About Emerson College
Located in the heart of Boston’s vibrant Theatre District, Emerson College is internationally recognized as a premier institution for communication and the arts. The College’s mission is to educate and elevate extraordinary artists, communicators, scholars, and professionals for the betterment of humanity.
Founded in 1880, Emerson serves more than 5,000 graduate and undergraduate students from the United States and more than 70 countries and territories. The College maintains a global presence through campuses in Boston, Los Angeles, and the Netherlands, as well as partnerships in Paris and throughout the world.
Emerson’s Extraordinary Emerson 2030 strategic plan positions the College as a global communication and arts leader, focusing on Academic Innovation, Collaborative Connections, Community Engagement, and Operational Excellence. The College’s exceptional alumni network includes influential leaders across entertainment, journalism, marketing, performing arts, and media.
For more information on Emerson College’s strategic plan, please visit http://extraordinary.emerson.edu.
Emerson College is led by Dr. Jay M. Bernhardt, who became the 13th president of Emerson College in July 2023, bringing extensive leadership experience in higher education, and applied scholarship and executive practice in strategic communications. Prior to Emerson, he served as dean of the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin, one of the nation’s largest and most respected communication and media programs. President Bernhardt’s vision for Emerson is captured in the Extraordinary Emerson 2030 strategic plan. The creation of the Division of Media and Arts Ventures (DMAV) is directly aligned with this vision, reflecting Emerson’s commitment to integrate its unparalleled arts and media assets into a unified strategic enterprise that serves students, the institution, and the broader community.
The Opportunity
Emerson College invites applications and nominations for a visionary leader and experienced manager to serve as its inaugural Vice President for Media Arts and Ventures. This newly aligned executive leadership position represents a transformational opportunity to integrate and elevate the College’s distinctive constellation of arts and media assets into a unified strategic enterprise that advances Emerson’s mission while positioning the institution as Boston’s preeminent cultural destination and a national model for arts-integrated higher education.
Reporting directly to President Jay Bernhardt and serving on the President’s Council, the Vice President will provide leadership and strategic coordination over a portfolio that includes ArtsEmerson, one of Boston’s leading theater presenters, Emerson’s many professional theaters and live-event spaces in downtown Boston, WERS 88.9 FM radio station, Emerson Contemporary gallery, public art initiatives, and many other newly created and aligned arts and media offerings.
This position offers a rare chance in the arts and in higher education to architect a comprehensive vision for how a premier communications and arts college can leverage professional programming and venues to enhance student learning, strengthen community engagement, generate meaningful revenue and philanthropic support, and establish cultural leadership at local, national, and international levels.
Strategic Context
The Division of Media and Arts Ventures (DMAV) is positioned as essential infrastructure supporting Emerson College’s Extraordinary Emerson 2030 strategic plan, a bold vision that positions the College as a global communication and arts leader in education and scholarship. The VP overseeing DMAV will ensure that arts and media programming advances all four of the strategic plan’s priorities:
- Academic Innovation: Professional programming becomes a laboratory for curriculum development, providing industry partnerships and real-world learning opportunities while enhancing faculty development through practitioner engagement.
- Collaborative Connections: Strategic programming positions Emerson as a convener of Boston’s cultural community, engaging residents and alumni through high-quality professional events and cultivating corporate partnerships that leverage the College’s arts credibility.
- Community Engagement: Vibrant campus programming integrates theaters into the heart of college life and admissions experience, while professional opportunities connect students with career pathways and the facilities serve as gathering spaces that strengthen ties with the City of Boston.
- Operational Excellence: Diversified revenue generation reduces institutional subsidy while optimized resource utilization and brand elevation through cultural leadership strengthen Emerson’s competitive positioning.
Portfolio Overview
The Vice President will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and/or coordination for the following realigned and reimagined entities and functions:
ArtsEmerson
Boston’s leading presenter of contemporary international theater, serving over 40,000 patrons annually and generating significant media exposure for the College. The programming philosophy emphasizes sparking civic engagement through artistically rigorous, community conscious work while maintaining meaningful collaborations through artistic residencies, educational initiatives, and partnerships with local organizations. ArtsEmerson is poised for an expanded vision and broadened focus that extends beyond its theater presenting origins to encompass a wider range of performance formats, community partnerships, and audience development strategies aligned with Emerson’s institutional ambitions.
Venue Operations
Stewardship and operational management of five performance venues including the historic Cutler Majestic Theatre (1,180 seats), Robert J. Orchard Stage, Jackie Liebergott Black Box, Semel Theater, and Greene Theater. These venues support academic programming, internal college events, external rentals, and professional presentations.
WERS Radio (88.9 FM)
Boston’s longest-running radio station with approximately 100,000 weekly listeners, providing a platform for student engagement and professional broadcast experience while serving as a distinctive element of the Emerson brand with deep emotional connection among alumni.
Emerson Contemporary
Visual arts initiatives including gallery programming and public art installations that extend the College’s cultural footprint into urban spaces and community engagement.
UnCommon Stage
A seasonal, street-level performance and gathering space in the southeast corner of the Boston Common that serves as a neighborhood anchor and programming laboratory, hosting live music, community events, and public-facing activations that connect the College to the surrounding Theatre District.
Student Media
Coordination with student-led media outlets and productions that provide experiential learning opportunities and serve as a pipeline between academic programs and the division’s professional operations.
Emerson Stage
The College’s academic producing program, led and managed by the Performing Arts department, stages student and faculty-directed productions across DMAV venues. Close coordination between the division and the program is essential to scheduling, production support, and ensuring that academic and professional uses of shared venues reinforce one another.
