Open Positions
Join the Literary Arts team. Find a list of open positions and internship opportunities.
FULL-TIME POSITIONS
BOOKSTORE MANAGER AND LEAD BUYER
Literary Arts is seeking an ambitious and enthusiastic Bookstore Manager and Lead Buyer who loves books and is passionate to activate and shape a new store alongside us. As Literary Arts launches into its 40th year serving readers, writers, and youth, the bookstore in the nonprofit’s new national headquarters will be an exciting addition. We are looking for a creative and community-minded individual, who can bring strong leadership to this position to help guide the bookstore to success.
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
The Development Coordinator provides cross-functional support to advance the fundraising capacities of the Development department at Literary Arts. The Development Coordinator’s essential duties include administrative support for the Development Team, gift entry and acknowledgments, and duties as directed by the Director of Development. The Development Coordinator is directly responsible for timely and accurate donor database entry and reporting, event and meeting logistics, and general administrative duties. The Development Coordinator will also act as support at high profile organizational events.
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
The Development Manager will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward annual fund donors and corporate sponsors and manage fundraising events, engaging board members, staff, and volunteers as appropriate. The Development Manager is responsible for increasing the visibility of Literary Arts among those constituencies, leading to increased giving. The Development Manager will also develop and implement plans that raise funds from individual donors through direct mail and email solicitations. Working in conjunction with the Director of Development, the manager will design and implement the strategy and ongoing activities to solicit and support fundraising and programmatic event sponsors.
MANAGING DIRECTOR
This is your chance to join one of Portland’s esteemed arts organizations at a time of transformational growth. The Managing Director is a newly created role responsible for overseeing operations and retail activities enabled by our newly remodeled space on Grand Avenue on Portland’s east side. Literary Arts has been an integral part of the Portland arts community for 40 years and now extends an invitation to come inside, find stories, write stories, and share stories. For the right person, this job will allow leadership, creativity, and managerial excellence to flourish and expand, enabling the impact of the written word to inspire, to heal, to transform.
Learn more and apply (first round of applications reviewed on May 20).
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Literary Arts is looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our communications team. If you are an effective communicator, collaborator, and content creator who cares deeply about the role storytelling has on creating stronger communities, we would love to hear from you. The ideal candidate is someone who has a strong affinity with Literary Arts’ mission to engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature (through a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion lens) and want to get the public excited about Literary Arts’ programs and events. You love to create and share stories through a variety of digital platforms and are passionate about using your professional skills in writing, design, and digital marketing to help people feel connected and engaged. This newly created role will be key in helping us activate our new retail and workshop spaces, bringing us closer to our community, amplifying the power of stories to change lives.
Learn more and apply (first round of applications reviewed on May 15).
PUBLIC PROGRAMS ASSOCIATE MANAGER
Literary Arts is hiring a Public Programs Associate Manager, a dynamic role at Literary Arts that directly connects to some of the world’s best authors. We are looking for an experienced events organizer/producer, someone who can brilliantly shepherd a variety of projects, who can show up with a passion for bringing people together around a shared love of literature and storytelling. The ideal candidate will be able to communicate effectively with both event vendors and on-stage talent, will take great pride in their organizational aptitude, and can think on their feet in a live event scenario. Working directly with the Senior Artistic Director, the Public Programs Associate Manager will be an integral part of a renowned nonprofit arts organization at a time of growth.
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Literary Arts is looking for an exceptional individual to join our team as Senior Director of Development & Community Engagement. Literary Arts is in the middle of a transformational, once-in-a-generation project (the Project) that will grow and remake the organization for generations to come. The Project includes opening a new 14,000-square-foot facility that will serve as our national headquarters and launching a new writers residency program in a separate facility. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape and build a development department for the organization, oversee a small marketing department, evaluate current systems, and expand fundraising and marketing capacities.
Click here for full job description and application instructions.
If you have applied to a previously posted position, the hiring process is likely ongoing. All applicants will be notified by email of the status of the application.
INTERNSHIPS
There are no open internships at this time.
CONTRACT POSITIONS
Writing Class Instructors: Literary Arts is happy to hear from experienced teachers interested in offering multi-week or one-day writing classes for adults at our downtown literary center. Visit this page for more information about teaching for us.
Delve Seminar Guides: Literary Arts welcomes seminar proposals to facilitate in our Delve Readers Seminars program. We seek experienced group facilitators/teachers eager to lead discussion-based seminars on compelling literary texts and topics. Visit this page for more information on applying to be a seminar guide.
Writers in the Schools (WITS) Writers: WITS hires published professional writers to teach creative writing to high school students in Multnomah and Salem-Keizer counties. This is a part-time contractor position. WITS provides an orientation prior to placement, and provides ongoing professional development. As part of our commitment to build a roster of teaching artists that reflects the rich diversity of the schools, we serve we seek applicants from all of our diverse communities. Applications to teach for WITS are due July 17, 2023 for school year 2023-2024. Click here for more information about the position and application process.
Writers in the Schools Apprentice: WITS is offering paid apprenticeship opportunities for writers of color. Self-identified writers of color who do not currently have the experience necessary to be a lead teacher with Writers in the Schools and would like to gain that experience, please consider applying to our apprentice program. Please submit your application materials by July 17, 2023. Click here for more information about the position and application process.
Volunteer at Literary Arts
Volunteer and help us fulfill our mission to serve thousands of readers and writers of all ages across Oregon.
