Operations Assistant

Overview : Reporting to the Executive Artistic Director (EAD), this position has responsibilities as an Operations Assistant.  As an Operations Assistant the individual will provide general administrative support in the areas of (but not limited to): accounts payable/receivable, contractor and funder communication, grant tracking and other direct support of operations. This position will be instrumental in ensuring consistent and effective internal processes and communications to strengthen programs and position the organization for continued success.

Start date 3/5/2026  

Apply by 2/23/2026

Department: Administration                

Position: Non-Exempt

Reports to: Executive Artistic Director                     

Status: 10 hrs /week (in-person)

Location: City Heights, San Diego, CA                                         

Starting wage: $27/hr

Key Responsibilities

Office Administrator/Management

• Act as a general point of contact for the organization, answer phones, take messages.

• Communicate incoming payments, and outgoing expenses directly with the accountant.

• Track bills, including recurring bills and submitting for approval. 

• Manage reimbursement requests.

• Manage subscriptions.  

• Support in Maintaining the Organization’s Master calendar.

• Support in Maintaining Financial and Personnel Files.

• Provide staffing support (i.e., recruiting); support with onboarding and offboarding of employees and independent contractors.

• Assist recruitment process for instructors, fellows, volunteers, participants. 

• Perform administrative support tasks for Management and Staff

Program Operational Support

• Oversee the procurement, delivery, storage, inventory and maintenance of program related images and equipment. 

• Provide support for final program exhibits/events - as needed.

• Support in picking up/dropping off program/exhibition materials. 

• Communications Operational Support as needed. 

Qualifications and Experiences 

• Minimum 1 year of proven experience in project coordination/management.

• Minimum 2 years of proven experience in office administration/management.

• Experience with basic finances, ideally in the nonprofit sector.

• Experience working with/for nonprofits is ideal.

• Highly organized and ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic and fast-moving environment; a driving force who manages toward clarity and solutions.

• A consummate team player with a flexible and creative approach.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in arts, education, social science or business related field. 

• Ability to work both independently and collectively.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Other time required will include Live Scan, Background Check, Sexual Harassment prevention and Harassment prevention training. (staff meetings, and events as needed basis)

3 MONTH ORIENTATION PERIOD:  First three months will be an orientation period, after which there will be an evaluation to determine the candidate’s qualification for the position. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

This position is hourly, compensated at $27.00. This is an in-person position at the office or project site required, however partial remote schedule is negotiable after the 3-month orientation period.

TO APPLY:

Please send an email with a cover letter and resume/CV to director@ajaproject.org by Feb 23, 2026

Program Manager

Overview

Program Manager is a position that plays an important role in managing various art/media/advocacy projects with youth fellows and participants that are participating in AjA’s programs at different sites. The primary objective of this position is to plan, implement, manage and complete reporting requirements for various programs. 

The ideal person for this position will have a combination of artistic expertise, technical proficiency, strong interpersonal skills, and a deep commitment to the collaborative art production process, especially with youth. The position plays a vital part in the success of AjA’s programs, which have consistently been centered around social issues and the City Heights community.

In addition, this position will provide support for other programs occasionally as a teaching artist, or video/photo editing for student films, program events, and various multimedia projects. 

Start Date: March 9, 2026  

Apply by: Feb 23 2026                  

Position: Non-Exempt

Reports to: Executive Artistic Director                

Status: 35 hrs/wk   (80% in-person, 20% Hybrid)  

Location: City Heights, San Diego, CA                

Starting Salary: $55k-$60k/ year (DOE)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership & Strategy

• Launch short-term and multi-year programs using both current and new program strategies with program department staff.

• Provide leadership, coordination and management of the Program personnel.

• Develop curricula that are innovative and most impactful for the populations served.

Partnerships 

• Manage community partnerships with organizations, schools, colleges and universities.

• Initiate community engagement strategies to identify new opportunities and populations.

Program Department Management

• Oversee and ensure quality of all program department activities, including program and artistic coordination.

• Support training of new instructors on AjA methodology, programs, and responsibilities.

• Work directly with program instructors and program department staff to ensure their understanding of program aims, goals, objectives, and deliverables.

• Conduct onsite visits to observe and provide critical feedback about classroom activities.

