Managing Director

Aurora Theatre Company seeks an innovative, empathetic and strategic leader to join their talented team in the role of Managing Director. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the new Managing Director will be a vital leader and thought partner to the Artistic Director as the organization re-emerges from the pandemic in the midst of a cultural revolution.

Who is Aurora Theatre Company?

As the storyteller for our community, Aurora Theatre Company inspires new audiences and longtime theatre lovers alike with the visceral power of live theatre. Our venues, the most intimate professional stages in the Bay Area, highlight great acting, nuanced language, and an immediacy that makes for exhilarating theatre. By telling profoundly relevant stories, we’re building a new culture of theatre-going in the Bay Area. We are contributing to the revitalization of theatre nationwide by challenging all of us to think deeper, laugh louder, and engage more purposefully and profoundly with our neighbors and the world.

What will you do?

Working in partnership with the Artistic Director, the Managing Director (MD) will be responsible for the strategic leadership of the organization and supervising the day-to-day operations of the theater. As an organizational leader, the MD will operationalize the current mission and develop the vision for the theater with the Artistic Director, Board of Directors, and staff. The MD will activate partnerships between staff, board, and community stakeholders in order to build a cohesive strategy to position Aurora for its future.

The MD will also facilitate an environment of collaboration, wellness, and excellence for its staff, board, and artists. The MD serves as a critical ambassador to the Berkeley community and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The MD will directly supervise the Development Director, Marketing and Communications Director, Box Office Manager, and an accountant. As such, the Managing Director will be responsible for all aspects of finance for the organization, including earned and contributed revenue.

Requirements

Who are we looking for?

This role is ideal for an industry leader in theater and the performing arts who thrives in a dynamic environment, and wants to make a strong imprint on the organizational design of a theater. The new Managing Director is someone who has experience in building community among diverse stakeholders, and values differences in opinion. They seek to capture the opportunities brought forth by the converging trends of online engagement and deeper audience cultivation, post-pandemic. This role requires a high level of financial acumen to meet Aurora’s pressing challenges in the current economic environment. This person will be an advocate and champion for Aurora’s Confronting and Dismantling Oppression work.

Additional Areas of Expertise

• Team and community building
• Accountability
• Facilitation
• Financial skills
• Communication
• Cultural competency
• Background in the theater industry
• Experience in and analysis of confronting and dismantling oppression