The Guthrie Theater invites applicants and nominations for this important leadership position at one of the country’s leading regional theaters. The Managing Director is the number two administrator, reporting to the Artistic Director, guiding all administrative functions in execution of the Guthrie’s vision and strategy. Interested applicants should submit materials as requested in the profile document to the consulting firm retained for this search:

Management Consultants for the Arts, Inc
www.MCAonline.com
A full position description and application instructions may be found here: https://tinyurl.com/GuthrieMD

The Guthrie Theater opened in 1963 to perform classics in rotating repertory with a company, although Sir Tyrone Guthrie always envisioned the development of new work as well. Five years later, the Guthrie added a broader range of productions, and that tradition mostly continued over the ensuing decades. Subsequent artistic leadership included such luminaries as Michael Langham, Liviu Ciulei, Garland Wright, and Joe Dowling. In 2015 Joseph Haj became the Guthrie’s Artistic Director. And as has been true for over 30 years, he is expected to identify a Managing Director who, while reporting to him, will share the professional leadership in important ways.

Since the opening in 2006 of a major complex of three theaters on the banks of the Mississippi River, the Guthrie has experienced growth in audiences, visiting international theater companies, productions of the classics as well as contemporary work, and brand-new plays. The 2017-18 season has been a high point, both artistically and in attendance. The Guthrie’s importance to and engagement with its communities was demonstrated by the campaign to build this complex and, ever since, by its residents’ ongoing support of the work there. Each year, up to fifteen productions are mounted in these theaters. These include Guthrie produced plays as well as presentations and co-productions with US and international companies. Many of the world’s great artists have made work for the Guthrie. Additionally, there is a commitment to presenting the work of theater companies within the Twin Cities. The building also hosts special events on a regular basis.

Each leadership team has envisioned the Guthrie in ways to fulfill its mission, which today reads as follows:

The Guthrie Theater engages exceptional theater artists in the exploration of both classic and contemporary plays connecting the community we serve to one another and to the world. Through its extraordinary artists, staff and facility, the Guthrie is committed to the people of Minnesota, and from its place, rooted deeply in the Twin Cities, influences the field as a leading 21st century arts organization.

It is not an accident that the broad scope of the Guthrie emanates from its home in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul with a reach to the entire upper Midwest. This region is renowned for the excellence and breadth of its cultural and educational institutions and its quality of life, anchored by the headquarters of about 20 Fortune 500 companies and a long history of civic and community involvement. Since the Guthrie’s founding, the people of Minnesota have responded enthusiastically to the theater with their support and applause. Additional information may be found on the Guthrie’s website:https://www.guthrietheater.org/

CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
The Guthrie houses three stages, a signature restaurant (Sea Change), pre-show dining on the 5th floor, numerous bars, and some of the best views of the river and city to be found. The Wurtele Thrust Stage is an 1100-seat theater; the McGuire Proscenium Stage has 700 seats; and the Dowling Studio seats 200. The complex includes other public areas, offices, rehearsal studios, and multiple education spaces. Of particular note are the extraordinary theater shops where productions are built by top-tier artisans who staff them.

The Guthrie’s resources run deep – audiences averaging 410,000 annually since the new theater opened; 143 full-time and 142 part-time employees plus hundreds of artists and artisans; a governing Board of Directors currently with 51 members; more than 500 active volunteers; an annual operating budget of about $29 million; and one of the largest endowments of an American non-profit theater. The new Managing Director can have confidence that a very knowledgeable, experienced and sophisticated group of artists, artisans, administrators, and Board members are in place.

Education has always been important to the Guthrie. The education programs encompass a broad range of offerings—a significant collaboration with the University of Minnesota in the training of BFA students, a summer initiative for MFA actors enrolled in top training programs around the country, programs in the public schools, training in continuing legal education for attorneys, camps, classes, business training, and internships.

OPPORTUNITIES
The Managing Director will work in concert with the Artistic Director to execute its strategic goals within the core values of…

• Artistic Excellence;
• Community;
• Equity Diversity, and Inclusion; Fiscal Responsibility.

As the important “last person in the room,” the Managing Director will have a key internal focus on the execution of the Guthrie’s current strategic goals:

1. Artistic Excellence by engaging outstanding artists to create “must see” theater;
2. Strengthening Relevance and Impact in individuals and community;
3. Integrate Learning and Inquiry throughout the Guthrie’s programs and culture;
4. Maximizing Long-term Results of its work.

