The City of Eugene Cultural Services team is seeking a Downtown Events and Permitting Program Coordinator.
Our Community
Eugene — Oregon's second largest city — has an excellent mix of recreation, education, scenic beauty and passion for arts and culture.
Located in the heart of wine country and within an hour's drive of the Pacific Ocean and Cascade Mountains, Eugene is the county seat for Lane County.
The city boasts a plethora of city parks, hundreds of miles of bicycle trails and numerous lakes, rivers and streams nearby.
Eugene is well-known as the home of the University of Oregon. With 20,000 students and more than 6,000 employees, the university plays a major role in the community, as does Lane Community College and Northwest Christian University.
The employment base is becoming increasingly dominated by the creative class and knowledge based industries in addition to services, trade and government.
Eugene is a gigabit city and its arts, culture and entertainment are significant drivers in the local economy. Nonprofit arts and culture are a $62 million industry — one that supports more than 2,400 full-time equivalent jobs.
Eugene is a friendly, progressive community with residents who are active and adamant about maintaining a high quality of life. The University of Oregon brings a cosmopolitan feel to the community, and its collegiate teams have contributed excitement and pride on a national level.
Many residents are health and fitness oriented, and Eugene hosted the IAAF World Track and Field Championships and the Eugene Riverfront Festival in July 2022.
Living in the City of Eugene offers all of this, along with the advantages of higher education, a strong public school system and a short commute to work.
Our Organization
Eugene has a council-manager form of government. The City Council develops legislation and policies to direct the City. The City Manager, hired by the City Council, provides administrative direction to the organization, oversees City of Eugene personnel and operations and carries out the City Council’s direction.
The City has more than 1,500 employees and a $722 million budget. The City of Eugene is a service-oriented and innovative organization that provides services through six departments:
- Library, Recreation & Cultural Services (LRCS)
- Central Services
- Fire and Emergency Medical Services
- Planning & Development
- Police
- Public Works
Watch the 2022 year-in-review from from the Mayor's State of the City Address.
About Library, Recreation and Cultural Services
The work of the Library, Recreation and Cultural Services department is beloved throughout the community and is considered an essential component to the community’s quality of life.
The wealth of recreation opportunities, thriving cultural sector, welcoming community centers and libraries help make Eugene one of the most livable cities in the country.
Cultural Services: Community and Cultural Affairs
The Cultural Services division's Community and Cultural Affairs Section — public art, Farmers Market Pavilion, downtown events, permitting and grants — are evolving programs that best support our community in these rapidly changes times. We believe the work of the arts creates a stronger, more vibrant and more creative community through shared experiences that uplift the soul and tell the diversity of stories from our communities.
Watch a video to see how Cultural Services uses art and community events to activate downtown Eugene by transforming unused spaces into thriving cultural centers.
The Downtown Events and Permitting Program is integral to creating a safe, vibrant and welcoming downtown core. We are committed to programming positive and inclusive activations in downtown Eugene to support the wellness of the community as we strive to create a culture of belonging, benefit local commerce in our downtown spaces, support our local artist ecosystem and provide spaces of pause and celebration for community engagement. We do this by collaborating, listening and responding to a network of local non-profits, organizations, downtown businesses and artists to build the community where we all want to live, work, play and raise our children.
The Ideal Candidate
In addition to demonstrating a passion for arts and culture and an aptitude for the position duties, the successful candidate will be a supportive co-worker who brings organization and efficiency with flexibility and creativity. The employee will be aware of current equity and inclusion, events and placemaking best practices. This candidate will also be passionate about fostering an environment of compassion and empathy through equity-focused cultural projects that unify and uplift a diverse spectrum of communities. Our Downtown Events and Permitting Coordinator will communicate openly and respectfully across organizational teams and will have the patience to build consensus with stakeholders holding varying interests and perspectives.
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications (listed below), the ideal candidate will have a thorough understanding of current industry theories, principles, practices, procedures and national/regional trends in placemaking, community events and/or cultural arts programming; familiarity with program administration principles, strategic planning methods and best practices in a relevant field, including, but not limited to: placemaking, community events, cultural programming, and education; experience with general budgeting practices and procedures; ability to comprehend contract provisions and practices; vision to develop short and long range goals and objectives; experience being the lead staff person in program management and/or installation of cultural events, recreation programs, public art installations and/or placemaking programs.
The candidate must possess the abilities and skills to design, plan, organize, implement and evaluate program impact for a diverse and dynamic portfolio of cultural programs and events that serve a wide variety of audiences.
This position receives supervision from the Farmers Market Pavilion Steward and Community and Cultural Affairs Senior Manager, but also leads direction over lower classifications, temporary employees, seasonal employees and volunteers.
Minimum Qualifications
In order to successfully complete responsibilities for the role, the following minimum qualifications are required, or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the applicant with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities:
- Work Experience: four years of progressively responsible experience coordinating in placemaking, events, cultural programming, Recreation and/or a related field.
- Preferred Experience: supervisory or lead worker role experience in related program. Two years in an administrative program/planning role for cultural programs, placemaking, and/or events.
- Education: Associates Degree with major course work in any of the following: Recreation, Planning, Arts Administration, Arts, Architecture or Design or related field. Relevant high-level or complex administrative support and/or paraprofessional experience may substitute for the required years of educational training on a two for one-year basis. Thus, four years of professional level experience in arts programming, especially for the public sector, may qualify as waiver for this educational requirement.
- License or Certificate: valid Oregon driver’s license, or ability to obtain by date of hire; must pass driving records check and, if hired, maintain a driving record that meets the City’s standard. Oregon law requires that an out-of-state license holder must obtain a valid Oregon license (with appropriate endorsements) within 30 days of becoming domiciled in the state (ORS 803.355).
Use the button below to read a full description of the Downtown Events & Permitting Program Coordinator position with instructions for applying online:
- Salary: The salary range for this position is $66,206.40 - $82,498.80 annually.
- Closing Date: December 21, 2022
- City of Eugene, Employee Resource Center: 940 Wilamette St., Suite 200, Eugene, OR 97401 | 541-682-6027
Learn more about the City of Eugene Cultural Services division:
Credits:
Created with images by Reagan - "Eugene Oregon" • Ulf - "Eugene, Oregon" • Benjamin Schorzman • Athena Delene • Martin Doellinger • Marin Stuart