ABOUT OPERA ATELIER
Opera Atelier is North America's leading opera/ballet company dedicated to creating period productions realized as complete artistic statements, with equal attention given to music, dancing, acting, and design. With productions performed in partnership with Tafelmusik, Canada's premier award-winning baroque orchestra and chamber choir orchestra, Opera Atelier has had a more extensive international touring schedule than any other music organization in Canadian history, taking fully-mounted productions to venues of great distinction, including the Salzburg Festival, La Scala and the Royal Opera House in Versailles.
At the heart of Opera Atelier is the belief that period performance is not a museum piece but a point of departure for creativity, reinvention and contemporary storytelling. The company combines rigorous research and respect for original source material with artistic innovation, creating productions that speak meaningfully to audiences today.
Opera Atelier is equally committed to developing and mentoring the next generation of Canadian artists while also expanding access to opera and ballet through education, community engagement, touring and digital initiatives.
As Opera Atelier enters its next chapter, the organization is seeking an accomplished Executive Director to support the artistic vision of the company's Founding Co-Artistic Directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg while working in partnership with the Board of Directors and team to build upon the company's unique artistic vision.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Reporting to the Board of Directors and working in close partnership with its Founding Co-Artistic Directors, the Executive Director provides strategic, financial and operational leadership for Opera Atelier.
The Executive Director will play a central role in ensuring that Opera Atelier's ambitious artistic vision is supported by a strong and sustainable organization. With particular emphasis on fundraising, revenue development, financial stewardship and organizational sustainability, the Executive Director oversees key areas including administration, development, marketing and communications, stakeholder and government relations, partnerships, people leadership and strategic planning.
This is a highly collaborative leadership role requiring an individual who understands the relationship between artistic ambition and organizational sustainability. The Executive Director will build strong relationships with donors, sponsors, government funders, foundations, patrons, community partners and other stakeholders while working closely with the artistic leadership and Board to support Opera Atelier's continued evolution.
As a visible ambassador for Opera Atelier, the Executive Director will represent the organization within Toronto's cultural community and more broadly across Canada and internationally, helping to deepen existing relationships, develop new partnerships and expand awareness and support for the company's work.
The successful candidate will bring strong business and financial acumen together with a genuine passion for the arts and an appreciation for the unique creative vision, history and international reputation of Opera Atelier.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Executive Leadership
- Establish strong, complementary, and effective working relationships with Board Members and internal team to ensure the creative vision can be operationalized successfully.
- Lead internal planning process, external funding strategy, ensuring alignment with artistic vision and strategic plan.
- Ensure that the appropriate human, financial, and operational resources are in place to achieve the plan, with a particular focus on fundraising.
- Act as ambassador and representative of core values, mission and vision.
- Continually work with internal teams to strengthen the company's ongoing commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. This commitment includes a particular emphasis on the realization of these goals through education and outreach.
- Mentor team members. Monitor staff engagement and organizational culture.
External Funding Oversight
- Build and foster a strong financial support base, establishing, stewarding, and enhancing existing relationships while focusing on building new relationships with key sponsors, donors, government agencies, and foundations. Cultivate new and renewed sources of major sponsorships and grants.
- Lead and participate in all aspects of fundraising activity, including grant writing.
- Responsible for all submissions to and liaison with governmental funding agencies and federal, provincial, and municipal arts councils.
Financial Leadership
- Develop an overall financial strategy for the organization, in consultation with internal leadership and the Board of Directors, that provides funding to advance the strategic plan and the artistic vision, while building an appropriate level of reserves.
- Oversee a financial planning process that projects company budgets three years forward in order to develop a sustainable financial framework to support programming, artistic growth and community engagement.
- Prepare appropriate regular financial reporting for Board review.
- Maintain effective internal controls related to all financial matters, with appropriate checks and balances between departments and with the Board.
- Regularly review the effectiveness of the organizational structure, policies, system controls, and procedures; and make improvements as required.
Programming
- Support the creative vision while meeting the organization's financial targets within a reasonable risk profile.
- Ensure that the organization is developing appropriate partnerships, nationally and internationally, with which to deliver upon its creative ambitions.
- Maintain knowledge of current trends in the performing arts in general.
- Manage tour engagements.
Marketing & Communications
- The Executive Director will work with Marketing to maintain appropriate branding and to utilize both traditional methods and innovative digital strategies and analytics to reach and engage new and diverse audiences.
- Ensure communication protocols internally and externally serve the organizational mandate and work to promote awareness and growth of the organization.
- Promote overall strategies for audience development and engagement.
- Collaborate with marketing staff to develop and implement plans to achieve the goals for subscriptions and single ticket sales using best practices in all areas to maximize the patron experience.
Administrative
- Responsible for all aspects of people leadership and HR practices, including supervision of all non-artistic staff, recruitment of staff, recommending to the Board salary levels and other benefits.
- Support a positive and inclusive workplace where all personnel are valued, supported, and nurtured.
- Develop and maintain relationships with partners in the community, stakeholders, venues.
- Oversee all contracting, including venues.
- Maintain positive relationships with unions and associations; participate in negotiations as required.
- Responsible for relations with governmental and non-governmental agencies.
- Responsible for representing the organization at meetings, conventions and congresses as required.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in progressively senior roles in a performing arts organization or other relevant experience.
- Proven success in fundraising with individual donors, sponsors, and funders.
- Brings a passion for the arts.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with experience reporting to a Board of Directors.
- Strong financial management skills with experience in creating, presenting, and managing budgets.
OTHER DETAILS
Location: Toronto (Downtown)
Salary Range: $100,000 - $115,000
Benefits: Medical/Dental/Extended Benefits Available
