General Manager

General Manager
Position Profile

About the Opportunity

The General Manager of Goodspeed Musicals is a key member of the Senior Operations Team who oversees the central functions of the organization’s administration and operations, including human resources, artist contracting and relations, company management, legal, IT, and more. Reporting to the Managing Director, the General Manager ensures that the organization’s people at all levels (staff, contracted artists, and more) have the necessary support to carry out their work and will play a key role in fostering a healthy culture in which team members and the artistic process can thrive. Note that while the General Manager plays a large role in the productions themselves, their role has a broader focus across the organization.

Goodspeed Musicals currently has an operating budget of $14M (approximately 30% contributed, 70% earned) and will offer a season of six musicals in 2023, including four new musicals, running from April through December. The Goodspeed team includes approximately 70 full-time employees, not including the contracted staff for each production, and has two spaces–Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam and The Norma Terris Theater in neighboring Chester, Connecticut. Additional facilities in Goodspeed’s portfolio are the Stillman Production center, Barrington Costume Center, two rehearsal studios, and over 100 bedrooms of guest artist housing.

The General Manager directly supervises the Artistic Administrator, Company Manager, and Systems Administrator.

About Goodspeed Musicals

Goodspeed Musicals is the foremost expert in American Musical Theatre. Founded almost 60 years ago, Goodspeed has produced 280 musicals, including over 70 world premieres, and exported 21 productions to Broadway. Goodspeed gained worldwide recognition for the creation of three of Broadway’s longest-running musicals—Annie, Man of La Mancha, and Shenandoah—and has been recognized within the industry with two Special Tony Awards.

The mission of Goodspeed is to share the joy of musical theatre; to delight, inspire, and challenge audiences; to nurture creators; and to build and support a broad, diverse, and inclusive community. In support of this mission, Goodspeed presently has three central goals:

1. Sustain Goodspeed’s pre-eminence as a statewide and national leader in musical theatre by broadening and modernizing the concept of the classic musical as well as developing new work that advances and enriches the art form.
2. Grow Goodspeed’s organizational culture around accountability, community, and equity.
3. Secure Goodspeed’s future and develop a financially sustainable operating model through revenue growth and expense assessment.

This season, Goodspeed will offer more than 326 performances from April to December of new and newly revived musicals. Performances will be offered on the main stage of the historic Opera House in the bucolic village of East Haddam. Goodspeed is planning a return to its contemporary second stage in nearby Chester this year. Audiences come from Connecticut and further afield.

In addition to producing works onstage for audiences, Goodspeed offers preservation and education programs. The American musical artform is preserved by their Scherer Library of Musical Theatre, which is the second most extensive musical theatre research library in the country. The annual Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove provides a writers’ retreat. Staged readings of new musicals, along with seminars, a symposium and cabaret performances are offered in The Festival of New Musicals. The Arts Education Collaboration provides arts education programs for underserved Connecticut youth.

Goodspeed Musicals, led by the dynamic new leadership team of Artistic Director Donna Lynn Hilton and Managing Director David B. Byrd, envisions a bright future as a thriving artist community where the creative process informs the work on their stages and expanding educational and engagement programs. They are committed to discovery and innovation that will enrich the field with the next generation of musical theatre artists.

Requirements

Job Description

Reporting to the Managing Director, the General Manager is a key member of the Senior Operations Team and leads administrative and operational efforts of the organization, managing daily functions including human resources, artist contracting and relations, and legal needs of the organization, as well as coordinating and managing cross-departmental programs and initiatives and assisting with budgeting and finance. The General Manager also supervises Company Management and IT.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities:

Organizational Leadership
• Participate as a key member of the Senior Operations Team, including development of strategies and solutions for organization-wide priorities, support of Leadership as a regular thought partner, and participation at Board committees as assigned.
• Supports Executive Leadership and other Senior Operations Team leaders on special projects and initiatives, including but not limited to building civic relationships, tackling industry-related topics, identifying additional sources of revenue, and long-term facility planning.
• As a member of the Senior Operations Team, assist in the planning for and scheduling of each season and develop priorities in tandem with the organization’s strategic plan.
• Represent Goodspeed in appropriate community, governmental, industry, and organizational settings.

Contracts
• Negotiate all contracts for artists (actors, directors, designers, musicians, stage managers, and other creative personnel) and oversee artist contract execution.
• Negotiate and execute all artistic licensing agreements, such as show licenses and commissions, co-production, commercial enhancement, and other production-related agreements.

• Negotiate all union agreements, rental agreements, and partner agreements with other organizations.
• Serve as Company’s union liaison (AEA, SDC, USA, Local 400 AFM), and work on negotiating committees during contract renewal or initiation years in addition to being point of contact for League of Resident Theatres (LORT).

