The managing director is an exempt, full-time, salaried position and reports to the board of directors. The salary is $53,000 with room for growth, and includes health insurance.
The position is suited for a detail-oriented, non-profit arts management leader with excellent fundraising, writing, and interpersonal skills. The managing director has ultimate responsibility for all business and administrative functions of the theatre including: financial health, sustainability, and growth of the organization, in support of the theatre’s mission. Experience in these areas, and/or equivalent education, necessary for this position.
TCT is an equal opportunity employer in all positions, programs and services without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender identification, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.
We strongly encourage candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds and communities to apply.
Areas of Responsibility
Through direct action and management of staff, contract labor, and volunteers, the managing director will have primary responsibility for:
Fundraising
The company cannot operate without substantial charitable contributions and government support, so fundraising is a paramount responsibility of the managing director.
- Identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individual and institutional funders with a strong focus on individual major gifts and annual giving
- Oversight of all development activities: evaluate, propose, research, and secure opportunities for increased institutional funding and individual giving
- Grant writing, reporting, and compliance for both private charitable foundations and government entities
- Active participation in all special event planning and execution
Governance
Given the organization’s budget and resources, the board of directors provides governance and, as appropriate, professional expertise and guidance.
- Provide administrative support to the board of directors, including setting the meeting schedule and preparing and distributing materials ahead of board meetings
- Work closely with the board president and executive committee to manage new board member recruitment, facilitate board giving, and track board terms and composition/demographics
Financial Management and Planning
The company has a part-time accountant and a part-time operations manager, who work closely with the managing director in many of the following areas:
- Creation of and adherence to the annual operating budget, in close collaboration with the artistic directors
- Management of all day-to-day finances, accounting, complete and accurate record keeping, and financial forecasting
- Primary responsibility for working with a tax accountant on the filing of the IRS 990 and all other required federal, state, and local tax documents
- Compliance with grant/contract reporting requirements and all responsibilities inherent within
- Financial reporting to the board of directors
- Long term financial planning
Marketing and Public Relations
The budget for marketing and PR is modest, requiring creative use of limited funds. The managing director works closely with the staff in the following areas:
- Development, maintenance, and expansion of Catastrophic’s brand and reputation
- Cultivation of marketing opportunities and development of new audiences
- Promotion of all events and programs through direct marketing and the media
- Patron relations, including presence at multiple performances and events
- Manage day-to–day marketing (social media, IT, graphic design, press releases, advertising), in close tandem with the operations manager
Administration
The Catastrophic Theatre is housed at the Midtown Arts & Theater Center of Houston (MATCH), though from time to time, performances are conducted offsite. Many of the following duties will be shared with the operations manager and, as appropriate, the artistic directors.
- Manage payroll
- Negotiate and oversee compliance with all contractual relationships
- Monitor compliance with tax and non-profit status regulations
- Manage human resources
- Other business and administrative needs as required (facilities and operations, insurance, rental agreements, licensing, etc)
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Experience in a nonprofit management role, with experience and/or equivalent education in arts management, or a related field that demonstrates the skills necessary for this position.
- Compelling and effective communication skills
- High comfort level with fundraising and financial management
- Innovative, entrepreneurial, flexible team player
- Demonstrated experience in building community and increasing participation in events or activities in a professional, school, or volunteer context
- A proactive person who will take initiative and strive to build consensus
- Ability to coordinate deadlines, project manage activities, and balance multiple tasks
- Computer knowledge, including skills in MS Word, Excel, Quickbooks, and basic formatting
- Strong organization, project management, and time management skills
- Attention to detail and follow-through
- Ability to receive instruction and constructive feedback, and an interest in learning new skills
- The ability to work cooperatively with diverse groups and with a community-based organization
- Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate the needs of the job as necessary within reason and with respect for work/life balance. Some evenings and weekends required
- Advanced degree or equivalent work/life experience strongly preferred
How to Apply
Please submit your cover letter and resume along with inquiries to search@catastrophictheatre.com.
We will carefully review all applications and contact those candidates we wish to interview. We deeply appreciate your application.
The Catastrophic Theatre is an equal opportunity employer in all positions, programs and services without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.
We strongly encourage people from backgrounds and communities historically underrepresented in arts management to apply, and note that the ideal applicant might not have a background and experience that matches these qualifications exactly.
We are committed to providing a supportive work environment, respecting work/life balance, and developing a plan for professional development. Our long-term vision for The Catastrophic Theatre includes the ability to pay equitable wages. As the organization’s budget grows, so will wages, to the extent that increases can be responsibly awarded and sustained in a manner that allows staff to rely upon them.
About The Catastrophic Theatre
The Catastrophic Theatre is an ensemble-based theatre company dedicated to creating an intimate, meaningful exchange between artists and audiences through the creation and performance of new work of all sorts.
The Catastrophic Theatre focuses on plays that emphasize emotional truth over topicality and poetic forms over plot. This considered preference for questions rather than answers encourages diverse interpretations and personal associations. Our work seeks to provoke artists and audiences in pursuit of those elusive pearls of dream, mystery, and poetry.
The organization’s vision is to make a place for people to congregate through the shared experience of emotional catharsis. In order to offer this experience to as many people as possible, The Catastrophic Theatre adopted a Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) ticket policy in 2009, becoming the first and only theatre company in Houston to do so, and one of only a handful in the country. While there are many cultural and economic barriers to accessing experimental theatre, our policy ensures that ticket price is not one of those, and it has been remarkably successful.
Formed in 2007 by Jason Nodler, Tamarie Cooper, and a group of notable Houston artists, The Catastrophic Theatre has produced 50 plays, of which 19 were original works. The company’s innovative artistic partnerships have drawn national attention and have recently been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Previously, Catastrophic appeared in dozens of international theatre, music, literary, and art media. Notable collaborations include the creation of new work with international music stars Black Francis and Daniel Johnston, and former Houston Rockets General Manager, Daryl Morey. American Theatre magazine recently named Catastrophic as one of a handful of companies nationwide that are advancing the form by changing the way music and theatre work together. The Catastrophic Theatre has received various national awards, including two commissioning grants from The MAP Fund, unrestricted awards from Creative Capital and American Theatre Wing, and a targeted MacDowell Colony/NEA grant. A permanent archive of The Catastrophic Theatre’s work is housed at the University of Houston Special Collections, making Catastrophic one of only three existing Houston theatres to be so honored.