Employment
POSITION TITLE:
Executive Director
ATC now seeks a visionary Executive Director to steer the company into the most exciting chapter in its twenty-three year history. Energized and driven by our mission: telling stories that ask the question "What does it mean to be an American?" in partnership with the Artistic Director, the Executive Director will preside over all administrative, marketing, and fundraising aspects of the organization.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIP
The Executive Director will work in partnership with the Artistic Director and report to the Board of Directors.
BASIC FUNCTIONS
The Executive Director, in conjunction with the Artistic Director, is responsible for the overall strategic direction, administration and advancement of the fundraising goals and objectives for the theater. Working with the Artistic Director and the Board of
Directors, he/she shall develop and implement a comprehensive development program to achieve the Theater’s fundraising goals and to further its mission: a commitment to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question: "What does it mean to be an American?”
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director is responsible for:
Fundraising:
- Establishing a comprehensive development program and identifying the optimal components of an effective development strategy, which may include planned giving, direct mail, corporate/foundation relationships, donor cultivation and signature events.
- Developing and executing a $5M Capital Campaign. The Capital Campaign will fund ATC's first Endowment and a $4M new theater facility, the country's first LEED Certified GOLD “green” theater, including geo-thermal heat, green roof, and the use of recycled materials. ATC plans to locate the new theater in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.
- Creating and implementing a major donor program including identification, cultivation, and systematic solicitation of prospects in association with trustees, corporation members, and other volunteers.
- Building and leveraging corporate relationships, specifically the expansion of both national and Chicago-based corporate relationships for Outreach, New Play Development and the Capital Campaign. He/she will oversee all government relationships in the areas of real estate and urban development, and establish key relationships with city and state officials in securing government funding. Additionally, working with the real estate developers, business leaders, and the Alderman in Logan Square to connect ATC with area businesses and become a key player in the economic development of the area will be required.
- Successfully building partnerships through networking with Chicago's lead philanthropists and cultivating new individual relationships in conjunction with ATC’s Board and, if necessary, fundraising consultants.
- Developing a comprehensive, long-range fundraising strategic plan. This would include goal setting for staff members, staffing plan, financial plan, and plans for
- Cultivating increased planned giving and major gifts, and conducting large-scale fundraising events.
Marketing:
- Developing a long-term strategy for the expansion of Single Ticket sales as well as Subscriptions.
- Analyzing and implementing the latest methods of marketing.
- Developing relationships with local non-profits and businesses to increase the theater's exposure in Chicago.
- Developing and executing a successful group sales program.
Business and Administration:
- Together with the Artistic Director and General Manager developing the theater's long-term business plan.
- Supervising with the Artistic Director and General Manager the theater's staff, and making decisions related to the hiring and termination of the General Manager and Development Director.
- Serve as an ex officio member of the Board of Directors and the Executive committee, and a regular member of the Development and Capital Campaign committees.
- Recruitment and strategic expansion of board membership.
QUALIFICATIONS & CHARACTERISTICS
The successful candidate will be a strategic visionary with a demonstrated proficiency as a development generalist as well as a successful track record of identifying, cultivating, and closing high yielding development initiatives. He/she will have a savvy business background, and a natural ability to network and connect with fundraising circles as ATC launches expanded programming and the capital campaign for the new theater. The ideal candidate will have a ferocious passion for theater, an imaginative and innovative business sense, impeccable charisma and positive energy, and a fearlessness and desire to create the most ambitious and innovative theater in the nation. In addition, the ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications/characteristics:
- 5+ years of progressively responsible professional fundraising experience for a nonprofit, foundation, or other similar organization.
- A record of identifying potential opportunities and taking development efforts to the “next level” is essential.
- Experience building support in a nonprofit organization for research, medical, or educational programs is preferred.
- An eye and aptitude for detail and clarity in project implementation and execution.
- Leadership skills, relationship building skills and executive presence.
- Excellent strategic, managerial, public speaking, motivational, marketing, analytical, selling, organizational and interpersonal skills.
- Experience in developing and cultivating external third-party relationships that advance the mission of ATC.
- The ability to work in a collaborative environment and be a strategic thinker.
- A sense of urgency in project management with the energy and the drive to get the job done in a collaborative manner.
EDUCATION
An undergraduate degree is required. An MFA in Arts Management or an MBA is preferred.
COMPENSATION
An attractive, market-competitive compensation program is planned for this position.
To Apply:
Executive Director Search Committee
American Theater Company
1909 W Byron Street
Chicago, Illinois 60613
E-mail: EDSEARCH@atcweb.org
Actors
For actors, we do general auditions in the spring of each year, which we advertise in Performink. Interested parties should send a headshot and resume to the theater. Please no calls.
Casting
American Theater Company
1909 W. Byron
Chicago, IL 60613