Included among the opportunities are these:

• How does the Guthrie ensure that its reach is as broad as possible and that its artists, staff, trustees, and audience encompass the diversity of its multiple communities? With the stories that it tells, the voices telling those stories, and the programs it offers, how does the Guthrie most effectively adhere to diversity and inclusion?
• In what ways does the Guthrie choose to work in collaboration with other American and overseas theaters and, for that matter, other arts organizations?
• Is there a sturdier business model that generates the sustainable interplay between the volume of seats to sell, the number of individual productions and presentations, the length of runs, the need for the building to be maintained, the optimal uses of the spaces, and the availability of human and financial resources?
• In support of all the above, the Guthrie is well into a major capital/endowment campaign. With all of the needs of ongoing season production and support, what is the best path forward to complete the campaign?

POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

REPORTING
The Managing Director will be the number two administrator in the organization and will report to the Artistic Director, as has historically been done over the past three decades. Nonetheless, this leader will have extensive interaction with the Board of Directors. The present reporting structure includes the following departments reporting to the Managing Director: Finance, Marketing/Communications, Human Resources, IT, Visitor Services, Retail/Merchandising, and General Management (including Company Manager, Facilities, Security, and Costume Rental). Although Development reports to the Artistic Director, the Managing Director will likely have a role in contributed revenue efforts, based on previous experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• A key role is to effectively align the human and financial resources for the organization set by the Artistic Director and framed by the current strategic plan, as articulated above. The Managing Director will be expected to identify major strategic issues facing the company and how to address them most effectively.
• In collaboration with the Artistic Director, the Managing Director will be expected to create a working environment in which everyone can do their best work and, critically, in which there is ongoing communication within and among the many departments.
• Along with the Artistic Director, the Managing Director will engage with the Board of Trustees in ways that help them feel fulfilled in their work and encourages them to contribute the time, wisdom, networks, and resources that are critical to the Guthrie’s success.
• Work with the Artistic Director to plan all programming in a way that moves the organization in the desired direction and is aligned with organizational capacity.
• Forecast and monitor the financial resources needed to support ongoing programs as well as new initiatives. Early warning systems, clear story-telling through the numbers, and rigor in applying them, are all important roles; of course, aspects of these can and will be delegated.
• As a leader of the Guthrie, the Managing Director will hold a valued position as a well-known and important citizen of the Twin Cities community and the region, as well as on the national level as the Guthrie’s principal delegate to LORT.
• Related to that visibility is a (desired) and important role in major donor cultivation and solicitation.

QUALIFICATIONS
While no one person will have all of the requisite qualifications fully developed, the Artistic Director, with input from lead trustees and senior staff, will be looking for the degree of each candidate’s expertise and experience in the following areas:

• This is predominantly a leadership post, not a management one. Most major decisions in which the Managing Director is engaged will be at the level of direction, strategy, mission/core values fulfillment, and organizational culture.
• However, oversight of execution is required, so prior experience in managing a skilled group of people, demonstrated by delegation and motivational abilities, is necessary. As such, a proven capacity for strategic thinking is critical, especially during times of change, and equally the ability to think at the level of execution by staff and trustees as they align around the current strategic plan.
• Prior successful engagement with boards of trustees will be important for success in this position.
• The next Managing Director will have a natural ability to become one of the theater’s representatives within a wide spectrum of the community.
• Possess a strong understanding of the interplay between programming choices and human and financial resources, including the ability to create and/or refine processes for financial forecasting, controls, and the inevitable adjustments required.
• Given the position of the Guthrie in the American regional theater field, the chosen candidate will most likely have an active and impactful career in professional theater. However, it is possible that someone from another arts discipline may fulfill the Guthrie’s needs.
• A high emotional intelligence that serves to build relationships of trust with staff, trustees, community members, and others.

The candidate should have the following characteristics:

• Real pleasure and commitment in helping to guide the Guthrie toward Joseph Haj’s artistic vision.
• Integrity demonstrated by a career of ethical practice.
• Ideally, a demonstrated capacity to engage major donors in conversation about the needs and value of the organization.
• A personal interest in becoming an active citizen within the Guthrie’s diverse communities.
• Satisfaction in achieving the best work in others.