• Collaborate with and support instructors to complete and publish a final product and/or an end-of-semester event for each program.

• Meet regularly with instructors, assistant instructors and program staff to provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and support to ensure programs are meeting aims, goals, objectives, and deliverables. (weekly or bi-weekly, depending on project)

• Review all instructor lesson plans on a weekly basis and provide timely feedback and guidance.

• Support instructors with classroom management and facilitation needs.

• Hold quarterly meetings with all program instructors to build a culture of engagement and to discuss best practices.

• Work directly with Executive Director to develop and oversee program budgets.

• Oversee the procurement, delivery, storage, inventory, and maintenance of program related images and equipment.

• Fill in or find suitable replacement for instructors in the event they cannot instruct any given program session.

• Support program instructors in the translation of themes set forth in the program curriculum to daily activities and lesson plans.

Program Evaluation & Reporting

• Complete instructor evaluations at the close of programs.

• Embed qualitative and quantitative measurements and reporting into every program.

• Contribute program-related grant reports and work samples to the Executive Director as needed.

• Provide an annual report (first week of September) detailing the program activities, strategies, successes and challenges.

• Identify and implement best practices for program design, management and delivery, with an emphasis on program innovation and quality.

• Review and help modify existing curricula and development of new curricula on an ongoing basis.

• Implement quarterly program reviews to assess program quality and areas for improvement.

• Ensure partner satisfaction through ongoing communications.

• Help Oversee curriculum development and curriculum implementation for all AjA programs.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (education, social sciences, arts, nonprofit management, or similar) or equivalent professional experience. 

• 3+ years of experience leading or managing youth-facing programs (arts education, youth development, education services, or participatory/community-based programs).

• Demonstrated ability to supervise and support a team (teaching artists/instructors and support staff), including coaching, feedback, and performance evaluation.

• Experience designing or guiding curriculum and facilitation approaches that support strong learning outcomes for young people.

• Strong partnership skills: ability to build and maintain relationships with schools, community organizations, and other stakeholders.

• Strong writing and reporting skills (e.g., grant reporting, program summaries, outcomes for funders/partners, clear communication for general audiences).

• Commitment and demonstrated experience working with diverse communities; ability to lead with cultural humility and care: especially with youth from disinvested communities. 

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to manage multiple deadlines, stay reliable/punctual, and remain calm in time-sensitive situations.

• Comfortable using standard workplace tools (Google, Excel, Word) and project management software (Asana).

• Understanding of media arts production workflows (photo/video production and editing processes).

• Ability to travel locally for onsite program support; valid CA Driver License, reliable transportation, and successful completion of fingerprint/background check.

Preferred

• Bilingual or multilingual (Spanish/English a plus).

• Experience creating and facilitating staff trainings (e.g., instructor onboarding, teaching methodology, classroom management).

• Direct experience in classroom observation and coaching (lesson plan review, facilitation feedback, instructional support).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Other requirements will include Live Scan, Background Check, TB Testing, Sexual Harassment prevention and Harassment prevention training, staff meetings, and events. 

3 MONTH ORIENTATION PERIOD:  First three months will be an orientation period, after which there will be an evaluation to determine the candidate’s qualification for the position. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

This position is hourly, compensated at $30.21~$32.96/hr depending on the experience. This is primarily an in-person position with 80% of employee time at the office or project site required, however remote schedule of up to 20% of employee hours is negotiable.

Benefits: 10 paid official holidays, 10 days of accrued PTO per year, and 15 days of paid time off during the office closure period at the end of summer and at the end of the calendar year. Health Insurance: 75% of the insurance cost is covered by employer, 25% co-pay by the employee. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The AjA Project encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientations, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.

TO APPLY:

Please send an email with a cover letter and resume/CV to director@ajaproject.org by February 23, 2026

Art & Advocacy Teaching Artist

Overview

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Art & Advocacy Teaching Artist will lead the Countersurveillance program with support by AjA’s team members . Based on a broad curriculum framework set forth by The AjA Project ,the Teaching Artist will create lesson plans, activities and  create an engaging curriculum using art and media arts for the participants. The Teaching Artist will take the fellows to field trips to the border, or to a hearing in City Council.  The Teaching Artist will also be guided by AjA’s team on a final art project that could be showcased in public spaces.  We are looking for candidates that can start from March 5th. 

