Managing Director - Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Job: Managing Director



Please submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments to jobs@marylandensemble.org. For best consideration, please apply ASAP before September 19, 2022.





Organization:

Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) is a regional theatre company with an ensemble theatre artistic model. Our 22/23 budget is $910,000 and we are celebrating our 25th anniversary season of producing plays, 30 years producing live performances, and the completion of a $200,000 renovation of our main stage audience area. MET is located in historic Frederick, MD inside the state recognized Arts & Entertainment District and has shopping and over 30 restaurants within walking distance.



We are a professional, collaborative theatre ensemble broadly connected to our community by inspiring passion for the arts with courageous, relevant, accessible programs that enable people to feel more, think deeper, and laugh longer.

MET strives to create a positive environment where artists and audience share an exciting, emotional, thought provoking theatre experience for our times and our community. MET features an eclectic season of plays that are accessible; yet, challenge audiences and pique the interest of a national audience. Through open communication and lifelong learning, the MET ensemble brings a commitment to excellence that helps shape our region by initiating creative dialogue between artists and audience; providing outreach to underserved communities; and training, education, and professional development opportunities to students of theatre that will propagate MET artistic values into the American Theatre.

Maryland Ensemble Theatre is dedicated to creating anti-oppressive artistic spaces and producing work that is representative of and accessible to our entire community. It is imperative that we make our spaces open to and affirming of all people. We aspire to reflect the community around us by fostering and maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our efforts must be continuous, intentional and evolving.

Our ensemble of 30 actors, directors, writers, musicians, technicians, and designers assist in all areas of production and administration. Our facility is a 100 seat black box theatre, a second stage seating 62+, a classroom/rehearsal space, a 16 person dressing room, an 8 person dressing room, costume shop, scene shop, and box office.

MET first produced main-stage theatre in 1997, however, the group first performed together with the creation of The Comedy Pigs sketch comedy/improv troupe that first performed in April of 1993. Our group began teaching classes in Acting and Improvisation in 1995, piloted our main-stage program with the Ensemble creation Finally Heard! Heroines of an Uncivil War in the summer of 1997, and opened our first theatre space and a full season of plays in June of 1998.

Since 1997, MET has developed over 50 plays including Finally Heard, Skin Deep, the musical Planet Claire, Democracy a Work in Progress, Something Brilliant Will Come to Us, Exuviae, Pickle My Monkey and Oedipus Rox!, a number of children’s theatre plays including The Rainforest Adventure, Cyranosa- the Story of a Girl and her Nose, Mother Goose on the Loose, The Star Stealer, Pirates of Pelican Point, and countless comedy sketches and original songs (including the Comedy Pigs parody song Weiner Dog which was seen on the national cable channel Comedy Central).

Community

Frederick, MD: here, museums meet martini bars, scenic landscapes provide thrill seekers with adventure, and cutting-edge cuisine is served up in Civil War-era buildings alongside unique specialty shops, galleries, museums, and theaters.

Located less than one hour from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Gettysburg, the city of Frederick, Maryland is surrounded by mountain views, wineries, orchards and vibrant Main Street communities. Visitors can hike the Appalachian Trail, visit local breweries, and tour a battlefield all in one day.

This is Frederick County, where hip meets historic every day.

Frederick County Snapshot

Size: Frederick County is Maryland's largest county in size at 664 square miles.

Location:

Baltimore (46 miles)

Washington, D.C. (43 miles)

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (32 miles)

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (21 miles)

Leesburg, Virginia (25 miles)



Population (2020 US Census):

271,717

Median age – 39.1

Median household income - $100,685



Major Employers:

Fort Detrick, U.S. Army Garrison

Frederick County Board of Education

Frederick Memorial Healthcare

Leidos Biomedical

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

AstraZeneca



City of Frederick

The County Seat is the City of Frederick and is home to over 70,000 people. The City of Frederick is the second largest Maryland city and also has the fifth-highest population growth rate among state’s municipalities.



Recent accolades include:

2021 - Top 10 Remote-Ready Cities - Livability

2020 - Top Small Towns to Visit this Year - Matador

2019 - Best Small Towns to Visit at Christmas - Travel Channel

2019 - Top Small Town Getaways for Kids - Family Vacation Critic

2018 – World’s Most Beautiful Canals – American

2018 – Best Small Beer Cities – Thrillist

2018 – Most Charming American Towns – MSN

2017 – Best Urban Park – Cheapism

2017 – Most Scenic East Coast Cities – Expedia

2017 – Best Small Town Main Streets in America – Country Living

2017 – Best Main Street Shopping Districts – MSN

2016 – Most Diverse Cities in America (Frederick #8) – WalletHub

2016 – Top 50 Places in the South (Frederick #20) – Southern Living

2016 – World’s Best Cities for Craft Beer (Frederick #16) – Matador Network

2015 – Top 50 Best Places to Live (Urbana #35) – Money Magazine

2015 – Top 10 Best Places to Live for Veterans (Frederick #8) – Military Times

2015 – Top 100 Best Places to Live (Frederick #32) – Livability

2015 – Top 10 Best Downtowns (Frederick #6) – Livability



Position Summary

The Managing Director (MD) oversees all administrative needs of MET and is the face of MET. The MD works alongside the Producing Artistic Director (AD) in numerous capacities, including budgeting, fundraising, staffing, and to provide overall strategy and direction organizationally.

