Managing Director
Virginia Repertory Theatre
Richmond, VA 23220
Deadline
Posted
Full time / $110,000 - $140,000 annually / Virginia Repertory Theatre / Richmond, VA
Position Summary
The Managing Director will be Va Rep’s strategic, financial, and operational leader, balancing the areas of season programming, education, fundraising, ticket sales, and community engagement. Reporting to the Board of Directors, they will partner with the three Artistic Directors to plan, organize, motivate, direct, and manage Va Rep in collectively fulfilling the organization’s mission. The Managing Director will serve as the producer of all Va Rep performances and have responsibility for and oversight of all administrative operations, including fundraising, marketing, and finance departments, as well as human resources, facilities, and information technology. This individual will be an engaged member of the community, creating and growing partnerships with philanthropic supporters, theater professionals, stakeholders, and audience members. The Managing Director will use their knowledge and skills in the arts, education, community health, and social equity to strengthen programmatic initiatives and build an enduring institutional legacy.
Role and Responsibilities
Strategic Engagement and Board Governance
• Lead the organization’s efforts, in collaboration with Board and Artistic Directors, in formulating, monitoring, and implementing the organization’s long-term strategic plan.
• Maintain open and active communication with the board of directors and board committees.
• Steward and develop board relationships to leverage skills and talents for the organization, in addition to board member recruitment.
• Partner with the board to cultivate financial resources and support board members as fundraisers and community ambassadors.
• Ensure that board and staff leadership roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, appropriate, familiar to all, and followed.
• Embrace other strategic engagement and board governance responsibilities, as needed.
Operations and Finance
• Develop and manage organizational policies in key areas, including operations, fundraising, communications, human resources, and finance.
• Manage and monitor overall financial operations, in collaboration with the Director of Finance, including budgeting, strategies for financial stability, and audit oversight, reporting and analysis.
• Engage in ongoing review and improvement of the organization’s policies and practices, including those which ensure and communicate a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
• Direct administrative operations including hiring, supervision, and management of administrative department heads, and general oversight of the entire administrative staff.
• Supervise the facilities staff in guaranteeing proper maintenance, upkeep, safety, and accessibility at all locations and supervise facility rentals.
• Embrace other operations and finance responsibilities, as needed.
Audience Development and Revenue Enhancement
• Cultivate governmental, community, and business partners to attract new supporters, reach new and more diverse audiences, and increase revenue.
• Manage partnerships with local universities and the state funding related to those partnerships.
• Guide staff and board fundraising initiatives to create strategies for growing contributed revenue with an emphasis on solicitation, stewardship, and cultivation of existing and new funders.
• Support and collaborate with the development department to ensure success in annual fundraising efforts and capital fundraising goals.
• Provide guidance and work collaboratively with the sales and marketing department to ensure effective messaging and promotion of ticket sales and other revenue sources, including rentals.
• Embrace other audience development and revenue enhancement responsibilities, as needed.
Community Interactions and Connections
• Serve as an ambassador of the theater in Richmond and the surrounding counties, in partnership with the artistic directors.
• Create and maintain ongoing relationships with local arts organizations, fostering mutual support and collaboration.
• Encourage and support the development of a local talent pool through increased outreach and hiring in the community in all departments.
• Re-energize and expand the theater’s connection to the community, including community leaders and businesses.
• Embrace other community interactions and connections responsibilities, as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Managing Director will be a collaborative leader who balances the value of building consensus and inviting input with the responsibilities of decision making, problem solving, and leadership. Transparency and open communication will be key tenets of their leadership style, and they will recognize challenges without allowing them to become obstacles to forward movement and growth. A goal- and people-oriented executive, the Managing Director will guide the organization with warmth, respect, and professionalism in their actions, setting the tone and direction on how employees interact with each other and with the diverse communities that Va Rep serves. With the goal of building a shared culture of openness and collaboration, they will engage the Board and staff in the decision-making process, while taking responsibility for outcomes, and build an organizational culture of teamwork, accountability, and trust, characterized by proactive decision making, open communication, and strategic fiscal management.
Other key competencies include:
• Leadership and Personal Accountability – The ability to organize and influence people to believe in a shared vision and sense of purpose and direction, while also being answerable for personal actions.
• Conflict Management and Resiliency – The integrity to understand, address, and resolve conflict constructively and quickly recover from adversity to adjust to changing circumstances in the industry and environment.
• Time and Priority Management, Planning, and Organizing – The capacity to manage, prioritize, and complete multiple complex tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames, while establishing courses of action that ensure work is routinely completed effectively.
• Decision Making and Teamwork – The dexterity to analyze all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions and the ability to cooperate with others to meet the objectives.
Qualifications
Demonstrable, significant, and progressive professional experience in leadership roles and in managing and supervising teams is required. A successful track record working within complex and dynamic organizations, as well as skills in financial management, fundraising, and relationship building is needed. Strong business acumen and communication skills are needed. A record of commitment to the principles of inclusion, equity, diversity, and access is essential. Prior experience in the performing arts sector is appreciated, and a strong passion for theater and knowledge of the field are expected. The Managing Director will have demonstrated, and measurable success in managing complex financial pathways and funding streams, and have a proven track record in audience development, fundraising, and guiding and establishing organizational policies. If you do not meet all the qualifications but possess transferable or equivalent skills, we encourage you to apply and highlight them in your cover letter and resume.
Compensation and Benefits
Va Rep provides a competitive and equitable compensation package in the range of $110,000 to $140,000, with benefits that include paid time off and holidays; health insurance; long-term disability and life insurance; and an employer matched 401(k) retirement plan.