Program Manager, Arts and Culture

As the Program Manager, Arts & Culture, you'll support the development and execution of investments and partnerships that strengthen Detroit’s arts and culture ecosystem and expand access to creative opportunities across communities.

This role works collaboratively with internal team members and external partners to build and manage a portfolio of grants and initiatives that support artists, cultural organizations, and public space activation through arts and culture. The Program Manager applies a data-driven and community-informed approach to support program strategy, execute grantmaking processes, and maintain strong relationships with partners throughout the lifecycle of investments.

The Program Manager is responsible for coordinating program activities, managing grant processes, supporting cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring that arts and culture investments align with the organization’s broader goals related to economic mobility, community development, and inclusive growth.

About the role

• Apply a data-driven and community-informed approach to identify and support arts and culture investment opportunities that align with the organization’s strategy, mission, and values

• Manage grants and partnerships throughout their lifecycle in Salesforce, including concept development, execution of agreements, reporting, and ongoing partner engagement

• Support the development and implementation of program goals, work plans, and timelines related to arts and culture initiatives, including public art, creative placemaking, and cultural programming

• Maintain strong communication with artists, cultural organizations, and community partners to understand needs, share resources, and support successful program delivery

• Coordinate with internal teams to support program execution, including Marketing and Communications for storytelling, Operations for reporting and metrics, and other focus areas to align investments

• Track program performance, collect and review partner reports, and support evaluation efforts to inform continuous improvement of arts and culture investments

• Proactively identify challenges in program execution, elevate risks as needed, and work collaboratively to implement solutions

• Assess local needs and national trends in arts and culture, creative economy, and community-based cultural development to inform program strategy

• Support the coordination of community engagement efforts related to arts and culture initiatives, ensuring inclusive participation and responsiveness to community input

• Assist in organizing events, activations, and partner convenings that advance arts and culture programming and strengthen community connections

• Support the development and implementation of an arts intermediary model in partnership with the Arts & Culture team, including coordinating with intermediary partners, managing workflows related to grassroots grantmaking, and helping facilitate funding opportunities for small and grassroots arts organizations

• Maintain alignment with the organization’s mission and values, demonstrating that commitment in daily interactions

About you

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of project management experience in philanthropic, government, nonprofit, or arts and culture environments

• Experience partnering with diverse stakeholder groups including artists, cultural organizations, community development entities, and philanthropic funders

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with internal teams and external partners to support program execution

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage individuals at all levels, including community partners and organizational leadership

• Demonstrated ability to understand and respond to partner and community needs in a dynamic environment while aligning with organizational goals

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously including, setting, tracking, and adjust goals, milestones, and outcomes

• Demonstrated ability to use data and community insights to inform program improvements and investment decisions

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program management, arts administration, cultural programming, or related field

• Subject matter familiarity with arts and culture ecosystems, including public art, creative economies, and community-based cultural initiatives

• Experience managing grants or funding programs that support artists, cultural organizations, or community-based initiatives

• Experience working with or alongside arts intermediaries, regranting models, or grassroots funding approaches

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, Slack, and related tools

• Demonstrated ability to think creatively about community-centered challenges and contribute to innovative program approaches

What you’ll get

Our team members fuel our strategy, innovation and growth, so we ensure the health and well-being of not just you, but your family, too! We go above and beyond to give you the support you need on an individual level and offer all sorts of ways to help you live your best life. We are proud to offer eligible team members perks and health benefits that will help you have peace of mind. Simply put: We’ve got your back. Check out our full list of Benefits and Perks.

About us

Detroit-based Rock Ventures serves and connects Rocket Mortgage Founder and Cleveland Cavaliers Majority Owner Dan Gilbert’s portfolio of more than 100 companies. The Family of Companies’ mission is to increase growth, innovation and prosperity in the cities in which its thousands of team members live, work, and play. Key initiatives include real estate development, community investments and economic development.

This job description is an outline of the primary responsibilities of this position and may be modified at the discretion of the company at any time.  Decisions related to employment are not based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.  The company provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.  Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations in completing the application and/or participating in the application process should contact a member of the Human Resources team, at [email protected].

The compensation information below is provided in compliance with all applicable job posting disclosure requirements. The compensation for this position is $57,000.00-$121,500.00. The position may also be eligible for an annual bonus, incentives, and other employment-related benefits including, but not limited to, medical, dental, and vision benefits, 401K retirement plan, and paid-time off. More information regarding these benefits and others can be found here. The information regarding compensation and other benefits included in this paragraph is the company’s current, good faith estimate at the time of posting. [Compensation and benefits are subject to modification from time to time as the Company, in its sole and exclusive discretion, deems appropriate.] The Company may determine during its future reviews of the proposed compensation and benefits provided for this position, that the compensation and benefits for such position should be reduced. In no event will the Company reduce the compensation for the position to a level below the applicable jurisdictional minimum wage rate for the position. Los Angeles County and San Francisco Candidates only: qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment per the Fair Chance Ordinance and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.