Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Cultural Program Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Cultural Program Manager is responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating vibrant cultural programs that engage diverse communities, elevate artistic practice, and meet strategic organizational goals. This role combines program development, artist curation, stakeholder engagement, fundraising support, operations and evaluation. The ideal candidate is an experienced program leader with strong project management, partnership cultivation, and budget oversight skills, and a demonstrated commitment to equity, accessibility, and cultural relevance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Program Coordinator, Arts & Culture
Events Manager or Community Engagement Coordinator
Curatorial Assistant or Producing Assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Cultural Program Manager / Lead Producer
Director of Public Programs or Director of Cultural Partnerships
Head of Community Engagement or Chief Program Officer

Lateral Moves:

Artistic Producer
Development Manager (Grants & Sponsorships)
Audience Development Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, plan and implement a full annual program calendar of cultural activities (exhibitions, performances, festivals, workshops, public talks, residencies and digital programs) that align with organizational strategy, audience development targets and community needs.
Lead end-to-end program lifecycle management: concept development, partnership negotiation, artist curation/selection, production scheduling, staffing, vendor procurement, on-site logistics and post-event evaluation.
Build and manage collaborative partnerships with artists, cultural institutions, community organizations, schools and municipal stakeholders to co-create program content, extend reach and secure in-kind support.
Prepare, manage and monitor program budgets including forecasting, expense reconciliation, vendor payments, artist fees, production costs and quarterly reporting to finance and executive leadership.
Write, coordinate and submit grant proposals, sponsorship packages and funding reports; maintain relationships with funders and ensure compliance with contractual reporting requirements and deliverables.
Develop and maintain program metrics and KPIs (attendance, participation diversity, satisfaction scores, revenue, earned media and impact measures) and deliver clear, data-driven program evaluation and recommendations to senior leadership.
Curate artist-led content and creative experiences, coordinate artist contracts and technical riders, and ensure artists’ needs are met while enforcing organizational policies and sustainability practices.
Oversee marketing and audience development strategy for programs in collaboration with marketing and digital teams: develop creative briefs, messaging, target segmentation, promotions, and ticketing strategies to meet attendance and revenue goals.
Manage vendor and contractor relationships for production, technical services, catering, security and venue rentals; negotiate contracts, ensure insurance and health & safety compliance, and supervise onsite delivery.
Lead community engagement and outreach initiatives, design participatory program elements, and coordinate targeted outreach to underrepresented populations to increase accessibility and cultural relevance.
Implement accessibility and inclusion plans for all programs (ADA compliance, language access, sensory-friendly accommodations, sliding scale pricing and community advisory input).
Coordinate volunteer and front-of-house teams including recruitment, training, scheduling and performance oversight to ensure high-quality visitor experience and smooth onsite operations.
Maintain and update program documentation, contracts, artist biographies, technical specs, run sheets and post-event reports to support institutional memory and future planning.
Oversee ticketing, registration and CRM setup for events, monitor sales and registration patterns, coordinate box office operations and resolve customer inquiries or escalations.
Serve as primary point of contact for stakeholders during program delivery, including municipal partners, cultural councils, sponsors, artists and community representatives; proactively communicate changes, risks and successes.
Lead risk assessment and contingency planning for public programs, including emergency plans, crowd management, outdoor event logistics and insurance documentation.
Drive cross-functional coordination with education, curatorial, development and operations teams to integrate programmatic goals with institutional priorities and ensure resource alignment.
Manage project timelines using project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, Microsoft Project), set milestones, run weekly check-ins and ensure on-time delivery of program components.
Create and oversee content creation for program collateral, program guides, artist interviews, web pages and social media assets in collaboration with communications staff to amplify program visibility.
Analyze post-program feedback and performance data to produce actionable insight reports, iterate on program design, and propose strategic adjustments to maximize impact and sustainability.
Advocate for and embed equitable practices across programming decisions—artist selection, pay equity, representation goals and community co-creation—documenting processes and outcomes.
Facilitate artist residencies and professional development opportunities, coordinate mentorship and public-facing outcomes, and ensure fair compensation and safe working conditions.
Negotiate and manage sponsorship deliverables and brand partnerships, develop sponsor materials, and coordinate activation logistics to maintain strong commercial relationships.
Manage seasonal and pop-up cultural activations, including site permits, municipal approvals, noise permits and street closure coordination when applicable.
Champion digital and hybrid program innovation (livestreaming, virtual exhibitions, online workshops), optimizing digital tools and platforms to expand access and create new revenue streams.
Mentor and manage junior program staff and interns, providing performance feedback, training and growth opportunities to build team capacity.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc reporting requests and contribute program data to institutional dashboards, ensuring program metrics are accurate and up-to-date.
Contribute to the organization's long-term cultural strategy and annual planning cycle by providing insights from program delivery and community feedback.
Collaborate with fundraising and development teams to align program storytelling with donor cultivation and major gift priorities.
Participate in strategic planning sessions, provide budget inputs for multi-year program forecasts and identify opportunities for earned revenue and cost efficiencies.
Provide expertise for site feasibility assessments, venue scoping and technical production planning for new program concepts and partnerships.
Maintain a roster of preferred vendors, technical crews, and freelance producers to rapidly scale program capacity while controlling costs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program design and lifecycle management for arts, cultural and public programs.
Budget development, financial forecasting, expense reconciliation and basic accounting for program budgets.
Grant writing, funder reporting, sponsorship proposals and familiarity with public arts funding cycles.
Project management tools and techniques (Asana, Trello, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project) and strong timeline management.
Event and production coordination: technical riders, run sheets, staging, lighting, sound and load-in/load-out logistics.
CRM and ticketing systems experience (e.g., Tessitura, PatronManager, Eventbrite, Salesforce) and audience database management.
Data collection and program evaluation: survey design, KPI tracking, basic statistical analysis, and dashboard reporting (Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau/Looker basics).
Contract negotiation and vendor management, including understanding of insurance, permits and municipal compliance.
Digital program production: livestream platforms, webinar management, virtual event platforms and basic video/audio troubleshooting.
Marketing and communications collaboration: briefing creative teams, developing program copy, and working with social media and email campaigns.
Accessibility planning and inclusive program design (ADA coordination, language access, sensory and mobility accommodations).
Familiarity with cultural policy, community arts practices and ethical engagement frameworks.