Operations
• Work with Facilities Director to guide organizational capital expenditures, including annual budget, project planning, and maintenance of a working list of upcoming projects.
• With Director of Production and Facilities Director, oversee immediate, mid and long-term planning for departmental infrastructure over multiple production facilities and two stages.
• Manage annual commercial, workers’ compensation, and group medical insurance costs, renewal process, and coverages.
• Act as agent of Goodspeed in negotiation of contracts and authorized banking transactions.
• Assist Executive Leadership as a liaison with outside legal counsel.

Human Resources
• Supervise, hire, and manage the Artistic Administrator, Company Management, and Information Services staff.
• Negotiate all non-creative staff hires.
• Lead efforts and initiatives in all aspects of organization’s human resources, including determining and setting policy; training and implementing policies concerning hiring, discipline, terms and conditions of employment, and termination; mediating employee grievances; performing exit interviews; guiding performance review process; and delivering employee discipline, performance improvement plans, and separation notices.
• Serve as backup reviewer and processor for payroll, when needed.

IDEA
• Actively participate in organization’s efforts in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) work, including promulgating training as a part of onboarding process, participating in Goodspeed’s IDEA Working Group, serving as artists and actors’ primary resource for culture questions and concerns, and researching, recommending, and coordinating organization-wide trainings on broad range of topics in furtherance of organization’s IDEA goals and principles.
• Help build an ethical, compassionate, and joyful workplace.

Finance
• Support Director of Finance in liaising with third party Accountants and Auditors, as needed.
• Collaborate with the Director of Finance to develop, monitor, and reforecast annual operating budget with department heads, and assist with financial statement preparation as needed.
• As needed, in coordination with the Director of Production and Director of Finance, oversee production departmental finance operations including budgeting, projections, and reporting in order to provide accurate and timely financial data.
• Other duties and projects as necessary.

Required Qualifications:
• 5+ years in arts or general management role with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Management experience at an arts organization with a $7M+ operating budget preferred.
• Extensive knowledge of AEA/SDC/USA/AFM agreements and experience with LORT contracts preferred.
• Supervisory experience with particular focus in the non-profit arena.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, including word processing, spreadsheets and presentation applications.
• Proven leadership skill and experience supervising and improving teamwork, with natural inclination to see the “whole person.”
• A demonstrated ability to plan and manage multiple priorities within strict deadlines, look at complex problems and/or opportunities in a creative and innovative manner.
• Willingness to problem-solve, make decisions, and act within established policies and procedures.
• Superb time management and ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and a proactive attitude.
• Demonstrated experience in budget development and management.
• A person of deep integrity who demonstrates good judgment, ethical decision making, trustworthiness, and the ability to treat confidential information with the utmost discretion.
• Fondness for setting measurable goals for one’s performance and growth.
• A strong working knowledge of the relationships between commercial producing entities and the non-profit theater.
• Respect for Goodspeed’s mission, including the understanding that the focus of our work is to support the artistic and creative process—and people—at the heart of making musical theatre.
• High emotional intelligence and Interpersonal savvy, which includes relating comfortably to a variety of personalities; cultivating and maintaining positive relationships; employing discretion, diplomacy, and tact; seeking the positive in all situations.
• Comfortably and effectively cope with change and ambiguity, which includes effectively transitioning between tasks and timelines; identifying priorities and making good decisions with a minimum of information; staying relaxed and proactive when things are uncertain; confidently managing risk and uncertainty.
• A commitment to an equitable work environment, which includes use of gender inclusive language; support for individual gender expression, racial equity and intergenerational collaboration; accessibility for people with disabilities; and cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to work some nights and weekends required.
• Sense of humor.
• Kindness, confidence, and a generous spirit.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you’re returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

Please use your cover letter to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role.

Compensation

Salary range is $110,000-125,000, commensurate with experience. Goodspeed Musicals offers an extensive benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), 403(b) retirement account and free parking.

Application Instructions

The search for the General Manager is being conducted on behalf of Goodspeed Musicals by Tom O'Connor Consulting Group, a New York-based executive search and consulting firm specializing in the arts and culture industries, in partnership with Harold Wolpert of My Purple Crayon Consulting. Tom O’Connor and Harold Wolpert are co-leading this search.

To apply, visit the online application and submit your materials. (https://tinyurl.com/385pddkn) Your cover letter should include relevant experience, including any direct experience you’ve had with similar roles and institutions. No phone calls, please.

The priority application deadline for the General Manager position is April 28th, 2023. Applications received by this date will be given priority consideration. While we will still accept and consider applications received after this date, we encourage you to apply as early as possible for the best chance at being considered for the position. Please note that meeting the priority deadline does not guarantee an interview.