Employment Opportunity

Job Title: Operations Assistant

Job Focus: Arts Administration, Creative

Job Category: Contract (4 months)

Application Deadline: Friday, July 19, 2019

Start Date: Thursday, August 1, 2019

Location: 424 20th Street West Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Salary: $16 per hour

Hours: Full-time, temporary, 30 hours per week. Contract concludes on December 1, 2019.

Career Level: Entry/Intern

Organization History:

BlackFlash Magazine is a platform for contemporary visual art. BlackFlash is dedicated to presenting critical opinions, urgent issues, and innovative ideas about divergent artistic practices from across Canada, the United States and beyond. Each issue includes profiles, interviews, reviews, feature articles, and artist projects from a diverse selection of artists, writers, and curators. BlackFlash fosters a rich public engagement with contemporary art practices, such as photography, video, sound, performance and social practice by promoting energetic debate and showcasing diverse voices and communities (local, regional, national and international).

BlackFlash Magazine, formerly known as The Photographer’s Gallery, was founded in 1983 by the Photographer’s Gallery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We are currently working on our 36th year of publication, making us one of Canada’s longest running magazines. BlackFlash is proudly published, designed, and disseminated in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and is an internationally recognized resource and authority on Canadian and international contemporary art.

Job Description:

Through the Young Canada Works Internship Program, BlackFlash Magazine is looking to provide a professional development opportunity for an emerging practitioner in the arts and culture sector, while simultaneously providing essential support for the organization’s Managing Editor. The selected intern will gain hands-on experience related to the production and distribution of contemporary art publications, and will develop creative skills that are valuable to employers in a diverse range of fields, such as managing an organization’s online content, maintaining and analyzing a database, and coordinating events and fundraising initiatives. As a small-staffed organization, the Operations Assistant position is an ideal opportunity to learn a wide-range of skills as well as a concentrated experience with the daily workings of a non-profit arts organization.

The Operations Assistant will:

• Assist the Managing Editor with editorial responsibilities related to the production and dissemination of BlackFlash Magazine. The position will provide support through editing text, compiling publication material, and coordinating with contributing writers and artists, as directed by the Managing Editor.
• Assist with all matters related to BlackFlash Magazine’s online programming, including regular website updates, content management, archival research, and strengthening the organization’s presence and impact on social media platforms. The Operations Assistant will be responsible for drafting and preparing social media content on a regular basis to create a consistent organizational presence across platforms.
• Assist with the physical and digital circulation of BlackFlash Magazine to vendors and subscribers, as well as all other related material, such as event invitations, sponsorship packages, reader/contributor surveys, and promotional material related to fundraising initiatives.
• Regularly update and maintain BlackFlash Magazine’s subscription database to ensure effective and efficient circulation. The Operations Assistant will also perform basic database analysis in order to identify potential subscription sales.
• Provide support and coordination for all events-based programming, such as publication launches and fundraising events, as well as events hosted by other organizations that BlackFlash Magazine will be attending for promotional purposes (e.g. exhibition openings, book fairs, etc.). The Operations Assistant will also work with the Managing Editor and Board of Directors to strengthen existing fundraising initiatives.
• Assist with grant applications by compiling content and editing text, as directed by the Managing Editor.
• Assist with coordination and recruitment of organizational volunteers.
• Provide support for daily office administration as requested.

Requirements:

The ideal Operations Assistant candidate will possess the following characteristics and skills:

• A recent University graduate who is looking to enter the professional field of arts and culture and/or publishing. Preference will be given to candidates with academic backgrounds in fine art, art history, media studies, journalism, or related disciplines.
• Ability to think and react quickly and creatively in a fast-paced digital environment.
• Strong verbal and written skills in English. A second language would be an asset.
• Ability to perform detail-oriented editing, reading and writing tasks.
• Ability to perform tasks related to event organization, including coordinating volunteers, managing budgets, and producing and disseminating promotional material.
• Able to work independently and effectively.
• Able to communicate effectively through face-to-face and digital means of communication.
• Demonstrable skill with basic office software: Microsoft Office, Adobe CS, MAC OS, Internet research.
• A strong interest in art history, contemporary art, visual culture and publishing practices. Published writing in an art related publication is an asset.
• Availability evenings and some weekends as required.
• Must be able to commit to the position until December 1, 2019.

Young Canada Works: Building Careers in Heritage Prerequisites

Who can apply:

• Are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or have refugee status in Canada (non-Canadians holding temporary work visas or awaiting permanent status are not eligible).
• Are Legally entitled to work in Canada.
• Will be between 16 and 30 years of age at the start of employment.
• Are will to commit to the full duration of the work assignment.
• Will not have another full-time job (over 30 hours a week) while employed with the program.
• Are an unemployed or underemployed college or university graduate, that is, not employed full-time.
• Are a recent graduate who has graduated from college or university within the last 24 months at the start of employment.
• Are not receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits while employed with the program.
• Have not previously participated in or been paid under this or any other Career Focus internship program funded under the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy.

How to Apply:

To apply, candidates should submit a letter of interest and CV in one PDF document by Friday, July 19, 2019 at 11:59pm to editor@blackflash.ca. Please reference “Operations Assistant” in the subject line. No phone calls or visits please. For further information on BlackFlash Magazine, please refer to our website: https://blackflash.ca

BlackFlash Magazine is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified candidates from visible and invisible minority group members, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. We are committed to hiring on merit and to removing barriers in employment policies. Should you require accommodation during the interview process, please let us know and we will work you to meet your needs. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.