Job Opportunity: Director of Operations (Collaborative Leadership Team)

Summary

The Push International Performing Arts Festival is seeking a dynamic individual to join as The Director of Operations. The Director of Operations reports directly to the Board and is a Collaborative Leadership Team member. The primary functions are to manage financial oversight, HR, development activities and general operations. They lead the Festival's fiscal, operational, and administrative direction to ensure the organization's continued vitality, excellence, profile, and financial viability.

Description

https://pushfestival.ca/about-the-festival/employment-opportunities/#director-of-operations-(collaborative-leadership-team)

Job Title: Director of Operations (Collaborative Leadership Team)

ABOUT PUSH
The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is one of Vancouver’s signature cultural events. Taking place over three weeks each January, the PuSh Festival presents groundbreaking work in the live performing arts: theatre, dance, music, and various forms of multimedia and hybrid performance. The next edition of the PuSh Festival takes place January 17 to February 5, 2023, at venues across Greater Vancouver.

About the Role
The Director of Operations reports directly to the Board and is a member of the Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT). The Director of Operations’ primary functions are to oversee the financial management, human resources, development activities (including supporting corporate partnerships, fundraising and donor stewardship), and general operations. They lead the fiscal, operational, and administrative direction of the Festival while ensuring the continued vitality, excellence, profile, and financial viability of the organization. The position shares the responsibility of maintaining and cultivating the organization’s financial health, including revenue generation from public and private sector fundraising. This role supervises numerous contract, part-time and full-time staff. It oversees Communications and Patron Services departments to ensure quality communications and patron experiences, and supports community and industry engagement and programming. Core areas that the Collaborative Leadership Team approaches collectively include: development, staffing, patron experience and engagement, PuSh’s mission and vision, and Festival delivery.

Collaborative Leadership Team (CLT)
PuSh is embarking on a new model of leadership. The CLT includes the Director of Programming, the Director of Operations and the Director of Indigenous Initiatives (a new role that will soon be defined and recruited for). This new model brings collaboration and shared responsibility to the overall vision and management of the organization. This model amplifies consultation and mutual accountability, and leads the organization by practicing its values, and identifying, and ensuring the achievement of, both short and long-term organizational goals and priorities. See diagram below for further details.

Highlights of the Position

• Salary $80,000 – $90,000
• Extended Health Benefits Package
• 3 Weeks Vacation plus additional office closure periods
• Relocation Support 
• Professional Development Support

Attributes We Seek

• Thrives when working collaboratively
• Highly organized creative-thinker
• Deep enthusiasm for the transformational potential of the arts
• Able to work with complexity and nuance
• Values accountability, scope and understands liability
• Strong attention to detail and high level of thoroughness
• A positive attitude and unflappable ability to manage through competing priorities

We seek an individual excited by the creative and transformational potential in the oversight of PuSh’s operations and administration. We invite submissions from individuals from a diversity of performing arts practices. At this  pivotal juncture, we recognise the successes of our past Festivals, while acknowledging that new ways of thinking and doing are needed to prepare us for resilience and success into the future. 

We seek an experienced people leader, who leads through motivating, engaging and inspiring.

We seek a leader who embraces change, and who is excited to examine and implement new and better ways of approaching the operational management of an annual Festival. One who cultivates a positive, inclusive, and collaborative organizational culture through expressing oneself honestly, listening to the perspectives of colleagues, demonstrating empathy, embracing productive conflict, and practicing compassion and generosity with others. 

We seek an individual who drives accountability through consultation, is an open communicator and a willing listener, who manages with empathy and compassion, and who approaches working with others through a spirit of generosity. 

The leadership model at PuSh is collaborative, recognizing that the portfolios of every director are interconnected and require mutual support. The aforementioned attributes are vital to the success of this position, and the management of the organization.

Candidate Professional Experience

• 5+ years of leadership experience working in and with live performance or in the creative sector, particularly in operations and administration
• Strong understanding of best practices in administration, operations and fiscal management
• Experience with public and private sector funding and reporting
• Experience leading teams and recruiting, supervising and developing individual

Director of Operations Areas of Specific Responsibility

This position includes but is not limited to the following responsibilities:

Leadership:

• Alongside the Board Chair and Directors and Collaborative Leadership Team, act as a champion of, and advocate for, the Festival locally, national, and internationally.
• Demonstrate and communicate direct and inclusive leadership that inspires, motivates, and supports excellence, holds individuals to account, and solicits honest and constructive feedback.
• With support of the Director of Programing, lead the recruiting, hiring, training, performance management and professional development of the team and contractors.
• Establish and maintain healthy relationships with audiences, key donors, corporate partners and external stakeholders.

