Dean of the School at the International Center of Photography

Dean of the School

Department/ Division: Education

Schedule: Full-time

Reports to: Executive Director

FLSA: Exempt

Job Grade: 8

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is the world's leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Through our exhibitions, education, public programs, and community outreach, we offer an open forum for dialogue about the power of the image. Since our founding in 1974, we have presented more than 700 exhibitions and offered thousands of classes, providing instruction at every level. Our new integrated center on the Lower East Side reunites our school and museum in one dynamic cultural center boasting state-of-the-art education facilities and access to New York's rich cultural and artistic resources.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Executive Director of the International Center of Photography (ICP), the Dean of the School at the International Center of Photography will serve on the senior team and provide vision and leadership for all educational programming with priority placed on public engagement and meeting the learning needs of students. A leader in the photography field and an active participant in the vibrant ICP community, the Dean of the School oversees and implements a broad scope of full-time and part-time educational classes, programs, and community engagement activities. The Dean of the School serves as chief academic planning officer and is responsible for creating a vision for an evolving and innovative curriculum; aligns ICP's classes and educational model with changing definitions of ICP's core mission of concerned photography within a multimedia world; collaborates with colleagues interdepartmentally across the educational department and museum. The Dean of the School must possess a broad historical and theoretical knowledge of art and be committed to the role of photography and media education in a contemporary culture.

The next Dean of the School at ICP possesses a leadership style that promotes clarity of direction, communication, collaboration, innovation in educational programming, curriculum development and evaluation, and promotion of public-facing events and the highest level of teaching. The Dean of the School must possess a passion for advancing our mission and strategic goals as well as a commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. This involves developing and effectively implementing strategies, systems, policies, and programs that support an open and welcoming culture.

The Dean of the School must have a deep understanding of the financial models of higher education, including recruitment, enrollment management, and admissions. Fiscal program management is a requisite, and the Dean of the School must be highly skilled as an advocate and evaluator of programs, staff, and faculty in the academic and public program areas.

Essential Functions and Duties:

The Dean of the School will be expected to:

• Provide visionary leadership by determining the educational objectives of ICP's future identity in a rapidly changing field.
• Build on ICP's strengths as an educational institution with a museum and international reputation; lead the implementation of the vision through evolution, adaptation, and innovation.
• Engage with all faculty, students, staff, and alumni in a highly visible manner to build community, strengthen communications, and build a program of inclusion and diversity among staff, faculty, students, and programs.
• Recruit, develop, and retain key faculty and staff, guiding them on program and professional development.
• Assess the curriculum with a view toward ensuring alignment with current and projected market demand, both locally and internationally.
• Strengthen enrollment and increase operating revenues in all educational programs.
• Participate in the national and international conversation regarding the key issues and challenges in the field of photography and visual communication education.
• Form partnerships with other institutions to create opportunities such as term exchanges, the development of new programs, and accreditation of existing programs.
• Collaborate on prospective programs and developments for the education department, exhibition department, and public programs.
• Partner with the Executive Director to build engagement and awareness of educational initiatives and strategic planning with ICP's Board of Trustees.

Actively Participate in Fundraising:

• Work with the Executive Director as a lead fundraising partner to build and extend ICP's brand reach.
• Work with senior leadership and program content staff to identify funding opportunities and sources and match those needs with donor interests.
• Actively attend fundraising events, including participating in public speaking, panels, donor dinners, art fairs, and other similar activities both in the US and abroad.
• Support other fundraising initiatives as needed.
• Leverage ICP's international network of alumni.

Additional Functions and Responsibilities:

• Prepare and manage the overall education department budget.
• Monitor all financial decisions made by departmental managers.
• Review and approve all management level hires.
• Actively work towards building a diverse and well-connected school community of students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
• Curate with departmental directors all public-facing spaces for the education department including rotating exhibition walls, signage, etc.
• Monitor education department facilities and related regulations.

Supervisory Responsibilities :

• Director of Education
• Director of Community Programs
• Director of Library
  

Minimum Qualifications: Education Requirement:

• MA, MFA, terminal degree or equivalent in photography and/or related fields.

Minimum Experience Requirement:

• 7-10 years arts education administration, preferably serving in previous Dean positions and/or Chair/Program Director.
• History of leadership in academic administration that exhibits progressively increasing responsibility, a record of success in building academic programs and support services, and demonstrated prudent management of financial resources.
• Experience building partnerships with external constituencies, including community colleges and corporate partners.
• Experience in building non-traditional programs.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to communicate with both internal and external constituencies.
• Thorough understanding of trends in adult higher education.
• Experience developing market research and marketing to both traditional and non-traditional students.
• Extensive experience serving non-traditional students in a higher education setting.

Specialized Knowledge, Licenses or Certifications required:

• Academic Assessment Processes
• Curriculum Development
• Marketing/Recruitment
• Fundraising and Grant Writing

Additional Competency Requirement (Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

Knowledge of the fields of photography (as a practitioner, student, or teacher), art, culture, visual communication, new media, education, and the humanities.

Ability to oversee and create curricula and educational programs that inspire, motivate, and attract support and professional recognition.

Administrative experience, ideally in an educational or nonprofit setting, with business acumen, including experience with budget planning.

Ability to take a high-level, long-term, and strategic perspective while also engaging in the day-to-day management of operations.

Passion for and engagement with the evolving technologies associated with the practice of photography and visual culture more broadly.

Strong communications skills with ICP's stakeholders (faculty, students, alumni, trustees, and external stakeholders), including listening, public speaking, and writing.

High emotional intelligence to manage, integrate, and move people forward.

Creativity, approachability, accessibility, relatability, openness, and kindness; an entrepreneurial spirit.

Passion for fostering social justice, equity, and inclusive excellence.

Ability to lead and support a diverse and dynamic faculty and student body.

Creativity in problem-solving.

Strength as a well-respected team motivator and mentor.

Sound knowledge of art, art history, and photography–aesthetics, history, and craft.

Ability to work collaboratively.

Working Conditions: Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee is regularly required to communicate and exchange information.

The employee is required to spend prolonged periods of time utilizing the computer.

The employee is regularly required to operate, activate, and use office equipment.

The employee must move throughout ICP's spaces to document and stage events.

The employee may occasionally need to move up to 25 pounds.

Special Environmental Factors: (Nature of the work environment)

• Full COVID-19 vaccination required.
• The employee is required to work in the general public environment (face-to-face contact with the public).
• The employee might be required to work remotely or both in-person and online.
• Evenings and weekends may be required (schedule subject to change).

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