Wonderlust Productions is hiring for two new positions.
ABOUT WONDERLUST
Wonderlust Productions is a community-driven arts ensemble that has grown steadily and consistently over the course of its 10 year history. Now, after a careful strategic planning process with the ensemble, board, and other stakeholders, Wonderlust is growing both our programs and administrative team.
We are a multicultural, multidisciplinary, St. Paul-based community-centered art innovation lab. We use creative expression, rooted in true community stories, to shift the narrative and center humane relationships within systems. We cultivate art, curiosity, and creativity as containers for belonging, stories, place, and expression–towards empowering community activation. We work in collaboration with communities who are essential to society, but whose stories are misunderstood or ignored. Wonderlust’s startup and steady growth have been made possible by the diverse skills and experience of its Co-Artistic Directors, who have essentially served as Artistic, Managing, Development, Marketing, and Community Relations Directors all in two people. Meanwhile, the impact of our work and the diversity of our artistic output has earned us a growing base of community partners and collaborators across sectors who are interested in seeing our work reach more people. Last year we added a Community Outreach and Evaluation Coordinator. This year, we are delighted to be adding two additional part-time roles, General Manager and Project Producer. (We would consider one full time role for the right candidate.) We are seeking collaborative, capable individuals motivated to grow with us.
General Manager
We are seeking an experienced, detailed-oriented General Manager to oversee our internal operations. Your primary responsibilities in this position will be bookkeeping, managing payroll, financial reporting, donation tracking, hiring and onboarding, HR compliance, and managing back-end systems like our website, contact management database, online payment platforms, and accounting software as well as office management including supplies. Additionally, all members of our small team contribute to ensuring universal access in all of our work.
Experience with nonprofit financial management and Quickbooks is required. An aptitude for systems thinking, creative problem solving, and clear communication across a collaborative team are essential too.
Locations of work and environment
The majority of this work can be done remotely. However, Wonderlust is a small organization with two equal co-Artistic Directors who you would be working with closely along with an additional staff member who supports communications, development, and evaluation. We like to support each other as a team. A positive attitude, curiosity, and appreciation for process are necessary to work so closely together and succeed.
JOB DUTIES
Systems management
- Organizational bookkeeping and data entry in Quickbooks
- Financial reporting and tracking budgets for projects and the organization overall
- Contact database management
- Online payment platform management
- Donation tracking and acknowledgement
- Website updating and accessibility
Human Resources management
- Managing, hiring, and onboarding processes for staff and project contractors
- Employee manual tracking and updating
- Payroll management for regular staff and project contractors
Office management
- Ensuring systems and registrations are kept up to date
- Tracking systems access and security
- Managing and ordering office supplies
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
- Detail-oriented individual with operational experience
- Experience with nonprofit financial management
- Experience with Quickbooks
- Aptitude for systems thinking and creative problem solving
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
We value:
- Flexibility and problem-solving
- Openness to active learning
- Joy and humor
- Initiative and drive
- Diversity – a different perspective/life experience from the rest of our company
- Respect for quality and the attempt to achieve quality in the arts
Hours and compensation
$25-30/hour. Approximately 15-25 hours per week.
Depending on the candidate’s interest, ability, and growth, this role could grow over time into more hours and/or a salaried, full-time position.
Project Producer
We are seeking a creative, curious relationship-oriented Project Producer to be responsible for successful oversight of the distribution of Wonderlust’s artistic projects. Wonderlust projects include plays, graphic novels, podcasts, and more, that combine professional high-quality dramatic storytelling with true community experiences; embrace the inherent conflict of opposing perspectives within a community; and are epic enough to encompass diversity and inspire transformative experience.
While the needs of each project are slightly different, we’re seeking a community-driven manager with the ability to work well in artistic teams; a sense of big picture planning; enough attention to detail to oversee spending; and a willingness to learn and try new things.
