Job Number: 409430

Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

CULTURAL AFFAIRS COORDINATOR II

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS (DCASE)

Chicago Film Office Division

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $67,656

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 06/10/2025

The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago.

The Cultural Affairs Coordinator II position in the DCASE Chicago Film Office Division will serve the needs of the local film and media industry and be its advocate. This includes reviewing and facilitating film permit applications and city services requests for film and television productions and serving as a liaison between city departments, aldermanic offices, location departments, sister agencies, and other government, community, and industry stakeholders. In addition, the position will support other activities of the Chicago Film Office as needed, including programming, events, and serving as an industry resource for the local film community. In this capacity, the position performs the following:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Review and facilitate film permit applications - review applications, prioritize production requests, troubleshoot conflicts, evaluate feasibility, build consensus among city departments, and expedite permit approvals

Evaluate and coordinate city services to provide producers authorized access to city facilities, property, and assets under proper supervision and support

Correspond and meet directly with producers and production teams to discuss overall filming plans, schedules, locations and logistics

Conduct site surveys and meet with production teams on location in advance of filming and during production to evaluate community impact and determine parking and traffic plans

Manage governmental and community relations by notifying and/or engaging aldermanic offices, civic organizations, residents, businesses, and other community stakeholders of production schedules and impacts (parking restrictions, traffic reroutes, hours of filming operations) in advance of filming, and by attending ward and other community meetings to report on area film activity and address community concerns

Provide industry resources to producers by responding to requests on how to access industry resources and vendors, including soundstages, crew, equipment rentals, locations and city-owned facilities for filming, and other government and sister agencies for permits and authorizations

Provide professional resources to the public by responding to public inquiries via phone, email, or in-person about job and career opportunities such as casting calls, crew hiring, job training, and networking events

Provide event production support for the Chicago Film Office’s schedule of programs in the Chicago Cultural Center and Millenium Park and other sites when directed

Provide support for industry programming and special initiatives when needed

Attend industry events such as industry conferences, film festivals, and organizational events

Assist with other DCASE events, programs, and activities

May oversee and/or supervise temporary staff, including student interns

Perform related duties as required

Additional duties may be required for this position

LOCATION: Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

Chicago Film Office Division

Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602

HOURS: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

Must be flexible to work early mornings, weekends, evenings, and some holidays.

Work indoors and occasionally outdoors in extreme weather conditions and noise

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree, plus two years of program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Equivalencies:

Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university plus one (1) year of program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming
Associate’s Degree from an accredited college or university plus four (4) years of program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming
Six (6) years of work experience in program development or administration experience in the area of visual arts, performing arts or creative arts programming

NOTE: You must provide your transcripts or diploma at the time of processing

Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:

Bachelor’s degree in Film, Media, Communications, Arts Administration, or a directly related field
Experience in Film production, film conferences and festivals, and film industry advocacy
Experience with government structure and protocol
Familiarity with the local film and filmmaking industry and media organizations
Computer software proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Internet research
Experience with general office protocol

Knowledge: Local film industry and institutions. Government structure and protocol. Local film community and industry resources. Best practices of community relations. National trends in the making of independent features, television series, documentaries, and new media. Best practices of other cities, states and countries who also compete for and support this industry. Familiarity with local incentive programs and the application process.

Skills: Computer proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Internet research. Excellent written and oral communication. Effective time management and multi-tasking. Public speaking.

Abilities: Critical thinking, problem solving, and project management. Working under a short deadline. Collaborate well amongst governmental officials, people of diverse backgrounds, department heads, and production representatives to identify problems and build consensus. Deciphering and navigating complex logistics. Distilling prioritizing long lists of details and requests for services.

Other Requirements: Must be creative and open to ideas across disciplines. Must be able to work flexible hours to include mornings, weekends, evenings, and some holidays.

Working Conditions: Work indoors and occasionally outdoors in extreme weather conditions and noise. General office environment, using standard office equipment.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a written exercise as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Job Posting: May 27, 2025, 12:00:00 AM | Closing Date (Period for Applying) - External: Jun 10, 2025, 11:59:00 PM

BU: 10 | Salary: $67,656.00 Pay Basis:Yearly

CULTURAL AFFAIRS COORD II - FILM OFFICE

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