COMPENSATION AND START DATE
The senior staff under Joseph Haj’s direction is currently guiding the organization. Ideally, the new hire will be determined by the end of this calendar year and will start work as soon as possible in 2019. That will allow time to engage with a large part of the season’s activity for a few months before final decisions about the 2019-20 season must be made. The salary will be competitive with other theater companies of comparable stature and size. Benefits will include the following:

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following items for consideration:

• A current résumé
• Cover letter (no more than 1 ½ pages) describing why this post and theater is attractive to the applicant and what about them and their work makes them a potentially strong contributor as a leader of the Guthrie
• Four professional references
• Salary expectation

Submissions should be made through Management Consultants for the Arts’ website at:

https://www.mcaonline.com/searches/managing-director-guthrie-theater

The Guthrie Theater is an employer committed to hiring a breadth of professionals, and therefore will interview a qualified group of diverse candidates; the Guthrie particularly encourages applications from women and people of color.

Houston Ballet, one of our nation’s best and most respected companies, seeks a Director of Marketing and Public Relations. This position oversees a department of 13 and is responsible for an annual revenue goal of approximately $10 million. The right candidate will be a strategic, savvy and collaborative leader, with strong communication, interpersonal and technical skills, and a genuine interest in the Ballet’s work. A full description can be found on the website of Management Consultants for the Arts, the firm retained to guide the search. Go to www.mcaonline.com.

BACKGROUND

When Houston Ballet Foundation was created in 1955, its founders had a vision of establishing a professional, resident ballet company and an academy to train those dancers in the city of Houston. Even with their lofty ambitions, it is unlikely the progenitors of Houston Ballet could have imagined the international powerhouse that this company has become. The Houston Ballet Academy was established the same year – 1955 – but it would not be until 1968 until a professional company was created, with their debut performance in 1969. Houston Ballet’s impressive growth has paralleled that of the city itself; it now occupies an important and unique place in the ballet world as one of the best – and the fifth largest – ballet companies in the United States.

In its 49 years of existence, the professional company has had five artistic directors: Tatiana Semenova (1955-66), Nina Popova, (1967-75), James Clouser (1975-76), Ben Stevenson, OBE (1976-2003) and Stanton Welch AM (2003-present). Much credit is given to Ben Stevenson for the company’s growth and maturation during his 26-year tenure. Stevenson’s commitment to classical training and to building the company’s repertoire – he added work by some of the most important choreographers of the 20th century – elevated Houston Ballet into one of the most respected companies in the U.S. Building on this solid platform, Stanton Welch has continued the company’s transformation into what is now”….one of the nation’s best ballet companies,” according to the NY Times. A wealth of information about the company can be found on their website: www.houstonballet.org.

Current Environment

Size and Scope
Houston Ballet operates with an annual budget of over $33 million with a company of 60 dancers, 97 full-time staff, 180 production employees and 61 musicians. The current season profile includes seven productions: three full-length narrative works, three mixed-repertory programs and The Nutcracker. Each production is presented for two weeks except for The Nutcracker, which has a five-to-six week run. It is significant that fully half of the company’s (non-Nutcracker) presentations are comprised of mixed-repertory programming. These works exemplify the depth and breadth of this remarkable company which has the ability to move seamlessly from narrative to abstract and from classical to contemporary.

The organization’s endowment now stands at $79 million and it provides $3.8 million to the operating budget each year. A unique element of the company’s operations is The Nutcracker Market, a massive undertaking that supports the company with net proceeds approaching $5 million each year: www.nutcrackermarket.com.

Marketing and Communications Team
There are 13 fulltime members of the marketing and communications team in addition to the Director:

• Associate Director of Marketing and PR
• Associate Director of Ticketing Services
• Marketing and PR Manager
• Ticketing Services and Operations ManagerDigital Coordinator
• Box Office Managers (two FT, ten PT staff)
• Group Sales (two)
• Graphic Design Coordinator
• Education Marketing & PR Coordinator
• Marketing and PR Coordinator (two)Merchandise and Display Coordinator
• Audio/Visual Coordinator

Telemarketing is conducted through an outsourced local firm which operates on site. Videography is largely executed inhouse by a member of the department. The internal communications team supports the company’s performances and The Academy; an outside PR firm supports The Nutcracker Market.
Position and Responsibilities

The Director of Marketing and Public Relations is one of several key senior staff positions, including Chief Development Officer, Academy Administrative Director, Chief Executive Director of Nutcracker Market, Director of Production, IT Director, Director of Education & Community Engagement, Director of Human Resources and General Manager. The successful candidate in this role will join a high functioning team and will share their core values: Excellence, Engaged, Driven, Collaborative, Patron-Centered.