Start Date: March 1st  to June 30th, 2026

Position: Part-time

Reports To: Executive Artistic Director

Status: 1 session/ week  

Location: In-person at City Heights, San Diego 

Salary: $300 / class

Approximate Schedule: 

From our experience, we expect the Teaching Artist to spend 10hrs for the project to be successful. 

(3 HRS) Thursdays, 5pm-7pm at AjA’s Fridge Art Space (5591 University Ave.) 

(7 HRS) Meetings with AJA team, debriefs, curriculum planning, lesson plan planning, check-in with the fellows and other tasks related to role as needed.

*The program will start from March 5th (Orientation) session, and there will be 10 weekly sessions, and 2 lab hours to create the resulting art project. Currently the showcasing is planned at the end of June. 

ABOUT THE AJA PROJECT and Countersurveillance Program: 

The AjA Project is a nonprofit organization headquartered in San Diego, California, that utilizes media arts-based educational programs to transform the lives of displaced youth. Utilizing participatory photography methods with visual art elements, AjA’s programs encourage youth to think critically about their identities, increase their social capacities and see themselves as agents of personal and social transformation. The AjA Project has also been putting these stories as public art installations throughout the San Diego community. Learn more about The AjA Project at www.theajaproject.org. Countersurveillance Program is one of AjA’s core programs in which we engage 6 to 8 emerging artists (18-30) on their 3 month fellowship program, in which fellows will learn about the surveillance practices and create a collective art / media art project that can directly support the ongoing movement against the ever expanding threat of surveillance cameras.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE:

• Punctuality and ability to provide a professional and supportive classroom environment for emerging artists and young people, or non-professional artists.

• Knowledge of best practices in working with complex topics like surveillance issues.

• Ability to research and didact complex issues for teaching

• Experience facilitating mid to large-group discussions and activities using art and media arts.

• Experience working with BIPOC communities and youth.

• Strong communication skills and classroom management skills.

• Basic understanding and experience in activism and workings around advocacy (i.e. coalition, partners, press) 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

This position is part-time, compensated at $300 dlls per session including the lesson preparation, teaching hours and other communication and engagement. This is a short-term position that would end upon the completion of the contract on June 30th, 2026 with a possibility of an extension or teaching other AjA Programs. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The AjA Project encourages applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientations, marital status, physical ability or any other legally protected basis.

To Apply:

Please send your resume, portfolio, and brief cover letter by Feb 10 noon to operations@ajaproject.org.

Director of Creative Advocacy and Partnership

Overview

The AjA Project is pleased to announce our participation as a host institution for the

ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship Program, supported by the Mellon Foundation.

In 2026, the program will place recent humanities PhDs in two-year positions with organizations

committed to promoting justice with and in their communities. Selected Leading Edge Fellows

will take on substantive roles that draw on the skills and capacities honed in the course of

earning the humanities PhD, including advanced communication, research, project

management, and creative problem solving.

The application deadline is March 11, 2026 at 9:00 PM EDT (Please apply directly to ACLS)

For more information, please visit www.acls.org/LeadingEdge and direct any questions to ACLS at leadingedge@acls.org

Stipend: $72,000 in the first year, $74,000 in the second year

Benefits: Access to employer health insurance. Professional development funds and relocation funds provided by ACLS.

Start Date: September 2026

POSITION DESCRIPTION

AjA’s creative advocacy initiatives harness the power of participatory arts to address issues of concern for local immigrant, refugee, and other historically marginalized communities. The Director of Creative Advocacy and Partnerships will play an essential role in informing, supporting, and expanding The AjA Project’s art and advocacy work to amplify our programs’ reach and impact. Reporting directly to the Executive Artistic Director, The Director will link AjA program staff, local coalitions, ally organizations, and refugee and immigrant communities who are disproportionately impacted by surveillance, criminalization, and civil liberties violations. This individual will conduct strategic analysis to deepen AjA’s understanding of the policy landscape. They will use this analysis to develop creative advocacy responses at the city and county levels, through community engagement in town halls, oral history sharing, and public participatory art. The Director will focus on two key programs: 1) Countersurveillance, which empowers marginalized communities to use art and visual storytelling to challenge systems of surveillance, reclaim their narratives, and assert visibility on their own terms; and 2) Civil Liberties, which grounds in historical civil liberties violations, particularly the deportation of Japanese American Communities, to engage immigrant communities in using the media arts to explore, educate, and advocate for the current issues of concern. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who is passionate about arts-based social justice, creative advocacy, and applied participatory research in community settings. The Director of Creative Advocacy and Partnerships must be based in San Diego to attend AjA’s in-person workshops and public art programs and build relationships with local partners. The fellowship tenure is 24 consecutive months, with an expected time commitment of approximately 37.5 hours per week.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Coalition Engagement & Strategic Analysis:

