OPPORTUNITY
Urban Bush Women (UBW) seeks an experienced, strategic, and deeply collaborative individual to serve as the acclaimed dance ensemble's Executive Director. The new ED will join UBW in a moment of great strength and transformation, as Founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar steps away from a leadership role with the organization and longtime company members Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Speis continue UBW's vision as Co-Artistic Directors. Sharing leadership with the two Co-Artistic Directors, the ED will implement a new strategic plan and vision, build resources and partnerships, and maintain an effective organizational structure in alignment with UBW's core values and people-centric culture to ensure the ongoing success of UBW's vibrant performance tours and transformative community programs. The right candidate will have a passion for the organization's mission and a creative approach to challenges; they will be capable of developing new partnerships with presenters, funders, and patrons, while activating a talented staff and a committed Board of Directors.
POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The next Executive Director will come into a vibrant and ambitious organization where current priorities are informed by a desire to continue UBW's history of excellent artistic and social justice programming, and also to raise the company's profile in a sustainable way, locally and nationally. The next ED will also navigate a changing financial environment, including shifting priorities within the philanthropic community and increasing operational costs; they will need to collaborate with the Board and Co-ADs to balance artistic ambitions with responsible fiscal planning.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, UBW's Executive Director will serve as an equal co-leader with the two Co-Artistic Directors. The ED will be a skilled communicator, an inclusive leader, and a values-based decision maker with a passion for UBW's mission and history and a willingness to work collaboratively with the Co-Artistic Directors, staff, and Board. They will be a strategic leader with the ability to effectively express the depth and breadth of UBW's vision, values, activities, and programs to external stakeholders and allies. Understanding of complex not-for-profit operations is critical for the next ED, and they should also possess an appetite for innovation and a drive for addressing opportunities and challenges. Essential elements of the ED role will include income generation (both contributed and earned), strategy development and implementation, and a commitment to developing relationships within the civic, philanthropic, and artistic community.
Resource and Business Development
Resource and business development will be a major part of the new Executive Director's portfolio, which will include:
- Develop multilayered strategies to extend UBW's message and identify innovative methods to share the organization's programming in a broader manner through strategic partnerships.
- Work across the organization to set realistic but challenging revenue goals.
- Serve as a major gifts leader for UBW, developing and nurturing deeply impactful philanthropic relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporations.
- Be an active and visible representative of UBW within artistic, philanthropic, community, and community-organizing circles.
- Cultivate relationships with existing and new partners to increase performance engagements and community programming.
- Keep ahead of social and artistic trends, issues, and events that may translate into opportunities for UBW.
- Engage the existing funder base while continuing to identify and connect with new patrons.
Management and Administration
As UBW's top administrative executive, the Executive Director will:
- Model an organizational culture that operates within an anti-racist framework and is committed to inclusion, equity, and prioritizing women+ of color in the work.
- Ensure that the financial and operational health of the organization is as strong as can be by evaluating and adjusting as necessary the internal organizational structure, position functions, production processes, and systems and tools currently in place.
- Create an open, transparent, and supportive relationship with the Board of Directors, providing clear, timely, and ongoing communications.
- Provide direction, support, mentorship, and coaching to UBW's staff, creating a collaborative and transparent environment where efficiency is balanced with input and ideas.
- Provide perspective on new management practices and infrastructure changes in order to create a "lean and kind" culture.
- Lead all staff members in working collaboratively, with clear and consistent communication, in support of each other to achieve the best for UBW and the communities it serves.
- Maintain UBW's organizational culture as a people-centric, respectful, collaborative, equitable, and inclusive workplace, and continue to cultivate an environment attractive for long-term commitments by talented administrative staff.
- Bring an entrepreneurial approach to new opportunities.
COMPENSATION AND START DATE
The annual salary range for the Executive Director role at Urban Bush Women begins at $125,000 and includes a full benefit package commensurate with other organizations of its size. UBW hopes to make its decision by Fall 2024 with the chosen candidate taking on the position shortly thereafter in order to overlap with the existing Acting Executive Director.
HOW TO APPLY Shruti Adhar is the consultant from Management Consultants for the Arts leading this important search. To be considered for this position, you must submit pertinent information including name, contact information, and salary requirement and attach a current résumé, a cover letter (no more than 1 pages describing why this post and organization is attractive to you and what about you and your work makes you a potentially strong contributor to Urban Bush Women), and four professional references (name, work relationship, email, phone) using the online application system. Once all materials have been submitted online, the applicant will receive a confirmation of their submission via the email address provided in the application. For clarification on any of this information, please contact Christy Wall at .