Director of Education & Community Engagement

Description

Organizational Context

Attack Theatre is a Pittsburgh-based dance company that creates work at the intersection of art and community, resulting in programs that are personal, authentic, welcoming, and fearless. Under the artistic direction of Co-Founders and Co-Artistic Directors Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza, the company maintains a commitment to remain curious in our investigation of new ideas and productions; to collaborate through deliberate, interdisciplinary partnerships; and to connect with local and global communities providing accessible, creative learning opportunities. Rooted in reflection, investigation, and imagination; Attack Theatre conducts hundreds of creative learning programs in school and community settings each year for participants of all ages.

We believe in the power of movement to ignite imagination, foster connection, and build community. We believe that creative expression is an accessible and vital part of everyday life and learning. Our education and community engagement programs bring this vision to life by making the joy of movement, collaboration, and dance accessible to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. We aim to cultivate a creative space where personal discovery meets collective transformation.

Located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Attack Theatre's home offers performances, classes, and community events; and strives to be an inclusive epicenter of dance, learning, and community partnerships.

Position Overview

The Director of Education & Community Engagement provides strategic vision, leadership, and operational management for all educational and community engagement initiatives at Attack Theatre. Serving as both a field educator and the administrative leader for these initiatives, they oversee PreK–12 arts programs, higher education partnerships, and community programs (youth through older adults) — ensuring a unified program infrastructure that supports high-quality, consistent delivery across in-school and out-of-school youth programs, higher education, and community spaces.

Diversity and inclusion are key elements of our mission and this position will support those efforts through curriculum, programming and partnerships.

The Director of Education and Community Engagement is responsible for the design, management, and implementation of Attack Theatre’s robust arts education and creative learning programs. To expand the organization’s reach, impact, and long-term sustainability, this role oversees program development, partnership cultivation, workflow systems, project budgets, revenue goals, grant support, and a robust roster of teaching artists.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

1. Strategic Planning & Program Management

• Strategic Infrastructure: Collaborate with the Artistic and Executive Director to lead the design and implementation of strategic plans for educational and community initiatives, maintain standardized annual program calendars, and develop curriculum frameworks and program guides.
• In-School Programs: Oversee the strategy, design, and management of PreK–12 school residencies, workshops, assemblies, higher education partnerships, and educator professional development aligned with Attack Theatre’s core educational values.
• Community and OST Programming: Lead the strategy and delivery of out-of-school time (OST) youth programs, open class offerings, and intergenerational initiatives.
• Teaching and Lesson Plan Development: Lead classes, workshops, and residencies in the field, cultivating authentic connection to community and school spaces. Maintain archives of lesson plans, media, and supply inventories.

2. Business Development, Partnerships & Financial Stewardship

• Partnership Cultivation: Proactively identify, cultivate, and secure strategic partnerships with schools, universities, community centers, social service agencies, and senior care organizations.
• Earned Revenue Goals: Collaborate with Artistic and Administrative Leadership to establish and achieve annual earned income targets across all educational, school, and community programming.
• Grant and Institutional Advancement: Partner with the Development team and Executive Director to respond to funding opportunities, articulate program proposal goals, scope, and deliverables, and provide data and program insights to support institutional giving efforts and donor engagement.  
• ROI and Financial Management: Develop and manage education program budgets, monitor expenses, and evaluate return on investment (ROI) across programs to maximize efficiency, reach, and fiscal sustainability.
• Community Engagement: Steward education and outreach programs as a core pipeline for long-term community engagement, creating pathways that connect students, families, and community partners to mainstage performances and company events.

3. Teaching Artist Management, Mentorship & Program Inclusion

• Teaching Artist Mentorship: Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and evaluate a diverse roster of Teaching Artists and education staff. Establish clear performance standards, observation schedules, and assessment measures to build a consistent, high-quality teaching model.
• Personnel & Compliance: Ensure all teaching artists and program personnel maintain up-to-date background clearances, contracts, and compliance standards.
• Evaluation & Assessment: Design and implement assessment tools (surveys, site visits, participant metrics) to continuously refine curriculum and measure learning outcomes.
• Accessibility & Inclusion: Partner with Attack Theatre Accessibility Advisor to ensure accommodations (e.g., ASL interpretation, audio description, universal design practices) are accessible across all educational and community offerings. Provide leadership on the development and implementation of inclusive programming for movers of all abilities and exceptionalities. 

4. Organizational Leadership and Event Support

• Serve as a primary internal and external ambassador for educational programming; communicating between artistic and administrative personnel and school and community partners.
• Support audience engagement, donor cultivation and stewardship during performances, studio events, site visits and annual fundraisers.

Benefits and Perks:

• Paid Time Off (PTO) and holidays
• Generous health, dental, and vision insurance options
• 401K retirement plan with company match.
• Primarily in-person work location with some work-hour and remote flexibility pending the needs of the programs. 
• Professional but relaxed office atmosphere, no corporate dress code
• Free classes, performances and studio space use (when available).

Requirements

Qualifications, Competencies and Requirements

• Experience: 5+ years of leadership experience in dance/performing arts education, arts administration, community outreach, and/or program management.
• Teaching & Curriculum: Demonstrated expertise in PreK-12 dance/movement pedagogy, curriculum integration, and creative movement for diverse ages and abilities.
• Management & Partnership: Strong track record in recruiting, mentoring, and evaluating teaching artists and demonstrated success building and managing partnerships with schools or community organizations.
• Skills: Excellent partner-relationship, project and budget management, written and verbal communication skills, technology proficiency with software such as Microsoft Suite, Canva and scheduling/registration software.
• Work Schedule: Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends to oversee classes, performances, and community events.
• Communication & Systems Thinking: Collaborative and relationship-driven, highly organized and solutions-oriented, with demonstrated ability to translate organizational vision into actionable workflows and standardized procedures.
• Values: Deep commitment to equity, accessibility, inclusion, and community-centered art-making.