Civitella Ranieri Foundation, a nonprofit private operating foundation organized under the laws of the State of New York, maintains a center for an international artists-in-residence program at the Civitella Ranieri castle near the town of Umbertide in Umbria, Italy. The artists residency program was founded in 1991 and is seeking to hire an Executive Director. Residency Program: The residency program operates from May through October. Residents, who are known as Fellows, are selected after a rigorous nomination and selection process that involves a jury of peers. The Fellows are provided with an attractive apartment, and to some, a private studio. There is a dark room, a printmaking studio and a music studio. The residency program is open to visual artists, writers, and composers, with a great deal of flexibility within these disciplines Operations:Civitella maintains two offices: one in New York City and the other on site in Italy. There are 3 year-round staff in Italy and 3 year-round staff in New York. One of the New York staff members moves to Italy during the residency season. In addition, there are approximately 10 seasonal staff in Italy. The annual operating budget is approximately $1 million. The Position: The Civitella Board of Directors seeks to hire an Executive Director (ED) to lead the organization into its next stage of development. A seasoned manager is sought who has experience working with artist residency programs and the capacity to envision and build an innovative and internationally noteworthy artists'' community. The ED will work with a small board of Trustees (six) and a small, competent staff. The ED will be expected to live on the castle grounds in Italy during the residency period to oversee the operations directly. During the winter months, the ED plans and oversees the nomination and selection process. The ED will serve as the chief executive officer of Civitella Ranieri Foundation overseeing the financial, administrative and programming aspects of managing Civitella. In the financial area, the ED will be responsible for developing and implementing a balanced annual operating budget, annual independent audits, and working closely with the board to guide the Foundation''s investment managers who handle Civitella''s endowment. In the administrative area, the ED is responsible for the hiring, firing and management of all the staff including their annual performance reviews. Finally, the ED must oversee the physical plant - its renovation and repair - as well as plans for long-term maintenance. Maintenance and up-to-date equipment for the studios is also an important responsibility. In the Programming area, the ED is responsible for the overall quality and direction (with the advice of the Board) of the residency program and other ancillary programs that may be developed. It is expected that the ED and the Foundation will continue to participate in the international Alliance of Artists'' Communities and will keep abreast of issues and ideas circulating in the world of arts and letters. It is expected that the ED will be available to start in summer, 2002, if not before. Qualifications: Five years + in a senior administrative position demonstrating experience sufficient to handle the job as outlined above. A proven track record in management, administrative and financial skills is necessary. Broad knowledge of and comfort with the contemporary arts is a must. The successful candidate will be comfortable working with many different kinds of people and different cultures. Knowledge of Italian is preferred but not required. It is expected that the ED will master the language for sufficient ease of communication within the first two years of employment. Indeed, continued employment is contingent upon reasonable proficiency in Italian. Proficiency in any major language in addition to English would be beneficial. The ED must have excellent written and oral communication skills and an ability to work cooperatively with a board and staff. Because of the Foundation''s international nature, the ED will be a skilled diplomat and negotiator. Compensation: The salary is competitive and based on experience. Benefits include full health insurance; dental insurance; life insurance; long-term disability insurance and a pension. There is private housing on the castle grounds, 3 meals a day during the residency season, and a car for use in Italy. Reasonable vacation time, which must be taken outside the residency season at the Center, is awarded.