New Programming Initiatives
Development of new content verticals, including comedy programming, speaker series, news hours, podcasting, and other formats that leverage Emerson’s distinctive alumni network and brand strengths to diversify audiences and revenue streams.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Vision and Leadership
- Develop and execute a comprehensive, integrated strategic vision for the Division of Media and Arts Ventures, aligned with the College’s strategic plan, that elevates the Emerson brand, drives institutional distinction, and positions the College as Boston’s leading cultural destination
- Architect innovative programming strategies that diversify content offerings beyond current specializations to include other genres of theatrical productions, comedy, speaker series, musical performances, podcasting, and other formats that leverage Emerson’s distinctive alumni network and brand strengths
- Lead the transformation from a siloed organizational unit to an integrated institutional capability that advances multiple strategic priorities while generating sustainable revenue
- Champion the arts and media within Emerson College and across the Boston region, establishing the institution as a convener of cultural conversation and civic engagement
Academic Integration and Student Success
- Create seamless pathways between professional programming and academic experiential learning, ensuring students gain meaningful professional experience and career acceleration opportunities
- Foster collaborative relationships between DMAV operations and academic schools and departments to enhance learning outcomes and industry preparation
- Develop student professional development programs, including internships, masterclasses, and guaranteed placement opportunities that distinguish Emerson’s experiential learning model
- Integrate theaters and venues into campus tours and the overall Emerson student experience
Revenue Generation and Financial Stewardship
- Drive diversified revenue generation through facility optimization, corporate and foundation sponsorships, innovative programming, digital monetization, and enhanced ticketing strategies
- Lead strategic fundraising initiatives in partnership with Institutional Advancement, cultivating major donors and building relationships with foundations, corporations, and government funders
- Provide strong fiscal oversight for an annual operating budget of approximately $10 million, ensuring expenditure control while achieving revenue goals
- Optimize space utilization and scheduling, working with all critical stakeholders and partners, to maximize venue availability for revenue-generating activities while maintaining priority support for academic programming
External Relations and Community Engagement
- Build and strengthen relationships with Boston’s cultural community, civic leaders, peer institutions, and municipal officials to enhance Emerson’s position in the regional arts ecosystem
- Represent the College in cultural leadership forums, arts advocacy initiatives, and community partnerships that amplify Emerson’s visibility and impact
- Cultivate strategic partnerships with arts organizations, recording companies, artistic management firms, and promoters nationally and internationally
- Develop alumni engagement strategies that leverage the College’s substantial network of successful graduates in entertainment, media, and the performing arts
Team Leadership and Organizational Development
- Build and lead a high-performing, collaborative team of professional staff, supported by students and intermittent staff across artistic programming, production, marketing, development, operations, and administration
- Coach and mentor direct reports, including AVPs, Directors, Department Heads, and senior managers, to achieve institutional vision and strategic objectives
- Foster a culture of collaboration, service excellence, and institutional alignment that replaces siloed operations with integrated teamwork
- Maintain effective communications with the President, President’s Council, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students to ensure alignment and transparency
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Strategic Leadership and Transformation
- Articulates and advances a compelling vision for media and arts presenting within a higher education context
- Navigates academic structures and aligns programming with institutional priorities
- Translates complex goals into actionable strategies and measurable outcomes
- Leads effectively across complex, multi-site environments
Revenue Generation and Operational Excellence
- Demonstrates entrepreneurial leadership in developing sustainable revenue streams
- Oversees budgets, financial planning, and resource allocation with strong fiscal discipline
- Uses data and analytics to inform decision-making and measure success
- Drives organizational effectiveness through change management and continuous improvement
Collaborative Leadership, Communication, and Inclusion
- Builds consensus across academic, administrative, and artistic stakeholders
- Communicates with clarity and impact in public, written, and interpersonal settings
- Leads with cultural competency and a commitment to institutional values
- Fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing organizational culture
Artistic Innovation, Programming, and External Engagement
- Curates forward-thinking programming across diverse disciplines and formats
- Maintains strong relationships within national and international arts presenting networks
- Serves as a visible ambassador, elevating organizational profile and partnerships
- Leverages media, broadcast, and digital platforms to expand reach and impact
In addition, strong candidates will offer:
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in arts administration, business, or related field strongly preferred
- Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible arts management experience with at least 7 years in senior leadership roles
- Demonstrated success in personnel and organizational management, strategic planning, revenue generation, and organizational transformation within complex arts or higher education environments
- Proven track record in fundraising, donor cultivation, and/or foundation/corporate underwriting
- Experience planning and managing multi-million-dollar organizational budgets
- Experience leading high-performing teams and navigating change management in multi-stakeholder environments
- Strong business acumen combined with deep knowledge of the performing arts and media sectors, audience development, and venue management
- Familiarity with union environments and experience achieving artistic and institutional goals within frameworks of negotiated agreements
- Exceptional communication skills with ability to articulate vision compellingly to diverse audiences including boards, donors, faculty, students, and community stakeholders
Compensation & Benefits
The annual salary range for this position is $300,000 to $350,000. Relocation support is available.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree Viner, Susan VanGilder, and Tenley Bank. Express interest in this role by https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/22982 or emailing the search team directly at Emerson_VPDMAV@dsgco.com. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Emerson College is committed to an active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity, in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in the college’s intellectual, social, cultural, and geographical communities. Emerson endorses a framework of inclusive excellence, which recognizes that institutional excellence comes from fully engaging with diversity in all aspects of institutional activities.
Emerson College is an equal opportunity employer that encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds and identities.
About DSG | Koya
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about DSG | Koya via the https://www.dsgco.com/industry/nonprofit-and-social-impact/.