This position reports to the Executive Director, but as in all producing companies, an effective working relationship must be forged with the Artistic Director as well. The successful candidate for this position will have a strong, proven track record in audience development and will be a keen strategist. An understanding of transactional data management, evaluation, and analysis is essential. Serious candidates will also have a strong track record of effectively managing a staff team. Finally, an understanding all of the financial aspects with a position of this responsibility including budget planning and fiscal management.

Core Responsibilities

Leadership Environment

• Forge effective working relationships with the Executive Director and senior team.
• Work closely with the Artistic Director to support the programmatic and aesthetic direction he has established.

Strategic Planning, Analysis and Audience Development

• Develop strategic and tactical marketing and communication plans that support Houston Ballet’s overall patron development, including revenue and attendance goals.
• Develop and implement methods and procedures for monitoring ROI, reporting, deployment of marketing methodologies, and graphic and brand imagery standards.
• Devise and supervise database and market research projects including analysis and interpretation of data for ongoing improvement of marketing plans.
• Plan and execute all communications and public relations efforts.
• Plan, manage and execute projects with outside consultants that include branding, marketing research, media planning, market segmentation, targeting and pricing strategies.
• Define and assess opportunities for development of new and existing audiences.
• Monitor cultural trends and peer organizations on a regular basis to identify new opportunities.
• Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer and other senior team members to deploy marketing strategies in support of institutional patron development goals.

Personnel Management

• Hire, supervise, motivate, and support a strong and strategically-focused marketing team including ticketing/customer service, public relations, graphic design, group sales, and telemarketing.
• Continually assess departmental capabilities and identify resources for staff development.

Revenue Generation and Expense Management

• Plan and execute all subscription renewal / acquisition campaigns and single ticket initiatives, currently generating up to $10 million in revenue annually.
• In coordination with the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, develop income and expense budgets for Houston Ballet marketing and communication efforts.

Communications, Media / Public Relations, and Branding

• Focus on branding Houston Ballet in the marketplace and create new opportunities for visibility.
• Coordinate cohesive execution across all communication channels and media.
• Collaborates with Chief Development Officer on patron communication.
• Direct the development of all visual and print materials and images for the entire organization, maintaining the strength, integrity and consistency of Houston Ballet image.
• Establish and implement web development strategies and, in coordination with IT, oversee the development of long-term technology strategies.
• Maintain strong and cooperative relationships with other local and national arts organizations.
• Develop effective social media programs for the company.

Qualifications

• Extremely strong strategic planning and organizational skills evidenced with a proven track record of developing and implementing effective marketing strategies.
• A strong knowledge of and commitment to subscription audience development.
• Minimum ten years of marketing and audience development experience including subscription and single ticket campaigns in a large performing arts environment. Preference will be given to those with dance organization experience, but this is not a prerequisite.
• Demonstrated ability to create, execute and measure successful strategic initiatives.
• A keen understanding of marketing principles and analytics.
• In-depth knowledge of market dynamics, pricing, statistics, market segmentation, target marketing strategies, tactical execution, brand equity development and planning.
• Experience with quantitative analysis and research.
• Thorough understanding of institutional marketing and market research best practices.
• Experience with and technical knowledge of execution specifics and ROI analytics.
• Knowledge of social media platforms and strategies.
• Exceptional writing, editing and graphic evaluation skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Working knowledge of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of Tessitura ticketing software a plus, although not a requirement.
• BA Required; MBA preferred.

The following personal attributes will also be considered important:

• A collaborative approach.
• An active, energetic, and curious mind.
• Ability to derive deep satisfaction from facilitating the best work of others.

The Guthrie Theater, one of our nation’s most significant theaters, seeks a Director of Development (DOD). A member of the senior management team, the DOD oversees an annual fund raising goal of approximately $10 million and will play a key role in the theater’s current capital/endowment campaign. A full description can be found on the website of Management Consultants for the Arts, the firm retained to guide the search. Go to www.mcaonline.com.

The Guthrie Theater opened in 1963 to perform classics in rotating repertory with a company, although Sir Tyrone Guthrie always envisioned the development of new work as well. Five years later, the Guthrie added a broader range of productions, and that tradition mostly continued over the ensuing decades.

Since the opening in 2006 of a major complex of three theaters on the banks of the Mississippi River, the Guthrie has experienced growth in audiences, visiting international theater companies, productions of the classics as well as contemporary work, and brand-new plays. The 2017-18 season has been a high point, both artistically and in attendance. The Guthrie’s importance to and engagement with its communities was demonstrated by the campaign to build this complex and, ever since, by its residents’ ongoing support of the work there. Each year, up to fifteen productions are mounted in these theaters.

