Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (PCT or the Trust), one of the nation’s premier arts presenters and a major catalytic influence in the city of Pittsburgh, seeks a chief programming and engagement officer (CPEO). Founded in 1984, the Trust presents an array of quality performing and visual arts, provides comprehensive educational experiences, and stewards Pittsburgh’s Cultural District as a national model of economic revitalization through the arts. Lauded as “the single greatest creative force in Pittsburgh,” the Trust has worked to make the Steel City a place where the arts can flourish.
The Trust and the 14-block Cultural District it administers have successfully created a vibrant center for culture, art, food, and community in downtown Pittsburgh and provide a home for a broad range of performance groups and numerous resident companies. Approximately 2 million people visit the Cultural District each year to enjoy over 1,500 world-class performing arts events and visual arts exhibitions, generating an estimated economic impact of $303 million. The Trust employs 130 full-time and between 400 and 500 part-time staff, and its FY2023 revenue totals $62 million. The Trust also manages 1.2 million square feet of real estate and provides core support services to its multiple partner organizations in the District. The Trust represents a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation, and creativity.
Reporting to the president and chief executive officer, and in partnership with peers on the senior leadership team and staff, the CPEO will strategically and innovatively reimagine and strengthen programming at the Trust, leading the arts education, strategic partnerships, and community engagement teams. They will implement intentional programming and understand how to plan for and execute a successful season. The CPEO will also be data-driven as they think about future programming to meet financial and artistic goals and promote collegiality and collaboration across the teams they oversee. A seasoned leader in the business of performing arts presenting, they will understand agency relationships, contract negotiations, deal structures, performance marketing, and have a working knowledge of technical theatre requirements. Further, familiarity with production presentation techniques and trends across genres, venues, and indoor and outdoor locations will be important. At this inflection point, they will take advantage of the Trust’s exciting momentum as its profile continues to grow regionally and nationally, and champion the arts to broad and diverse communities with the goal of bringing more people to the Cultural District. In essence, the CPEO will be a creative, innovative, strategic, and impactful leader who will contribute to the Trust’s goal to “enrich the city of Pittsburgh’s vibrancy, diversity, and prosperity.”
PCT anticipates a salary range of $190,000 – $220,000 for this position, commensurate with experience. Residing within daily commutable distance of Pittsburgh is essential. Relocation support will be provided if necessary.
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has retained Isaacson, Miller, a leading national executive search firm, to assist with this recruitment. Inquiries, nominations, and applications in the form of a CV and cover letter should be sent in strict confidence to Ben Tobin and Jonathan Sanchez at https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/pittsburgh-cultural-trust/chief-programming-and-engagement-officer
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.