The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis - Managing Director

Organization

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) debuted in 1966, originally in partnership with Webster University at the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. Since that time, The Rep has become a prominent arts organization in St. Louis and has received national recognition for its artistic work with its mainstage productions and the Imaginary Theater Company for youth. The Rep seeks to present a wide array of theatrical styles and periods within their programming and views the development of new work as an important part of its service to the field. The organization’s rich history of new play development includes a new works festival and a commissioning program that has launched nationally acclaimed work by thought-leading playwrights, such as Dael Orlandersmith and Ayad Akhtar. Lifelong education is a key value of the organization. The Rep believes in the transformational nature of theatre and its power to promote learning, connection, and understanding across communities. The Rep’s expanded Learning and Community Engagement programming centers on education, collaboration, and cultural connection. Its REPresentSTL program is a new civic conversation series focused on highlighting and unpacking the issues that matter the most to the residents of the Greater St. Louis region.

 

The Rep has traditionally performed on two stages: the Virginia Jackson Browning Theatre, a 763-seat auditorium, and the Emerson Studio Theatre, a flexible black box space. A new state-of-the-art 454-seat space, The Berges Theatre at COCA opened in spring 2021.

 

The Rep had been led for more than three decades by Managing Director Mark Bernstein and Artistic Director Steven Woolf, who retired following the 2018-19 season. Hana Sharif joined the organization as the Augustin Family Artistic Director in June 2019. Building on The Rep’s rich history, the first full season with new artistic leadership, including new Associate Artistic Director Amelia Acosta Powell, was a diverse mix of bold and classic storytelling, including two world premiere productions. Facing a season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Rep made the critical decision to pay out its artistic and seasonal contracts and to launch a series of innovative digital and site-specific programs. The Rep partnered with Baltimore Center Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, The Public Theater, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company to present Play at Home, a series of micro-commissioned short plays that run 10 minutes or less and are available for the public to download, read, and perform at home for free. This series was conceived to support artists in the wake of widespread cancellations and ignite imagination and joy in these uncertain times. A new 2021-22 season has just been announced, launching with the rolling world premiere of Dreaming Zenzile based on the life of Miriam Makeba and The Gradient, a new play by Steph Del Rosso.

 

The Rep is supported by a 36-member board of directors, led by President Gwen Middeke. The volunteer board, an active patron group that supports artistic and management efforts, has been key during the 2020-21 year. Its members have also served as facilitators for the new Rep Reads program. As part of the development effort, the Leading Ladies organization has raised more than $800,000, helping to bring 12 productions to the mainstage. The Rep staff includes 44 full-time (and full-time seasonal) and 12 part-time employees. In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, The Rep reported annual revenues of $7.6 million, with $3.3 million from contributions and grants. Total expenses were $8.5 million.

 

Community

A gateway to the west, St. Louis is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Illini Confederacy, a group of 12 to 13 Native American Tribes. The city has a rich tradition of migration and growth. From colonial change under French, Spanish, and American governments, the area’s growth exploded with the arrival of steamboats, manufacturing, and critical immigrant communities in late 1800s, becoming the nation’s fourth largest city by the 1890s. Population shifts into suburban communities and the Great Migration of African Americans from the South during the 20th Century have shaped this vibrant community. St. Louis remains the largest city in the state with a population of 2.8 million residents in the greater metropolitan area. The city has a major transportation and distribution center with an extensive rail network, an international airport, and highways.

 

 

 

 

The iconic Gateway Arch began construction in 1965 and started a downtown building boom that continued into the 21st Century. Fortune 500 companies and major manufactures have supported the local economy and workforce. The Greater St. Louis area is home to major league sports team, major research universities, and well-developed arts and culture organizations. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest in the United States. Several major cultural organizations are located in Forest Park, home to the 1904 World’s Fair, including the St. Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Science Center, The MUNY, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, and the Missouri History Museum. The city is home to dozens of unique neighborhoods. The Grand Center Arts District is recognized as the cultural hub to the region. The area is home to more than 50 arts organizations and hosts more than 1,500 arts and festival events each year. Theatre lovers can enjoy more than 40 professional theatre companies, including STAGES and The Black Rep, and several major venues including, Kranzberg Arts Center in Grand Center, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, Stifel Theatre, and The Sheldon. Revitalized neighborhoods and new cultural, recreational, and entertainment options have contributed to the city’s growth and quality of life. A big city with small town charm, St. Louis ranks among the best places to live.

 

Sources: Edited from stlouis-mo.gov, britannica.com, explorestlouis.com

 

Position Summary

Providing strategic leadership and financial oversight, the Managing Director will be responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations, with a particular focus on fundraising, administrative functions, community engagement, and strategic business planning. Reporting to the board of directors and working in partnership with the Artistic Director, this individual will provide the financial acumen to sustain the organization’s business and administrative functions. A fearless leader and change agent committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, they will build positive and authentic relationships with staff, artists, board members, audiences, donors, and community members throughout the region to support the strategic and operational goals of the theatre. They will work collaboratively with the programming team to ensure the success of artistic programs and overall operations. The scope of responsibility in this position will include providing staff leadership, guiding short- and long-term logistical planning, and leading financial planning.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Financial Planning

• Partner with the Artistic Director to establish the organization’s strategic direction and ensure that administrative and programmatic goals are aligned.

 

• Champion organizational commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all business and administrative functions support strategic goals in these areas.

