"Executive and Artistic Director"

Position Summary

The Executive and Artistic Director will provide leadership and have overall responsibility for programming, fundraising, external relations, mission fulfillment, and the financial performance of The Soraya. Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer, the Executive and Artistic Director will collaborate closely with senior campus leadership to ensure alignment with the University's educational mission. The Executive and Artistic Director will demonstrate exemplary personnel management, maintaining high performance, consistency, and excellent customer service from The Soraya's staff, and will uphold the highest standards of quality across all programs. The Executive and Artistic Director will play a vital role in shaping the reputation and mission of the University while enhancing the cultural life of the San Fernando Valley. Additionally, the Executive and Artistic Director will explore strategic opportunities for revenue growth through new partnerships and programming initiatives.

Role and Responsibilities

Leadership, Artistic Vision, and Program Management

• Articulate an overall artistic vision consistent with CSUN's mission and academic goals that models the CSUN Leadership Principles.
• Develop and present programming across music (symphonic and classical, jazz, world, popular), Broadway, opera, dance, lectures, and film, working with the Director of Programming to select and contract guest artists/ensembles and managing relationships with artistic partners.
• Ensure programming reflects and supports CSUN's arts and media instruction as well as reflecting the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles communities, while maintaining the Soraya's reputation for excellence.
• Foster a supportive environment for guest artists, ensembles, students, faculty, and audiences to ensure excellent performances and experiences.
• Oversee the master calendar, scheduling, and production of concerts, rehearsals, and events at The Soraya, as well as venue operations in collaboration with the leadership team of The Soraya.
• Embrace other leadership, artistic vision, and program management responsibilities as needed.

Governance, Financial Leadership, and Fundraising

• Initiate and guide creative and collaborative leadership for all operations at the Great Hall and Plaza del Sol, including programming, production, facilities, development, marketing/communications, box office, board relations, artistic administration, and hospitality.
• Define strategic goals and organizational priorities, working closely with CSUN leadership to engage in creative problem-solving alongside advisory committees, management/operations teams, and campus leadership.
• Develop and implement balanced budgets and strategic plans to maintain fiscal sustainability, monitor financial performance, ensure compliance with university fiscal policies, and manage grants, sponsorships, and special gifts alongside the General Manager.
• Design and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan, in partnership with CSUN University Relations and Advancement, including individual, corporate, foundation, and government opportunities, as well as cultivating and stewarding major donors and creating opportunities to connect artists and donors.
• Embrace other governance, financial leadership, and fundraising responsibilities as needed.

Education, Community Collaboration, and Operations

• Create interdisciplinary collaborations and arts education initiatives, in partnership with academic departments and faculty, to consistently communicate with campus constituencies, ensuring alignment and transparency in planning and programming.
• Establish a year-round community and school-based educational programs that foster appreciation of the arts, and support student recruitment, engagement, and academic enrichment through campus-based arts programming with the Campus Engagement Associate.
• Nurture ongoing working relationships between production departments (including those in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication and the Dance programs in the College of Health and Human Development) and the professional field, initiating jobs and internships, with learning experiences to grow and develop exposure and experience.
• Develop and maintain sustainable relationships with vendors, renters, resident companies, and community partners.
• Set policies for facility use beyond scheduled performances and ensure compliance with safety, accessibility, and service standards.
• Oversee front- and back-of-house operations with the General Manager and the Director of Audience Services, ensuring hospitality to provide high-quality experiences.
• Supervise the training of the operations staff, ensuring compliance with safety and customer service standards.
• Embrace other education, community collaboration, and operations responsibilities as needed.

Marketing, Audience Development, and External Affairs

• Direct marketing, communications, and public relations strategies with the Director of Marketing and Communications to build The Soraya brand locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Serve as an innovative thinker in identifying, reaching, and engaging broad community audiences, growing patron and subscriber bases while also encouraging student, faculty, and community attendance, positioning The Soraya as a destination of choice for all performing arts audiences.
• Develop and implement comprehensive external affairs strategies, including cross-promotions and sponsorships with campus and community partners, while also building relationships with civic organizations, chambers of commerce, schools, and local governments to position The Soraya as a cultural and educational resource.
• Represent the Soraya in local, regional, national, and international conferences as well as arts/education organizations, serving as a representative for both The Soraya and CSUN.
• Embrace other marketing, audience development, and external affairs responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

As an ambassador in the community, the Executive and Artistic Director will be a gifted collaborator and communicator who builds relationships and partnerships both on campus and with the community, and who is at the forefront of the experimental media and performing arts fields. The Executive and Artistic Director will be a strategic thinker with the ability to bring continuity to the programming and educational offerings. They will have a unique vision on how a performing arts center operates in an academic setting, elevating the programming lens with a strong approach on how it integrates with the entire campus and activates connections. The Executive and Artistic Director will have a track record reflective of a key priority for, and investment in, relationship building with the ability to build trust with a variety of diverse stakeholders, including faculty, donors, county officials, and community representatives. They will be a strong and seasoned leader and partner, with the cultural sensitivity to understand and lead in a large, unique, and diverse market like the Los Angeles community, with an authentic sense of civic pride in the area, and with no doubt in their ability to clearly articulate the benefits of community investment.

Other key competencies include:

Leadership - The fortitude to organize and influence people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction within a complex organization such as CSUN.

Time and Priority Management - The dexterity to prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames, keeping the dynamics and nature of the performing arts in mind.

Diplomacy and Problem Solving - The ability to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues while also being able to define, analyze, and diagnose key components of a problem to formulate a solution.

Interpersonal Skills and Customer Focus - The acumen to effectively communicate, build rapport, and relate well to all kinds of people while anticipating, meeting, and/or exceeding customer needs, wants, and expectations.

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in a job-related field is required; a master's degree is desirable. A minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in operating and managing a successful performing arts center is required, including at least three years in a managerial role. Strong financial and operational management skills, including oversight of a similarly sized budget and staff, are highly desirable. A vision for integrating professional presenting programs with university curricula in music, dance, and theater is favored. A thorough knowledge of music and the performing arts, coupled with a proven track record in programming, presenting, and engaging audiences, is preferred. Excellent interpersonal, communication, and supervisory skills are essential; the ability to lead, motivate, and manage diverse teams is required, along with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Experience with donor cultivation and cross-sector partnerships is a plus, as well as a demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and a large group of constituents.

Compensation, Benefits, and Compliance

California State University, Northridge, and the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts offer a competitive compensation package with an estimated salary range between $260,000 and $285,000 and benefits that include a comprehensive group insurance benefit program, health insurance with medical, vision, and dental care, health and dependent care reimbursement accounts, parking deduction plan, and long-term disability. Retirement benefits are offered through a voluntary 403(b) plan with a matching contribution, CALPERS, CALHR Savings, and/or CALHR (401K). Vacation, sick, bereavement, parental, organ donor, holiday, and jury duty leave time are also provided, as well as workers' compensation, life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. A fee waiver is also offered for up to two courses, or six units, whichever is greater, per term. The fee waiver benefit may also be transferred to a spouse, registered domestic partner, or eligible dependent child. Additional supplemental benefits are also offered as outlined in the CSU Benefits summary brochure found here.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit ArtsConsulting.com/OpenSearches. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Nagham Wehbe, President
Josyanne Roche, Vice President
8581 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 406
Los Angeles, CA 90069-4120
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 228 (Wehbe) or Ext. 245 (Roche)
Email Soraya@ArtsConsulting.com