The right candidate will already have experience with some community organizing, including outreach and partnership building. They will also be able to delegate to people and manage logistics while working together to make events happen. Proven experience managing timelines and deadlines is a must.
Experience in communications and marketing, curriculum development and education, and/or tour and events management are big pluses.
All members of our small team contribute to ensuring universal access in all of our work.
You will specifically be working on the following projects over the course of the year. Each project will require different amounts of focus at different times; not all of them will need attention at once:
Thank You for Holding: The Caregiver Play Project. This project’s two year development phase culminated in three weekends of performances in late 2024 of a play focused on the experience of caregivers. In 2025, we intend to tour live or video excerpts across Minnesota, and you will be responsible for tour and event logistics, including connecting with a variety of potential partners and stakeholders.
In My Heart: The Adoption Story Project graphic novel is an adaptation of our 2016 play. In 2025, your role will be to reach book clubs and community organizations to provide them with additional copies of the graphic novel.
Our House: The Capitol Play Project podcast provides useful information for high school and college students about how government actually works (beyond the politics). Your role will be to develop an outreach and engagement plan to get the podcast into the hands of the teachers who will use it most.
The Labyrinth and the Minotaur: the Incarceration Play Project was a 2022 live production that we would like to continue to adapt and distribute in order to facilitate more conversations about the inhumanity, inefficiency, and failure of our current incarceration system.
The Values Play Project is a new project just getting started related to the divides among us that create what we know as the “culture wars” in the United States today. You would be helping to manage the timeline, schedules and logistics of this epic project.
You would also be responsible for managing or helping to manage other events like our annual fundraiser and community picnic in collaboration with staff, ensemble, and board.
We are a nimble organization that enjoys responding creatively to our communities and the world. Other exciting projects and events may arise quickly. There will be regular check-ins about scope of the work so that a good balance for everyone can be maintained.
Locations of work and environment
Wonderlust is a small organization with two equal co-Artistic Directors who you would be working with closely along with an additional staff member who supports communications, development, and evaluation. A positive attitude and appreciation for process are necessary to work so closely together and succeed.
A lot of work can be done remotely but at least one day in the office is expected. Also, must be comfortable meeting live with partners in various locations around the metro area and being on-site for big public events.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
- A big-picture mindset paired with experience managing the detailed work of project production or community organizing
- Strong project management skills, including planning, budgeting, and scheduling
- Ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with community members, volunteers, partners, donors, actors, writers, and other creative personnel
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
We value:
- Flexibility and problem-solving
- Openness to active learning
- Joy and humor
- Initiative and drive
- Diversity – a different perspective/life experience from the rest of our company
- Respect for quality and the attempt to achieve quality in the arts
Hours and compensation
$25-35/hour, based on experience. Approximately 15-20 hours per week to start. Total hours will be based on a mutually agreed upon scope. Not all of the above projects will require regular attention.
This position may remain project-based or could grow over time into a management role with greater scope and salary.
To Apply
To apply for either of these positions, submit a cover letter explaining why you are interested and a resume here, no later than March 24th:
Reach out to info@wlproductions.org with any questions.
More about Wonderlust Productions
Founded in 2014, Wonderlust Productions is a company of professional artists working to activate imaginations and illuminate community stories through performance and multimedia creativity, mixing community members from across generations, ethnicities, and perspectives, alongside an ensemble of professional actors, designers, writers, and directors.
Together, we create new art experiences based on high-quality dramatic storytelling craft; inspired by community experience; embracing the inherent conflict of opposing perspectives within a community; epic enough to encompass diversity and inspire transformative experience.
Our mission is to activate imaginations and illuminate community stories to build a more inclusive world. Our method is to listen, wonder, create, share, and repeat.
Communities we have worked closely with include military veterans, people affected by adoption, people who work behind the scenes in state government, overachievers, people in education, people affected by Minnesota’s incarceration system, and caregivers.
Visit wlproductions.org for more information.