 

• Oversee the development, implementation, and management of the organizational budgets.

 

• Develop forecasting models for earned and contributed revenue streams.

 

• Identify funds needed for effective organizational function and mission delivery and implement needed adjustments due to changing circumstances as necessary.

 

• Monitor and report financial performance to the board, providing forecasts, scenario plans, and dynamic financial models to support decision making.

 

• Lead the finance, development, and administrative staff and support board committees in these same areas.

 

• Guide the marketing staff in collaboration with the Artistic Director to ensure consistent brand and messaging in external communication.

 

• Lead contract negotiations and nurture ongoing relationships with major partners, including the theatrical unions, performance venues, and Webster University.

 

• Research and develop opportunities for shared inventory, services, and resources among venues to create efficiencies and maximize organizational resources.

 

Fundraising and Constituent and Community Engagement

• Positively engage with stakeholders, serving as an enthusiastic organizational spokesperson and supporting all aspects of organizational relationships, fundraising, and revenue generation.

 

• Identify and establish key relationships with potential funders and donors to facilitate the development of new and renewed sources of contributed support in collaboration with the Chief Development Officer.

 

• Develop relationships with funders, community organizations, and key media to enhance The Rep’s brand and promote its position in the regional and national dialogue.

 

• Supervise marketing and public relations strategy to expand The Rep’s audience, subscribers, and donors.

 

• Collaborate extensively with the board of directors to foster deep board engagement, effective board recruitment, and an expanding network of relationships and resources for The Rep.

 

• Participate in industry conferences and professional development to represent the organization and to stay current with trends and best practices.

 

Organizational Excellence

• Oversee the coordination and operations of shared venues, ensuring that they are consistent with The Rep’s values and strategic priorities.

 

• Ensure that the necessary organizational structure, policies, system controls, safety responsibilities, and procedures are in place and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.

 

• Advance the implementation and integration of evolving technology systems, including those used for production, operations, communications, and customer service.

 

• Oversee organizational interfacing with performance venues, including front-of-house staff and volunteers, as appropriate.

 

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of management and operational processes and develop new and revised methods and procedures.

 

• Create a balanced and positive team-oriented work environment with a culture that supports cohesive, creative, and collaborative work.

 

• Establish regular and recurring interaction with all departments to ensure that their goals are understood, planned, and achieved.

 

• Oversee human resource issues, coordinate with HR consultant, and supervise human resource recordkeeping and benefits.

 

• Build and implement policies and procedures that elevate service and support to the staff, external partners, and audiences.

 

• Verify that projects are managed in compliance with contractual agreements, ordinances, regulations, laws, and other requirements.

 

Traits and Characteristics

The Managing Director will be a versatile and resourceful leader with the ability to anticipate and work collaboratively to solve complex problems. They will value interactions with a range of stakeholders, eagerly solving problems for the board, staff, audience members, and donors. The Managing Director will build on past experience while also being an ongoing learner who is receptive to innovation and new methodologies. Prioritizing tasks and objectives while remaining sensitive and responsive to the needs of others, the Managing Director will have developed cultural competencies and the ability to handle difficult situations with diplomacy and ease.

 

Other key competencies include:

 

• Self-Management and Personal Accountability – The competence to prioritize and complete tasks to meet expectations while assuming responsibility for professional actions and direction given to others.

 

• Leadership and Collaboration – The dexterity to appropriately use positional and relational influence to organize people to pursue a collective vision with a sense of purpose and direction, without micromanaging.

 

• Planning, Organizing, and Decision Making – The aptitude to analyze all aspects of a situation and to make consistently sound and timely decisions, including addressing difficult situations head-on. The capacity to establish forward-looking courses of action to ensure that longer-term efforts are completed effectively and efficiently with appropriate participation from the entire team.

 

• Conceptual Thinking – The demonstrated ability to analyze hypothetical situations, patterns, and concepts to see connections and develop new methods, techniques, or processes.

 

 

 

 

 

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required; master’s degree is preferred. Five to 10 years of direct experience with increasing responsibility in a senior management role, including supervision, is necessary. A genuine, demonstrated commitment to and interest in fundraising are essential. The ideal candidate will have business-oriented experience and a track record of strategic and operational success in highly collaborative and creative environments. Experience in a nonprofit performing arts organization, particularly theatre, is desired. The selected individual will have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. A demonstrated history of confidence and competence in effectively engaging with new communities is a plus.

 

Compensation and Benefits

The Rep provides a competitive salary, with an anticipated hiring range from $175,000 to $200,000. Benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays; flexible spending accounts; and an employer-sponsored 403(b) retirement plan.

 

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/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact

 

Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Senior Vice President

Arts Consulting Group

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115-2801

Tel        (888) 234.4236 Ext. 225

Email    TheRep@ArtsConsulting.com

 

Equity Statement:

We value diversity. The Rep strives to provide opportunities for diverse artistic expression, as well as diverse artists, staff, and audience. Diversity is a wide-ranging value, encompassing but not limited to diversity in aesthetics, age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, geography, race, and sexual orientation. We value the contribution of our artists and our staff. The Rep seeks to attract outstanding professionals to join our work. We support the concept of The Rep as an “artistic home” which engenders a sense of pride, involvement, and mutual support among all who work here. This means that we must provide these individuals with the best possible working environment, compensation, benefits, and support, within the constraints of our available resources.