Creative Operations Director

Full-Time | Hybrid (Pittsburgh Preferred) | Remote-Friendly for Exceptional Candidates
Salary: $70,000 | Start Date: Flexible, ideally Fall 2025

Apply Here

ABOUT RAINBOW SERPENT

Who We Are
Rainbow Serpent is a Black LGBTQ+ artist-led organization dedicated to myth-making, ancestral healing, immersive technology, and Afro-diasporic spiritual traditions. We produce work across performance, XR, literature, sculpture, public installation, and film while offering residencies, rituals, retreats, and workshops rooted in ancestral knowledge. We are visionaries, but we need someone grounded, strategic, and energized to help turn vision into lasting structure.

Our Values

Black queer cultural sovereignty
Spiritual rigor and ancestral reverence
Excellence in creative execution
Strategic growth and long-term vision
Mutual care, transparency, and sacred labor

Our Ecosystem

We root our work in service to Black LGBTQ+ artists, cultural workers, ritualists, and technologists across the United States, Nigeria, and England and support them through residencies, retreats, exhibitions, and cultural collaborations. Our installations, performances, and immersive media also engage global public audiences and use the power of Black queer worldbuilding to spark wonder, dialogue, and cultural transformation across communities.

THE ROLE

What We’re Looking For
This is a high-trust, high-autonomy leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of systems, service, and creativity. You’ll be the operational engine behind a fast-growing ecosystem of artistic and institutional projects, including XR films, exhibition tours, book launches, and public art commissions. You’ll also help lay the strategic and technical groundwork for our next phase of growth.

You will report directly to our Co-Executive Directors, Marques Redd and Mikael Owunna, and collaborate closely with them to translate high-concept ideas into actionable systems. At present, you will be the sole operational lead on the team. This is not a role with direct reports, but we will look to you to help shape the future growth of our organizational infrastructure and staffing.

This Role Is Perfect For Someone Who...

Is obsessed with structure, but inspired by soul
Has 4–6+ years managing complex creative or interdisciplinary projects
Feels energized by turning vision into executable plans
Can write a grant, build a dashboard, and pitch a partner in the same day
Thrives in fast-paced environments where agility, clarity, and systems-thinking matter
Is deeply aligned with our mission and ready to work hard to see it thrive

This Role Is NOT a Good Fit If You...

Need extensive supervision or struggle with ambiguity
Are more excited about branding than backend systems
Aren’t interested in spreadsheets, grant calendars, or follow-through
Are looking for a passive job or stepping stone for something else

Are uninterested in work rooted in healing traditions, queer culture, or liberation movements

RESPONSIBILITIES

Core Responsibilities

Project manage cross-disciplinary productions and initiatives
Conduct strategic research to expand our artistic and financial reach
Build internal systems and SOPs that support national and international scale
Draft grants and build dashboards
Collaborate directly with high-level artists and cultural leaders shaping new mythic paradigms

Specific Tasks Include

Managing timelines and tracking progress using monday.com or similar tools
Coordinating team and partner communications
Researching festivals, residencies, curators, publishers, and commissions
Maintaining a development calendar and metrics dashboard
Drafting and submitting grants and final reports
Creating SOPs, onboarding guides, templates, and documentation systems
Supporting residencies, retreats, and public activations when needed
Assisting with managing national partnerships
Organizing assets and archiving systems for all major projects

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

Must-Haves

Proven experience in operations, arts management, or nonprofit development
Excellent writing, communication, and digital organizational skills
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Comfort with ambiguity and ability to self-direct
Ability to lead operational systems independently without a large supporting team
Alignment with Black LGBTQ+ cultural and spiritual work

Nice-to-Haves

MA in Library Science, Arts Administration, Nonprofit Management, Cultural Studies, Literature, or allied field
Experience with managing projects that include XR, immersive technology, or large-scale public art
Familiarity with museum, academic, and/or grantmaking ecosystems
Professional or lived experience in Black or queer cultural work
Experience with financial tracking and reporting

Tech & Tools

monday.com or similar project management tools
Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Calendar)
Zoom, Slack, and file management systems

WHAT WE OFFER

The Basics

Hours: Full-Time
Salary: $70,000
Start Date: Flexible, ideally Fall 2025
Location: Hybrid preferred (Pittsburgh), remote possible for exceptional candidates
Contract Type: Full-time employee

Beyond the Basics

Health, vision and dental insurance
Professional development stipend
Travel support for key activations
Company laptop
Creative, purpose-driven culture rooted in excellence and transformation

Our Work Style
We move with intensity and flexibility. We value clarity, autonomy, and thoughtful communication. We believe that systems are sacred and collaboration is ceremony. This is a team built on trust, honesty, and shared devotion to something bigger than any of us.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

First 30 Days

Deeply understand our mission, projects, and current systems
Take ownership of monday.com task flows and communication channels
Begin drafting or submitting at least one grant or proposal

By 90 Days

Be fully integrated into all major project flows
Have implemented or improved at least one operational system
Own day-to-day management of multiple creative or institutional projects

HOW TO APPLY

Application Process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Priority consideration will be given to those received by Friday, August 15, 5pm
Top candidates will receive a skills test
Finalists will be invited to a virtual interview
Offer will follow for selected candidate

To Apply

We are asking candidates to submit an application for this position through the application form. This application will require you to submit a resume and answers to the questions below:

1. Why does the work of Rainbow Serpent speak to you, and how do you see yourself in alignment with our mission?

2. What are you building toward in your career, and how do you pursue excellence in the work that matters most to you?

3. [Case study] Rainbow Serpent is currently producing three book projects. One is an anthology featuring contributions from painters, poets, photographers, sculptors, and essayists. How would you plan a workflow to get this project printed and launch a national tour to promote it?

4. [Case Study] You inherit an inbox with 200+ unread emails from collaborators, clients, and the general public. What is your step-by-step approach to triaging, responding, and putting systems in place to prevent future overload?

5. [Case Study] Rainbow Serpent has been successful with receiving local and state grants. How would you craft a national grants strategy to secure support from major cultural funders, philanthropic institutions, and arts foundations?

VALUES & EXPECTATIONS

At Rainbow Serpent, we believe in building an institution worthy of our ancestors and descendants. That means rigor, care, and clarity. We are not a side hustle. We are a sacred offering. We’re looking for someone who:

Moves with urgency, care, and integrity
Thrives in structured, self-directed work
Believes backend systems are sacred and visionary support is service
Understands this work is ritual-based and ancestrally grounded

In return, you’ll receive:

Respect for your autonomy and leadership
Opportunities to grow alongside a transformational institution
Clear expectations, honest feedback, and a collaborative team culture
A place where your brilliance can be fully activated

A NOTE ON FIT: THIS ROLE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE

If you are:

Looking for a brand to attach yourself to without labor
Uninterested in building internal systems and maintaining workflows
Unwilling to stretch, grow, or be challenged

This isn’t for you.