CLOSE

Director of the School of Nimbus Dance

Location: Jersey City, NJ  

Position Type: Full-Time In Person

Application Deadline: November 2, 2024  

Anticipated Start Date: January 6, 2025

Nimbus uses the power of the arts to impact individuals and communities. As Jersey City’s vibrant anchor arts organization invested in equity, diversity, and excellence, Nimbus weaves together dance company, arts center, school, and community programming. Our vision begins with the arts. Nimbus pushes the boundaries of the arts by innovating new work, collaborating with artists and arts organizations of all disciplines, and developing accessible arts education. We lift up the arts to imbue and inspire Jersey City and beyond, improving neighborhoods, promoting social well-being, and cultivating unity. We create space for people to access, participate in and benefit from the arts. We are our community: serving, inspiring, representing, reflecting, and elevating in Jersey City and all communities where we engage.

Nimbus seeks a dedicated dance educator and administrator to join our team as the Director of the School of Nimbus Dance. The position offers an opportunity to guide the next chapter of our school, nurturing young dancers, fostering community engagement, and upholding our mission of inclusivity and artistic excellence. 

Job Summary

The School Director will lead operations, community engagement, student success, professional and leadership development of the school’s teaching and administrative staff. The School Director will work with Nimbus Artistic Director, Samuel Pott, and senior staff to develop curriculum, design and implement large-scale initiatives and partnerships, and guide strategic growth of the School of Nimbus Dance. Candidates should possess a developed dance education background, strong management and administrative skills, the ability to multitask, and a commitment to inclusivity, aligning with the school’s mission to use dance and the arts to make a meaningful impact on both personal and community levels.

Key Responsibilities

Student/Family Success: Create a nurturing environment, implement programs for student development, and manage tuition and scholarships.

Curriculum Development: Collaborate with the Artistic Director and Teaching Artists to deliver a high-quality, diverse dance curriculum.

Collaborative Performances: Oversee student participation in professional productions with Nimbus Dance, particularly in events like the Jersey City Nutcracker Youth Cast.

Community Engagement: Build relationships with schools, community organizations, and families; organize events and performances that promote inclusivity and the school’s visibility.

NimbusFIT Adult Dance Classes: Oversee the NimbusFIT program and ensure it meets community needs.

Strategic Growth: Develop long-term growth strategies and expand the school’s programming and outreach.

Recommended Qualifications

– Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Dance, Arts Administration, or Education

– 5+ years of experience in dance education, with 3+ years in leadership

– Strong skills in dance pedagogy, curriculum development, and student assessment

– Excellent communication, organization, and community-building skills

– The applicant must successfully complete a Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) check – A fingerprint-based check against NJ state criminal history records and against federal criminal history records; State and National Sex Offender Registry check; and A Child Abuse Record Information (CARI) Check 

Benefits

– Anticipated Salary range $57,000 – $60,000 

– Health, dental, and vision insurance (50% employer contribution)  

– Paid vacation and personal days  

– Professional development opportunities  

– Free studio use for personal projects when available

Hours:

This position regularly requires evening and weekend hours on-site. A typical week may look like: M-F 1 pm – 8 pm, Sat 10 – 3 pm

Physical Demands:

Requires regular movement throughout the facility, occasional lifting up to 20 pounds, and effective verbal communication.

Work Environment:

Primarily office-based with moderate noise, occasional exposure to studio settings, and outdoor events.

How to Apply:

Submit your resume, cover letter, three professional references, and supplemental materials (teaching/performance reel, website, lesson plan as available) to this Google Form by November 2, 2024. 

Nimbus is an equal-opportunity employer that encourages diversity and inclusion.

BIPOC, people with disabilities, people from historically marginalized communities, LGBTQIA+ are welcome and encouraged to apply.

(note: While we hope to find a candidate who matches many of the above qualifications, we don’t expect a precise match. Most importantly, we seek a candidate who can grow with the organization, work productively and efficiently as a member of our small but powerful team and who values open communication. If you meet some, but not all, of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply.)

Full Position Description: Director of the School of Nimbus Dance

Location: Jersey City, NJ  

Position Type: Full-Time In Person

Application Deadline: October 14, 2024

Anticipated Start Date: January 6, 2025

Job Summary:

The School Director will lead operations, community engagement, student success, professional and leadership development of the school’s teaching and administrative staff. The School Director will work with Nimbus Artistic Director, Samuel Pott, and senior staff to develop curriculum, design and implement large-scale initiatives and partnerships, and guide strategic growth of the School of Nimbus Dance. Candidates should possess a developed dance education background, strong management and administrative skills, the ability to multitask, and a commitment to inclusivity, aligning with the school’s mission to use dance and the arts to make a meaningful impact on both personal and community levels.

Key Functions are indicated by underlined text.

Community Engagement:

Curriculum Development:

Student/Family Success:

Collaborative Performances:

NimbusFIT Adult Dance Open Classes:

Strategic Growth:

Recommended Qualifications:

Key Strengths: 

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 the School Director role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the School Director is regularly required to sit, stand, and walk throughout the facility. The employee is occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds, such as rearranging seating, moving materials, or setting up for events. The role also requires regular use of hands for typing, handling documents, and using office equipment. Communication is a key aspect of this position, requiring the ability to talk, hear, and occasionally present to groups of varying sizes.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the School Director position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee primarily works in a standard office environment within the school setting but may also work in studio spaces where dance classes and rehearsals take place. The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate, but it may increase during student performances or large gatherings. The employee may occasionally be exposed to airborne particles (such as dust in rehearsal spaces) or varying temperatures when attending or supervising outdoor events or performances.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Nimbus is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Nimbus makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time. 

About Nimbus:

Nimbus Dance bridges the gap between world-class performance and community engagement by presenting work that speaks to, challenges, and elevates its diverse audiences. Through its distinct and interwoven platforms of professional company, school, Arts Center, and community outreach programming, Nimbus manifests a vision for dance and the arts as a catalyst for equity, community development and transformative cultural exchange.  Nimbus began in 2005 as a loose consortium of dancers assembled by Nimbus’ Founding Artistic Director, Samuel Pott. From this modest inception, Nimbus has grown to be Jersey City’s largest professional arts non-profit. The Company, comprised of 8 dancers, has developed a repertory of over 30 works performed on tour nationally and in Jersey City, impacting 16,000 people annually.

Nimbus’ achievements and growth over 18 years are deeply tied to the company’s educational and community-based programs which overlap with the work of the professional dance company.  With educational programs at over 18 local public, private and charter schools, Nimbus Dance has unparalleled reach into the diverse constituents of the Jersey City, and Northern New Jersey communities. The School of Nimbus Dance serves over 600 youth annually with training in multiple dance forms including modern, ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, and performance. The school serves youth from ages 2-18 years and adult students. It maintains an intensive pre-professional training program that consistently places students in highly competitive high school and college dance programs. The School of Nimbus provides around $40K in scholarship funds annually to ensure that youth of all socio-economic backgrounds have the opportunity to gain the social, emotional, educational, health, and spiritual benefits that the arts instill. 

The Nimbus Arts Center opened in September 2020. This 14,500-square-foot facility has quickly become one of Jersey City’s most significant new arts venues and is now recognized as the largest dance-based arts center in the State of New Jersey. The facility consists of a 150-seat theater, four dance studios, an art gallery, offices, and storage, marking both an expansion of the facility’s footprint and a burgeoning of Nimbus’s mission and leadership within northern New Jersey.