About National Sawdust

National Sawdust is a nonprofit performing arts venue and creative incubator in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We commission, produce, and present work rooted in experimentation and innovation — supporting artists across disciplines who are reshaping what contemporary performance can be. Our programming spans over 120 events a year, from intimate new music performances to large-scale co-productions, residencies, and world premieres.

We are a small, high-functioning team that moves fast and takes the work seriously. Everyone here wears multiple hats, and the people who thrive are those who bring both precision and curiosity to everything they do.

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About the Role

This is a rare role for someone who wants to build a career at the intersection of arts administration and programming. The Artistic Administrator & Programming Associate is the operational and administrative core of National Sawdust’s programming function — and a front door for the artists and ideas that shape our seasons.

On the administrative side, you own the contracts, payments, visas, artist logistics, and documentation systems that keep 120+ events running cleanly every year. You are the reason artists get paid on time, contracts are airtight, and nothing falls through the cracks between offer and archive.

On the programming side, you serve as the first point of contact for incoming artistic inquiries and co-commission pitches — conducting initial meetings with artists and creatives, gathering the information needed to evaluate fit, and routing the right opportunities to senior programming leadership. You are not the decision-maker, but you are the filter that makes sure the right conversations happen with the right people.

You will also be the operational backbone of NS’s internal programming process — owning the meeting calendar for curatorial and artistic leadership, managing agendas and post-meeting notes, and maintaining the season documentation that connects programming decisions to fundraising and development strategy.

This role is well-suited to someone with curatorial ambitions who wants to learn the full business of running an arts organization — deal-making, compliance, artist relations, and the infrastructure behind a season — from the inside. The expectation is that this role grows. The path leads toward programming leadership.

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Responsibilities

Contracts & Compliance

• Prepare, distribute, and track contracts for all NS performances, partnerships, residencies, and NS-originated productions through the full execution cycle
• Collect and manage all payment documentation — W9s, W8-BENs, CWAs — and coordinate with Finance to ensure artists are paid accurately and on time
• Receive completed settlement data from the Senior Producer after each show; own all artist payment follow-through and chasing from that point forward
• Review deal terms before contracts go out; flag anything that doesn’t pass a basic financial sense check
• Coordinate with NS legal counsel on non-standard terms and agreements requiring review

Artist Logistics & Records

• Coordinate all pre-show artist logistics — travel, accommodations, rehearsal spaces — and hand off day-of execution to the Senior Producer
• Manage artist visa coordination, including letters of support and documentation for immigration counsel
• Maintain the Artistic Admin Drive and all associated trackers, databases, and filing systems

Programming Support & Development

• Serve as first point of contact for incoming artistic inquiries and co-commission pitches; conduct initial meetings, assess fit, and prepare summaries for senior leadership
• Maintain season documentation, programmatic pitch materials, and project briefs as resources for fundraising and development
• Prepare programming briefs and budget materials in support of grant applications and funder pitches
• Support budgeting and materials preparation for NS-originated commissions and co-productions

Internal Programming Meetings

• Own the internal meeting calendar for all curatorial and programming sessions involving artistic and senior leadership
• Prepare agendas, distribute materials in advance, and deliver post-meeting notes and action items promptly
• Maintain the programming calendar and ensure the technical team always has current show information

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in arts administration, artist management, touring, or production coordination
• Genuine artistic curiosity and enough fluency in contemporary or experimental performance to engage credibly with artists and composers
• Solid understanding of performing arts contracts, deal structures, and payment compliance (W9, W8-BEN, CWA)
• Experience in a touring office, booking agency, or artist management back-office strongly preferred
• Strong written communication skills — able to prepare clear briefs and summaries for leadership and funders
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple active tracks in a fast-paced environment
• Proficient in Google Workspace; comfortable with shared drives, spreadsheets, and calendars
• Ambition to grow into a programming or curatorial role — this position is designed with that trajectory in mind

What Success Looks Like

• Artists are contracted, documented, and paid correctly and on time — without anyone chasing paperwork
• Senior programming leadership is not meeting artists cold — opportunities are screened, summarized, and routed before they arrive
• Development always has current season data, accurate budgets, and ready-to-use programming briefs
• Internal programming meetings run with prepared agendas and notes distributed promptly afterward
• The administrative infrastructure keeps pace with the season — and never creates drag for the producing or curatorial teams

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Compensation: $68,000–$78,000 commensurate with experience, with bonus potential. Competitive benefits package including health insurance and 401K.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume in one PDF to candidates@nationalsawdust.org with Artistic Administrator & Programming Associate in the subject line.

National Sawdust is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.