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder management: diplomatic communicator capable of aligning artists, partners, funders and internal teams.
Strategic thinking with a bias for action—able to translate big-picture goals into executable program plans.
Excellent written and verbal communication, with experience creating clear proposals, reports and public-facing program content.
Leadership and team development: coaching junior staff, managing freelancers and cultivating collaborative team culture.
Cultural competency and sensitivity—deep respect for diverse cultural practices, histories and community needs.
Problem solving and crisis management under pressure with calm decision-making during live events.
Negotiation and persuasion skills to secure resources, space and partnership commitments.
Creative curation mindset—ability to identify compelling artists and program concepts that resonate with audiences.
Organizational skills and attention to detail for managing contracts, calendars and complex logistics.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, changing environments; able to pivot program delivery modalities (in-person, hybrid, virtual).
Time management and prioritization, especially juggling multiple overlapping program deadlines.
Networking and relationship-building in arts, municipal and philanthropic communities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Arts Administration, Cultural Management, Arts & Cultural Studies, Nonprofit Management, Event Management, Communications, Public Affairs, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or graduate diploma in Arts Management, Cultural Policy, Creative Industries, Public Administration, or related disciplines.
Professional certifications in project management (PMP, PRINCE2) or nonprofit management are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Arts Administration / Cultural Management
Performing Arts / Visual Arts / Curatorial Studies
Nonprofit Management / Public Administration
Community Development / Cultural Policy
Marketing, Communications or Business Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressively responsible experience in program management within arts institutions, cultural organizations, festivals, or community arts initiatives.

Preferred:

5+ years leading public programs or cultural initiatives, demonstrated experience managing multi-stakeholder projects, overseeing budgets of $100K+, successful grant writing/funder relations, and experience producing large-scale public events or multi-venue festivals.