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director of education and Engagement – Cain Center for the Arts

The Moran Company is pleased to partner with Cain Center for the Arts to recruit the organization’s next Director of Education and Engagement.

Organizational Background

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. To learn more, visit cainarts.org .

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. This is a full‑time, exempt, on‑site position based in Cornelius, North Carolina, with occasional evening and weekend hours required. The Director reports directly to the Executive Director.

The Director of Education and Engagement provides strategic leadership for arts education, ceramics, visual arts exhibitions, and community engagement, using data and community feedback to guide planning and strengthen impact. The role leads and develops a multidisciplinary team while overseeing high‑quality educational programs, exhibitions, ceramics operations, curriculum, and safe, effective learning environments. The Director builds strong community partnerships, leads key outreach initiatives, and represents Cain Center within the regional arts and education community. The position also manages departmental operations, technology, budgets, financial reporting, and cross‑departmental collaboration, including support for grants, fundraising, and donor engagement.

The ideal candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree in arts, education, or a related field, with a master’s degree preferred, and bring 5–7+ years of progressive leadership experience in arts education, community engagement, or visual arts management. They will demonstrate strong project and operational management, analytical thinking, communication and collaboration skills, and technical fluency, including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and comfort leveraging emerging technologies and AI tools. Cain Center seeks a humble, hungry, and smart leader who is team‑oriented, proactive, mission‑focused, perceptive, and committed to building trust through clear communication, consistency, curiosity, and sound judgment.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $80,000 – $95,000.

• PTO and holidays
• employer-sponsored group health insurance
• professional development support