MAKE Literary Productions: An Overview

MAKE Literary Productions, NFP, (MAKE) supports, promotes, and engages contemporary writers, artists, and audiences through publishing, multidisciplinary arts events, and international cultural exchange between the US and Mexico. MAKE produces Lit & Luz Festival, a week-long series of arts and literary events, in Chicago every fall and Mexico City every spring–the festival is now in its twelfth year.

MAKE consists of the Board of Directors, Executive Director, part-time Operations Directors, part-time Artistic Directors, part-time Grant Writer, part-time Individual Giving Manager, part-time contractors, and volunteer programmers.

Executive Director Position

Location: Primarily remote (on-site in Chicago the first two weeks of November)

Hours: Part-time, 80–100 hours/month

Compensation: $3000/month

Position Summary

MAKE is hiring a part-time Executive Director to oversee the organization and its core functions: fundraising, festival production, and media. The Executive Director primarily supervises the production of two week-long festivals, Lit & Luz Chicago (November) and Lit & Luz Mexico City (March); manages the podcast series with festival alumni; liaises with the fundraising team to give strategic direction, receives funding updates, and actively engages with current and prospective donors and sponsors; and directs communications efforts from email and social-media campaigns to website updates. Project management experience is useful. 

Responsibilities

The typical 20-hour week for the ED consists of an 20/80 split of regular meetings (1 hour with the Board of Directors, 1 hour with the development team and 2–3 hours with the festival Artistic Directors and Operations Director) and 15–16 hours of internal and external coordination to ensure ongoing organizational alignment with goals and milestones established with the Board of Directors.

Outside of meetings, the Executive Director will be responsible for providing feedback on grant applications as requested and needed by the Director of Grants; handling follow-up communication with prospective partners, donors, and sponsors as appropriate; giving direction to staff on website and social media updates and email donation campaigns; and overseeing the timeline and implementation for an established monthly podcast series. 

Background

The ideal candidate will have professional working fluency in English and Spanish. A meaningful connection to the Latinx/é community in Chicago is also highly valued. Proven success managing large-scale artistic projects with multiple moving parts and/or nonprofit governance is a must. 

The Executive Director leads the organization to coordinate funding sources and the promotion and production of successful programs for artists, audiences, and partners. As the role is chiefly people management, the ideal candidate is a clear communicator who works well with diverse staff across organizational functions to achieve organizational priorities within deadlines, with direction and support from the Board of Directors. They will understand the importance of artistic programming and strategize to build audiences to support artists and writers in line with MAKE’s mission of fostering cross-cultural collaboration. They should actively participate in the Chicago arts community as a reader, viewer, or working artist.

Interview Process

To apply, please submit a resume to jobs@makemag.org by May 30. Submissions received before May 30 will receive priority consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. For more information, makelit.org and litluz.org.

MAKE Literary Productions, NFP is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination as an Equal Opportunity Employer. MAKE’s policy is to maintain and promote nondiscrimination regarding race, color, creed, national origin or ancestry, marital status, gender, physical or mental handicap unrelated to ability, sexual orientation, religion, political philosophy, unfavorable discharge from military service or age in all phases of employment practices and facilities in accordance with all applicable laws. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.