The Guthrie houses three stages, a signature restaurant (Sea Change), pre-show dining on the 5th floor, numerous bars, and some of the best views of the river and city to be found. The Wurtele Thrust Stage is an 1100-seat theater; the McGuire Proscenium Stage has 700 seats; and the Dowling Studio seats 200. The complex includes other public areas, offices, rehearsal studios, and multiple education spaces. Of particular note are the extraordinary theater shops where productions are built by top-tier artisans who staff them.

The Guthrie’s resources run deep – audiences averaging 410,000 annually since the new theater opened; 143 full-time and 142 part-time employees plus hundreds of artists and artisans; a governing Board of Directors currently with 51 members; more than 500 active volunteers; an annual operating budget of about $29 million; and one of the largest endowments of an American non-profit theater.

The Director of Development (DoD) is a member of the senior management team, reports directly to the Artistic Director, and also works closely with the Managing Director and Board. The position is responsible for providing innovative leadership and strategic vision to all aspects of the Guthrie’s fund-raising program. The DoD will play a key role in the implementation of the capital/endowment campaign, which is currently in the quiet phase. The position supervises a full-time staff of seven; current direct reports include the Associate Director of Development, Director of Institutional Giving, and Development Events Coordinator.

 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Development will:

1. With the senior leadership of the theater, establish and execute a strategic and comprehensive development plan that will support the operating and capital needs of the theater for the present and the long term.
2. Aggressively lead and direct the organization and implementation of the theater’s fund raising from individual, corporate, foundation, and government sources. Key initiatives include the ongoing identification and cultivation of individual and corporate donors, with particular focus on accessing new constituencies and major gift development, an increased emphasis on the effective stewardship of donors, and staff leadership of the capital/endowment campaign.
3. Work with the theater’s senior leadership to motivate and strengthen the Board in its role in development; expand, manage and coordinate the trustees’ and other volunteers’ involvement in fundraising activities; take an active role in serving and supporting the Board, Development Committee, and other Board committees.
4. Work closely with staff, trustees, and other volunteers to maximize the effectiveness of the theater’s special events, which range from small cultivation events and opening night parties to an annual gala, in order to help develop, attract, and retain donors.
5. Foster ongoing, collegial relations among the development department and other departments of the organization and help integrate fund raising into the culture of the Guthrie.
6. Build, train, mentor, and supervise an effective and professional development team and support staff, and recruit and replace as necessary, in consultation with the theater’s senior leadership.
7. As a representative of the Guthrie Theater, take an active role in the community and cultivate key relationships and associations with centers of influence within the city, state and region.
8. Supervise and manage the research and preparation of all foundation, corporate and government grant proposals, and oversee grant administration and reporting.
9. Manage and oversee the formation and maintenance of necessary development reports and records; prepare and manage the department’s financial reports and budget; monitor budget and control expenditures.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must:

1. Be a highly accomplished and well-rounded fund raising professional with proven ability in raising leadership and transformational gifts for all purposes- capital, operating, endowment and programs – and a demonstrated track record in the management of successful development programs, successfully soliciting and closing gifts, and staff and volunteer management. Prior capital/endowment campaign experience highly desirable.
2. Be a strategic leader with solid experience in managing, mentoring and motivating staff, and the ability to inspire those working with him/her toward accomplishing common objectives.
3. Be very well-organized, able to plan strategically, set priorities and focus on details and follow through while not losing sight of the big picture, with the flexibility to welcome and embrace change, and the ability to balance the many challenges inherent in an active and lively theatre environment.
4. Be a sophisticated, warm, highly personable, mature and discreet individual, with an entrepreneurial mindset, results-oriented work ethic, and diplomacy, who works effectively with trustees, donors, volunteers and inside staff and is comfortable dealing with people of wealth, and who relishes taking an active, public role in the cultivation and solicitation of donors, and as a representative of the Guthrie Theater.
5. Understand and support the mission of the Guthrie Theater, appreciate the important role cultural institutions play in the life of a vibrant community, and have the ability to articulate this mission and role to others.
6. Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, and experience with fund raising technology and integrated database systems. Experience with Tessitura a plus.
7. Have at least seven years of progressive fund-raising experience in a not for profit organization, preferably in the arts.

The ideal candidate will also:

• Have a genuine interest in the performing arts.
• Be a creative, energetic, and collaborative team player.
• Have a desire to be part of the greater Twin Cities community.

Louise Kane, Managing Director
MCAKane@gmail.com
www.mcaonline.com