Executive Director, The Choral Arts Society of Washington

The Board of Directors of The Choral Arts Society of Washington seeks an Executive Director to collaborate with full time Artistic Director Scott Tucker to lead this nationally prominent choral organization to the next levels of growth and success.

Established in 1965 by Maestro Norman Scribner, Choral Arts is recognized as one of the nation’s premier symphonic choruses, performing primarily major choral/orchestral works, in an annual season at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Choral Arts stands out as a leader among its peers not only for its artistic excellence, but for its administrative leadership and educational portfolio. Choral Arts has a budget among those of the top five American choruses, an endowment twice the size of the annual operating budget, and a team of eight full-time artistic management staff.

Choral Arts has performed, toured, co-commissioned and recorded with the National Symphony Orchestra, including John Corigliano’s Of Rage and Remembrance, which won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Album. The chorus has performed under the batons of many of the world’s leading conductors, including among others, Leonard Bernstein, Mstislav Rostropovich, Valery Gergiev, Leonard Slatkin, Robert Shaw, and has most recently appeared with the London Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra in 2015 during a highly acclaimed five-city tour of the People’s Republic of China. The chorus has performed for nationally and internationally televised events, including A Capitol Fourth, and has toured in the United States and on three continents. Choral Arts has engaged in a wide range of partnerships and has developed international collaborations with prestigious festivals in England, France and China. Several hundred works, representing all periods, have been performed and are included within its discography.

In 2012, upon the retirement of Founder and Artistic Director Norman Scribner and following an extensive international search, Scott Tucker, formerly the P.E. Browning Director of Choral Music at Cornell University, was appointed the full time Artistic Director of Choral Arts. The chorus has grown to a membership of 193 professional-caliber volunteer singers, and includes the newly formed 27-member Choral Arts Chamber Singers, whose first recordings, Lift Up Your Voice, performed in both English and Spanish, have been released in North and South America on the Sono Luminus label. Under the baton of Maestro Tucker, the chorus has continued its dedication to artistic excellence and expanded its relationships with premier orchestras and conductors.

Maestro Tucker’s fourth season begins with the world premiere of Zachary Wadsworth’s Battle-Flags, commissioned by Choral Arts and innovatively coupled with Brahms Requiem, in memory of Maestro Scribner. Other season highlights include the Mahler’s 3rd Symphony with Christoph Eschenbach and the National Symphony Orchestra; Home Alone with Steve Reineke and the NSO Pops; Mahler’s 8th Symphony with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Verdi Requiem with Marin Alsop and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In the season finale, Some Enchanted Evening, Choral Arts features soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Norm Lewis.

Choral Arts has a robust educational and community outreach program including student concerts, curricular materials and internships as well as collaborative partnerships with American University, The Smithsonian Associates and Washington Performing Arts. Since the inception of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in 1989, Choral Arts has produced and participated in an MLK Celebration Concert. A Young Patrons initiative attracts young professionals who share a passion for the arts and choral music.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will partner with Artistic Director Scott Tucker to provide overall leadership to this dynamic organization. The scope of responsibility includes fundraising and donor relations, audience development, strategic planning and execution, marketing/advertising, external and community relations, volunteer and personnel management and the overall operational, financial, and administrative management of the organization. The Executive Director will develop relationships and collaborations with musical, performing, educational, and community organizations to expand Choral Arts’ outreach throughout the Metropolitan Washington area, nationally and internationally.

The Executive Director will maintain a high professional profile and work closely with the Board to ensure strong fiscal health and effective governance. In partnership with the Artistic Director and the Board, the Executive Director will work to enhance public awareness and recognition of The Choral Arts Society of Washington as one of the leading choral organizations in the United States.

Candidates will be expected to have an established reputation for excellence in arts management, preferably with choruses or orchestras, must be engaged in and excited by the collaborative leadership process, and must demonstrate the ability and creativity to build on the organization’s distinguished history.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising and Development — Lead Choral Arts’ development program, design comprehensive plans that maximize contributed income, and assume a leading and active role in fund-raising in consultation and cooperation with the Artistic Director and the Board. The Executive Director will:

• Take a direct leadership role in Choral Arts’ development programs, including but not limited to the Holiday Benefit and other annual fundraising efforts, the Choral Arts Endowment Fund, and planned giving (The Encore Society).
• Partner with the Artistic Director and the Board of Directors to identify, solicit, cultivate and maintain strong relationships with individual, corporate, foundation, diplomatic and government donors and sponsors.
• Broaden the organization’s donor base – diversifying in terms of types (e.g., corporate, government, individual) and scale (small donors to large donors).

