In a co-leadership model with the Artistic Director, the Executive Director will collaborate closely with the Board to establish a long-term vision and strategy that is effective, achievable, and sustainable, and will co-lead its implementation. Guided by the mission and values, this individual will be responsible for managing all the company’s business functions including general management, external and community relations, audience development, marketing, fund development, financial management, and strategic planning.
The Executive Director will report to the Board of Trustees to provide administrative and financial oversight of all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the organization. The Executive Director will serve as an active spokesperson for the organization, and cultivate relationships with municipal leaders, funders, and other philanthropic supporters.
In partnership with the Artistic Director, they will co-lead the Board and senior management team in sustaining equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, policies and initiatives, and will partner with artists and community and education staff to initiate and facilitate community-centered programs. The Executive Director and Artistic Director will work together to expand TheatreWorks’ capacity to support top regional and national talent. They will foster a creative, accessible, supportive, and joyful environment for artists and the many people who make the work of TheatreWorks possible – on stage, backstage, in classrooms, online, and throughout the community.
Role and Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Operational Leadership
- Serve as a committed, visionary, and accessible leader with a true connection to stakeholders including artists, staff, board, donors, and community members. Collaborate with the Artistic Director to provide consistent and transparent leadership across the organization and establish a sustainable strategy that encourages artistic innovation and fiscal responsibility.
- Create decisive action plans with the senior management team that include a clearly defined organizational structure designed to achieve strategic, operational, and tactical priorities, and measurable goals, while fostering a teamwork culture of shared accountability.
- Champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility policies and practices, and ensure ongoing organization-wide training is prioritized, funded, implemented, effective, and sustained.
- Inspire and engage stakeholders to support TheatreWorks as a chief spokesperson and ambassador for the organization.
- Embrace other strategic planning and operational leadership responsibilities as needed.
Fiscal Responsibility and Oversight
- Demonstrate solid fiscal and business acumen and ensure the highest levels of financial accountability.
- Maintain communications with the Board of Trustees that are comprehensive, proactive, and transparent.
- Maximize income and control expenditures without jeopardizing the quality of work, achievement of mission, or the reputation of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
- Lead the development, implementation, and management of organizational budgets.
- Manage financial reporting systems, provide financial analysis, develop earned and contributed revenue forecasting models and scenario plans, and make recommendations to support decision-making.
- Embrace other fiscal responsibility and oversight responsibilities as needed.
Earned and Contributed Revenue Enhancement
- Lead staff and Board fundraising initiatives to create innovative community-centered strategies for growing contributed revenue.
- Build and maintain strong professional relationships with the Board Emeriti, business leaders, and the funding community including key donors, foundations, public funders, and corporations.
- Formulate and actively participate in comprehensive marketing and public relations campaigns to increase local and national awareness of TheatreWorks.
- Join forces with the Artistic Director and marketing team to develop and implement new, sustainable earned revenue streams.
- Collaborate with the marketing and development team to develop long-term patron engagement strategies to increase Mainstage attendance and convert single ticket holders into subscribers/repeat theatregoers.
- Guide the development of strategic marketing initiatives designed to create long-term engagement, increase attendance at Mainstage shows, and convert single ticket holders into subscribers/repeat theatregoers.
- Assess and adapt audience development plans based on the specific, unique nature of Silicon Valley to create meaningful relationships with the region’s broadly diverse communities.
- Embrace other earned and contributed revenue enhancement responsibilities as needed.
Community Engagement and External Relations
- Devise innovative partnerships between artistic and tech communities, ensuring TheatreWorks is valued as the theatrical center of Silicon Valley and looked to as a performing arts leader in local and global conversations.
- Maintain a consistent presence as a highly engaged member of the Silicon Valley community focused on increasing the visibility and reputation of TheatreWorks in arts, culture, public, corporate, government, and philanthropic communities.
- Expand TheatreWorks’ presence in the broader theatre field by representing the organization at national convenings, participating in collective lobbying efforts, and fostering relationships with local or national peer organizations that may result in producing partnerships and resource-sharing.
- Cultivate and develop a diverse, intergenerational audience in close collaboration with the Artistic Director, by engaging Silicon Valley communities through mutually beneficial, innovative partnerships and collaborations.
- Embrace other community engagement and external relations responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Executive Director will be an inspiring, collaborative, and forward-thinking leader who empowers and celebrates colleagues and brings out the best in others. A proactive and approachable manager, the Executive Director will be a hands-on team-builder, capable of uniting the collective energy and resources of TheatreWorks to build upon its legacy and secure a path toward its future. While maintaining a regional and national presence, the Executive Director will enjoy continual learning and embrace a service-minded approach to building meaningful partnerships with diverse and dynamic communities. The Executive Director will demonstrate versatility and adaptability and be comfortable with initiating and supporting change. The Executive Director will be receptive to new ideas, opportunities, and innovation while effectively leveraging organizational, human, financial, and technological resources. A visible and vocal advocate, both internally and in the community at large, the Executive Director will demonstrate the ability to organize and motivate other people to accomplish goals, create a sense of order and direction, and gain active participation from a variety of stakeholders.
Other key competencies include:
- Leadership, Time, and Priority Management – The fortitude to organize and influence people to believe in a vision, creating a sense of purpose and direction while ascertaining competing priorities, resolve difficulties and overcome obstacles, and maximize the use of time and resources to attain the desired outcomes.
- Flexibility and Problem Solving – The dexterity to readily modify, respond, and adapt to change with minimal resistance while analyzing all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.
- Futuristic Thinking Creativity and Innovation – The foresight to envision expanded artistic possibilities, champion cutting-edge ideas and concepts, and craft an environment where creative thinking is the norm, not the exception.
- Diplomacy and Personal Accountability – The ability to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues while being answerable for personal and collective actions.
Qualifications
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley does not require a specific number of years of experience or minimum educational credentials. Qualified candidates should demonstrate a dynamic history of senior leadership and managerial experience within mission-driven theatre-producing organizations, as well as previous experience in fundraising, marketing, financial management, operations, relationship-building, and strategic planning. Exceptional communication skills are required, as is the desire to directly engage with Silicon Valley communities alongside TheatreWorks’ staff. Demonstrated experience in championing and implementing inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and anti-racism policies is essential. The Executive Director will be a change agent experienced in leading a team/organization through change and/or challenging times. The selected candidate must be willing to live or relocate to the geographical area of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
Compensation and Benefits
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley provides a competitive compensation package with a salary range between $175,000 and $200,000 and benefits that include partial employer-paid health insurance; a 403(b)-retirement plan; paid vacation; holidays; personal and sick days; complimentary tickets to TheatreWorks productions; friends and family discounts; and a creative, energetic environment. A relocation allowance will be offered to the placed candidate if they are not local.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit: https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/theatreworks-silicon-valley-seeks-executive-director/.
At TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, we believe in the power of our art to foster understanding, build bridges, and to drive change. We are committed to using our platform to create a space where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. We are on a journey to reflect the richness and diversity of our world more fully.
We acknowledge our responsibility to examine and evolve our policies and practices to better include and celebrate all identities, experiences, and perspectives. This includes fostering equity on our stages and throughout our organization and the broader community we serve.
Our commitment extends to embracing people across lines of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, age, and socioeconomic status. We highly encourage people of color, individuals with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented groups to apply.