Reporting to the board of trustees as a co-leader with the Producing Artistic Director, the Managing Director will jointly lead MET’s strategic direction with responsibility for overseeing all aspects of theatre management including fundraising, human resources, operations, finances, education, and marketing. Creating a donor and stakeholder-centric culture and implementing the organization's strategic plan, the Managing Director will support the MET’s mission as a professional, collaborative theatre ensemble broadly connected to our community by inspiring passion for the arts with courageous, relevant, accessible programs that enable people to feel more, think deeper, and laugh longer. This individual will guide the organization in creating and maintaining concrete policies in all areas of the organization including equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in order to maintain a positive and authentic relationship with all staff, artists, audiences, donors, and community members.

Roles and Responsibilities



Strategic Organizational Leadership

Collaborates with AD/AADs to grow/streamline programming to ensure excellence and sustainability;

Works closely with AD to plan and enhance artistic excellence, audience experience;

With AD, provides overall strategy and direction across all areas of the organization: steers the board, strategize for organizational growth, including identifying Board candidates, makes programmatic decisions, develops fundraising calendar & activities & prioritizes mission relevance;

With AD, serves as the public face of the theatre maintaining and developing relationships with sponsors, donors, community organizations, government, and at public events and industry conferences;

Provides consistent, effective communication to all stakeholders of MET, both internal and external;

Manages and runs all MET committee/task force activities; and

Serves on the MET Board of Trustees.



Development and Fundraising

Writes, maintains, develops, secures and prospects a robust grant portfolio and donor campaigns for the organization;

Oversees Fundraising events

Oversees corporate and individual giving

Oversees and manages capital campaigns

Builds and maintains relationships with individual, corporate, foundations and major donors.



Community Engagement and External Relations

Supports and integrates development and community relations with operations and artistic programming;

Is a leader of the Frederick regional arts community

Builds and maintains relationships with business community

Builds and maintains relationships with sponsors, subscribers, donors, and other members of the MET community

Builds partnerships with area businesses and community organizations



Staff Development, Management and Empowerment

Supervises and directs administrative staff including bookkeeping, audience services, marketing and communications, education programming, and development & community outreach;

Provides management of Human Resources and Public Relations functions for the organization;

Ensuring the organization and its stakeholders are properly insured, licensed & compliant with industry standards, government regulations, and best practices;

Provides staff support to the Board of Trustees, maintains calendar for, prepares documentation/reports for and ensures sustainable and productive Board meetings & activities;



Fiscal Responsibility and Oversight

With AD, may negotiate, execute and/or sign facility leases & contracts, and company checks;

Coordination of long-term financial and strategic planning;

Develops annual budget, ensures adherence & oversees the financial direction of the organization;

Oversees annual audit, and any active capital campaign(s);



Traits and Characteristics

The Managing Director will be a decisive, dynamic, and inspirational leader who communicates effectively with all stakeholders and solves problems with a calm and entrepreneurial approach. The individual will be a proactive, resourceful, and approachable manager, a hands-on team-builder capable of uniting the collective energy and resources of MET to build upon its legacy and secure a path toward its future. With a transparent, collaborative, and open-door approach, the Managing Director will be a thoughtful and patient individual who is trusted by all and is committed to ensuring that everyone feels valued, respected, and heard. The Managing Director will be committed to the values of our Code of Conduct and strive to make MET a welcoming space for all people through empathetic leadership and effective conflict resolution.

Other key competencies include:

· Leadership and Decision Making – The ability to organize and influence people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction.

· Personal Accountability and Time and Priority Management – The capacity to identify and oversee all resources, tasks, systems, and people to obtain results and the competence to prioritize and complete tasks necessary to meet mutually agreed upon expectations and assume responsibility for professional actions.

· Flexibility, Planning, and Organizing – The dexterity to establish courses of action to ensure work is completed effectively.

· Customer Focus – The acumen to prioritize customer satisfaction with a high value on multiple stakeholder needs and the ability to anticipate challenges and develop appropriate solutions.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent educational credential is required. A master’s degree in arts administration, nonprofit management, business, or a related field is preferred. A minimum of 5 years of senior leadership experience that includes developing new revenue sources, building and strengthening strategic partnerships, and demonstrating fiscal accountability is required. A track record of nonprofit fundraising/grant building success is ideal. Strong business experience, coupled with a deep interest and background in the performing arts, is welcomed. Exceptional writing abilities and verbal presentation skills are expected. Microsoft office, Google Office Suites, and knowledge in Quickbooks preferred. Self-starter; Excellent leadership, strategy, fundraising, communication, and financial skills required. Standard work hours, Monday – Friday 8a to 5p, that may vary. Must be willing to work evenings and weekends on occasion. Additional duties as needed.

Compensation and Benefits

MET offers a competitive and equitable compensation package with a salary range of $60,000-$68,000 (note: there is no state income tax for work within the boundaries of the Arts & Entertainment District).

• Employee-funded Blue Cross health insurance plans (w/dental & vision options) available after 90 days;

• After 90 days of employment, employees are entitled to 10 paid vacation/health/leave days per year from the date of hire; Upon completion of your fourth year of service, employees are entitled to 15 days of leave each year; and those who work 10 years receive 17 days of leave. Leave days do not roll over year to year.

• Simple IRA, with up to 3% employer match on eligible compensation;

• MD State Arts & Entertainment District Artist Income Tax Subtraction Modification, with 502AE tax form annual filing;

• Verified employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program;

• In-house professional development;

• Employee class and camp discounts; and

• 2 comps to each MET production.



Applications and Inquiries

Please submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments to jobs@marylandensemble.org. For best consideration, please apply ASAP before September 19, 2022.
Salary: $60,000-68,000