator
• Practiced in leading with care and accountability 
• A strong communicator
• Confident during in-person meetings with donors and stakeholders
• Excited about community engagement and public participation in the arts
• A respected leader in the New York City arts and cultural field
• Nimble and comfortable with experimentation 
• Entrepreneurial-minded and knowledgeable of new sustainability models
• Able to hit the ground running

Added bonus for candidates who have experience working with New York City Parks and local government, and/or who have worked with lobbyists.

Technical Skills:

• Bloomerang or similar donor management system
• Google Workspace
• Working knowledge of Adobe design programs a plus (e.g., InDesign and Photoshop)
• Prior experience with website maintenance through WordPress and database management is helpful 

Supervision:

The Deputy Director will report directly to Executive Leadership and will directly supervise a Development Manager and seasonal interns (as needed)

Work Hours and Schedule:

Full-time / Monday – Friday / 10:00am – 6:00pm

During the park’s high season, April – October, some weekends and nights will be required.

To be Considered: 

Please send a resume and cover letter as a single PDF to [email protected] with the subject line: Deputy Director. Please clearly feature your relevant career experience aligned to the needs outlined above. In your cover letter, please articulate why you are a strong candidate for this position, why you want to work with Socrates, and how you envision being of value to the organization. Please note, we are seeking candidates who understand the importance of localized work and the context of Socrates’ Queens location.

• Applications are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, August 18, 2025
• Anticipated start of work: October
• No phone calls please. Position will remain open until filled

Interview Process:

• Introductory conversation via Zoom (20min) 
• 2nd interview and tour on site at Socrates Sculpture Park (1hr)
• Final interview with formal presentation in response to three case studies, via Zoom (1½ hrs / compensated)

Socrates Sculpture Park is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The Park is committed to building a culturally diverse community and strongly encourages applications from candidates from underrepresented communities.

08/18/2025