Audience Development, Marketing and Public Relations — Oversee audience development, marketing and public relations activities for the organization. The Executive Director will:

• Develop innovative plans to grow the audience of Choral Arts – particularly the new and younger audience – and implement a strategy for developing them as patrons and donors.
• Partner with the Artistic Director to communicate the work and mission of the organization to the public through traditional and new media sources.
• Lead the effort to increase the awareness and impact of the Choral Arts brand, clearly articulating mission, vision, programs and strategic direction to the public.
• Cultivate good relations with media and stay abreast of developments in the regional, national and international performing arts communities.

Management, Operations and Finance — Direct and manage all aspects of the organization’s operations, budget, and administration to ensure fiscal responsibility and the most effective use of resources. The Executive Director will:

• Implement and monitor a long-term strategic and short-term operating plan in coordination with the Board of Directors and Artistic Director, and assume joint responsibility for its implementation, reporting progress towards goals regularly.
• Oversee all day-to-day operations to ensure that patrons and other community members have a world class experience each time they interact with the organization.
• Develop an annual budget and business plan for presentation to the Board. Manage cash flow and present appropriate financial information to the Board on a regular and timely basis. Ensure financial controls are in place to maintain oversight and ethical use of funds. Provide oversight and supervision of bookkeeping and accounting in accordance with accepted accounting principles for non-profits.
• Ensure that Choral Arts is effectively structured to execute the vision set forth by the Board and the Artistic Director, and that it is staffed with highly competent persons including paid staff and a cadre of engaged and enthusiastic volunteers. Interview, hire, train, and mentor staff and volunteers. Assign work, and complete job performance reviews on a regular basis as requested by the board of directors.
• In partnership with the Artistic Director, plan and execute the concerts, events, and activities, which include programming, artist engagement, celebrations, special fund raising, and other events as needed.
• Maintain Choral Arts’ highest ethical standards, ensuring that all correct business policies and practices are lawful.

Outreach and Education — In partnership with the Artistic Director, create and execute plans to ensure a systematic, values-based approach to outreach and education. The Executive Director will:

• Develop collaborative partnerships with community arts, education, and cultural organizations to advance Choral Arts’ outreach activities.
• Work with all members of the community, develop appropriate strategic partnerships, and seek to include members of the community’s various multicultural groups and people of all ages.
• Represent Choral Arts at various community events in a manner that enhances our reputation and improves our ability to serve the cultural needs of the community.

Governance — Provide support to best utilize the talents and resources of the Board, stimulate involvement, recruit new members, and work closely with the Board to ensure strong leadership infrastructure and long-term organization success. With the Artistic Director, serve as a member of the Board of Directors ex officio, and as a full member of the Executive Committee. The Executive Director will:

• Initiate and maintain effective communications with the Board Chair, Board of Directors and staff.
• Actively assist in Board prospect identification, cultivation, and recruitment with the goal of developing a diverse group of Board members whose skills, experience and financial connections advance the organization.
• Assist Board committees to develop and implement their goals and objectives.

PERSONAL TRAITS, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will have traits and skills that will set him or her apart from others, including the following:

• Results-oriented leadership, a positive attitude and the ability to inspire and mobilize Choral Arts to a reach a common vision and organizational goals, at all times observing the highest ethical and professional standards
• Superior relationship and team building skills; highly collaborative, with the ability to interact effectively with the Artistic Director, Board of Directors, staff, patrons, donors, and the local, national and international community
• An established reputation for creativity and excellence in arts management, preferably with choruses, or orchestras; the ability and creativity to take Choral Arts to the next level of growth and organizational performance.

A bachelor’s degree is required; master’s degree in an appropriate discipline is preferred. A successful track record in non-profit management with an emphasis on marketing, audience development and fundraising skills is required. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Choral Arts offers a competitive benefits package.

APPLICATION AND INQUIRIES

To apply, email the following to search@choralarts.org:

Cover letter
Resume
3 professional references.
[Note: All submitted information, including references, will remain confidential; references will not be contacted without the applicant’s prior agreement.]

Or you may mail the above documents to:

The Choral Arts Society of Washington
Attention: Search Committee
5225 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Suite 503
Washington, DC 20015

Application deadline is February 1, 2016. Position is available in summer 2016.

source ArtsJournal http://ift.tt/1XfaRWX

Posted in: Dance news