Director of Education and Engagement
Listed on 2026-08-16
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Management
Education Administration -
Education / Teaching
Education Administration
Director of Education and Engagement
Cain Center for the Arts, Cornelius, North Carolina
The Moran Company is pleased to partner with Cain Center for the Arts to recruit the organization's next Director of Education and Engagement. Cain Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of providing exceptional visual arts, performing arts, and social experiences to the Lake Norman Region of North Carolina. Since opening its main facility in 2023, Cain Center has grown into a regional hub for creativity, learning, and cultural connection, offering year-round performances, a wide range of arts education programs, a ceramics studio, a visual arts gallery, and community impact initiatives that make the arts accessible to people of all ages.
On May 6, 2026, Cain Center opened its expansion campus, which includes Puckett Pottery House, Goodrum Program Offices, and the Courtyard. This expansion significantly increases capacity for ceramics, education, and community programming and represents a major step in Cain Center's long-term vision for a multi-venue, multi-disciplinary arts ecosystem.
Position Summary
The Director of Education and Engagement provides strategic and operational leadership for Cain Center's education, ceramics, visual arts, and community engagement programs. This role guides a department that is growing quickly and entering an important next phase of development, ensuring programs are mission-driven, community-centered, and aligned with Cain Center's long-term vision. The Director is both a strategic thinker and a detail-oriented project manager - someone who can set direction, build systems, and ensure strong day-to-day execution.
Leading a team of specialists, the Director ensures high-quality execution of exhibitions, ceramics operations, and instructional programming. While the Visual Arts Assistant Curator and Ceramics Studio Manager oversee daily operations within their respective areas, the Director provides the overarching leadership, alignment, operational systems, and support necessary for team success. As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team, the Director contributes to organizational planning, culture, and cross-departmental coordination and serves as a representative of Cain Center in the community.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Direction & Leadership
- Set the long-term vision for arts education, ceramics, visual arts exhibitions, and community engagement.
- Develop multi-year plans and align departmental goals with organizational strategy.
- Utilize data, evaluation, and community feedback to guide decisions and strengthen impact.
- Establish clarity, structure, and operational systems for an evolving department.
- Team Management & Staff Development
- Lead a multidisciplinary team with clear expectations, steady communication, and a collaborative spirit.
- Support the Curator and Ceramics team in the execution of high-quality exhibitions and ceramics operations.
- Provide coaching, professional guidance, and accountability to ensure team success.
- Foster a positive, supportive, and mission-driven workplace culture.
- Program Oversight
- Oversee youth and adult arts education programs, workshops, camps, and community-based learning initiatives.
- Provide high-level leadership for ceramics programming and visual arts exhibitions.
- Ensure curriculum quality, instructor excellence, and safe, well-managed studios and classrooms. Support the development of educational materials, evaluation tools, and program resources.
- Community Engagement & Partnerships
- Direct key community programs, including Community Music Lessons, Arts + Schools, Affordable Ticket Program, and Arts + Community.
- Build and nurture strong relationships with local schools, nonprofits, civic groups, and community partners.
- Represent Cain Center as a spokesperson and thought partner in the regional arts and education community.
- Operations, Technology & Project Coordination
- Manage multiple initiatives and complex timelines with organization and clarity.
- Maintain robust systems for communication, documentation, and cross-departmental coordination.
- Leverage Microsoft Office Suite, emerging technologies, and AI tools to optimize…
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