-Participate in local coalitions including Transparent and Responsible Use of Surveillance Technology (TRUST SD), liaise with community allies, and stay up to date on related advocacy efforts; incorporate relevant learnings to inform Countersurveillance and Civil Liberties.

-Cultivate and maintain relationships with local partners, advocacy groups, and stakeholders including Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), Mid City Community Action Network, and others, ensuring bidirectional flow of information and insight.

-Analyze policies, technologies, and issues that impact local residents, and summarize research to identify creative tactics for AjA’s engagement and advocacy that will be further developed by AjA staff.

• Creative Advocacy

- Develop and implement creative advocacy responses at the city and county levels through community engagement in town halls, oral history sharing, and public participatory art.

- Work in collaboration with program staff to integrate advocacy activities into AjA programming. o Assess learnings from implementation to iteratively inform future programming.

- Support the program team in translating analysis and advocacy messaging into publicfacing materials such as social media content, infographics, and zines.

Qualifications

• PhD in any field of the humanities or interpretive social sciences. Read more about eligible fields here.

• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and accessibly to diverse audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize insights from primary and secondary sources. • Strong project management and time management skills, including the ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and balance multiple priorities.

• Alignment with AjA’s organizational values, including a commitment to equity, cultural humility, collaborative process, and the belief in the transformative power of art and storytelling. Preferred:

• Demonstrated commitment to community-engaged or applied research, including work that is collaborative, participatory, and grounded in lived experience.

• Experience with community-based organizations, coalitions, or advocacy groups, particularly those connected to refugee, immigrant, and/or otherwise historically marginalized communities.

• Experience in community organizing, especially in coalition-building roles.

• Familiarity with issue-based advocacy, especially related to immigrant and refugee rights, surveillance, digital privacy, and civil liberties.

• Proficiency in qualitative research methods such as ethnography, oral history, or archival research.

• Interest or experience in arts-based advocacy and creative methods such as documentary or media arts, visual art, public art, participatory storytelling, etc.

• Experience designing or facilitating community-based education, especially informal learning spaces like workshops, teach-ins, or participatory arts programs.

• Relevant linguistic/cultural familiarity (e.g., Spanish, Arabic, Somali, Vietnamese, Swahili, etc.)

Internship Opportunity

INTERNSHIP SUMMARY:

The Programs Intern/Volunteer will work with The AjA Project for a minimum of 2 months to support AjA’s current programs and fellowships. Interns and Volunteers will work closely with the program coordinator to ensure programming runs smoothly.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

● Archiving past and current students’ images and works.

● Work with the program coordinator to facilitate workshops or presentations when necessary.

● Assist with collecting program information and documentation (such as photos, videos, and interviews).

● Equipment management and organization.

● Assist in preparation of program equipment and materials.

● Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

● Committed to or interested in learning more about racial, social, and economic justice, especially of local issues
in City Heights and broader San Diego.

● Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills.

● Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with accuracy and attention to detail.

● Ability to work out of The AjA Project’s office in City Heights is required.

● Experience working with immigrant, refugee, and marginalized communities preferred.


COMPENSATION: 
At this time, The AjA Project does not offer paid internships but we will work with you to provide college credits if necessary. This is an in-person position.

Time Commitment: Flexible

Starting Date: Urgently Accepting Interns

Job Type: Unpaid internship volunteer; optional college credit

Application Procedure: Please send your resume and brief interest statement in the email to operations@ajaproject.org.

Please put “Application for Programs Intern” in the subject line.

Deadline to Apply: On-going

Contact: Operations Lead, Yerin Kwak

Contact Email: Operations@ajaproject.org

Contact Number: 619.230.5556