Organizational Management:
Oversee the organizational management of PuSh including:

• In collaboration with the Board and Collaborative Leadership Team, lead the strategy for, and establishment of, the fiscal, operational, and administrative direction of the Festival.
• In collaboration with the Collaborative Leadership Team, lead the development of an integrated management and operational plan to include operation of space, equipment, information technology and staff designed to meet the Festival’s long-term goals while maintaining its values within the organizational culture. 
• Develop administrative plans that maintain fiscal prudence while enabling the Festival to achieve its strategic objectives
• Work with the Board and staff to ensure policies, procedures and strategy are developed, implemented and reviewed regularly.
• With the Collaborative Leadership Team, provide professional advice and support to the Board with respect to the long and short range strategies, organizational review, policy and governance.
• Lead the development and management of budgets within parameters approved by the Board of Directors.
• Oversee effective and timely reporting to the Board and external stakeholders.
• Oversee annual communication and development plans.

Operations:
Oversee PuSh operations including:

• With the support of the Director of Programming, plan for all staff, operations and administrative requirements for the Festival, including effective implementation of all hospitality, audience and artist service activities of the festival.
• With the Collaborative Leadership Team, develop the Festival programming budget.
• Negotiate and manage venue and corporate and community partnership contracts and agreements. With the Director of Programming, manage co-presentation, co-production and artist contracts and agreements.
• Oversee day-to-day society operations, including financial activities such as payables, receivables, payroll for staff, contracted personnel and artists and preparation of monthly financial statements.
• Prepare financial reports for funders and other agencies as required.
• Prepare financial reports for the Finance Committee and meet regularly to discuss budget and cash flow updates and issues.
• Guides and participates in fundraising strategies and campaigns.
• Lead fundraising and guide and support communications campaigns as necessary.
• Work with the Patron Services, Development staff to provide fundraising copy as necessary and with Communication staff to approve communications copy.
• Collaborate with the Director of Programming on public sector grant application planning, preparation and reporting, including applications related to future programming years.
• Prepare private funding applications and related tracking and reporting with the support of the Director of Programming.
• Collaborate with the Director of Programming on proper tracking and reporting for project- and program-specific budgets and work plans.
• Attend regular meetings with the staff and contractors (average one per week).
• Attend board or committee meetings (average 1–2 per month).

Human Resource Management:
Oversee human resources at PuSh including:

• Cultivate an organizational culture where people are motivated to do their best to help PuSh achieve its objectives, and personnel are encouraged to apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Initiate periodic HR Policy reviews with the Board.
• With the Collaborative Leadership Team, recruit, supervise (directly and indirectly) and develop the skills of permanent and contract staff.
• Initiate performance reviews with staff and personnel.
• Negotiate contracts for permanent and freelance staff.
• Oversee professional development budget.

How to Apply
Interested Candidates are encouraged to reach out to hr@pushfestival.ca if they have any questions about this position, or would like further information.

To apply, send a cover letter stating your suitability and values in relation to this posting along with a resume/cv outlining your professional experience. Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled, with a priority application date of May 23rd, 2022, 5pm PST. 

KEY DATES (subject to change):

• May 23rd, 2022 Posting Due Date – priority application date
• June 2022 Application review and interview process
• (TBA on Zoom, TBA in-person if possible)
• July/August 2022 Candidate begins (optimal start date)

PuSh Festival has formed a Search Committee including Board members and the Director of Programming.

Board Representation:

• Johnny Trinh – Board Member, Search Committee Chair
• Selena Couture – Board Member

Organizational Representation:

• Gabrielle Martin – Director of Programming 

We strongly encourage applications from members of communities that are marginalized or that experience structural discrimination including those identifying as Indigenous, people of colour, members of non-dominant ethnic, religious, linguistic, and/or cultural groups, women, (im)migrants/newcomers, people with (dis)abilities, and LGBTQ2S+ people, and we strongly encourage applicants to self-identify in their application if they feel comfortable in doing so. In order to achieve a representative team, preference may be given to applicants self-declaring as being a member of one or more of the groups identified above. PuSh believes that a staff that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve strengthens our ability to achieve our mission.

PuSh is committed to full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations.  If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process and/or to perform essential job functions, please contact hr@pushfestival.ca.