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NYC Arts in Education Roundtable

Managing Director

Salary: $72,000 to $78,000

Type of Position:

Job Type:
Hybrid

Application Post Date:

Application Deadline: March 15, 2023

About Our Organization

Waterwell (www.waterwell.org) is a group of artists, educators and producers dedicated to telling engrossing stories that deliberately wrestle with complex civic questions in unexpected ways.

Waterwell creates productions that are creatively daring and emotionally potent to cultivate connections across real and perceived divides; trains young artists and educators to create work with an artist-as-citizen ethos as the foundation of their creative process; uses an evolving set of producing practices that are influenced by the principles of community organizing as part of an investigation into how storytelling can have the most relevance in efforts to create a more just and humane society. Waterwell’s projects manifest in more than one medium, but everything the company makes is infused with love for the immediacy of live performance.

Waterwell is committed to creating an inclusive community of mutual respect where anti-racist and anti-oppression principles guide our decision-making and the organization’s culture. The company is committed to working with kindness and integrity.

Job Position Summary

The Managing Director (MD) will be part of a co-leadership model alongside Artistic Director (AD) and Education Director (ED). The MD will report directly to the board via the Board Chair.

The Managing Director plays a vital role in the day-to-day operations of the organization and takes a leading role in development, finance, communication, and general management activities.

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Manage financial and human resources systems for the organization which currently has a budget hovering just above $1 million and a full-time staff of 5, along with 12-18 part-time educators, and a significant number of freelance directors, designers, and production staff for the shows at Waterwell Drama Program and for the company’s professional productions.
  • Monitor operations and ensure employees and business practices comply with regulatory and legal requirements.
  • Alongside AD and ED, provide leadership to staff that creates the conditions for a positive and productive work environment that fosters transparency and collaboration throughout the organization.
  • Alongside AD, ED, and Board, serve as a key participant in fundraising strategy to ensure Waterwell has the resources to fulfill its mission, programming commitments and goals for growth.
  • In collaboration with AD and ED, devise innovative producing models to ensure that Waterwell’s commitment to artistically daring, community-centric programming remains financially sustainable.
  • Collaborate with the AD, ED, and Board on short-term and long-term strategic plans to actualize mission objectives.
  • Alongside AD, ED and Board, engage with and actively lead new and ongoing initiatives to implement anti-racist practices and policies in all aspects of the organizations work, involving staff and a wide range of stakeholders to support equal access, well-being, and a sense of belonging.
  • Meet with board on a quarterly basis and collaborate with board members as needed in their work on board sub-committees (Executive, Education, Governance, Finance, Development).
  • Invest in and cultivate collegial and collaborative relationships with the Board Chair, board members, staff and partnership colleagues.
  • Maintain and build relationships with partners, stakeholders, donors and advocates.
  • Serve as a principal public voice and impassioned ambassador for the organization, both locally in NYC and nationally.

BUSINESS + FINANCE OPERATIONS

  • Manage organizational budget and cash flow.
  • Process bi-weekly payroll for staff, interns, teaching artists, freelance artists, and technicians.
  • Pay bills, handle invoicing, and collect money due to Waterwell.
  • Track and manage cashflow.
  • Manage part-time bookkeeper entering transactions into QuickBooks.
  • Ensure completion of the annual audit for each fiscal year
  • Manage project budgets and support artistic decision-making.
  • Report on the financial status of the organization to the Board of Directors.

FUNDRAISING

  • Collaborate with Board Chair, AD and Development Manager to strategize about individual giving and donor cultivation.
  • Alongside AD, support and mentor Development Manager in higher level fundraising work.
  • Contribute to the execution of annual fundraising giving campaigns (most notably the December giving campaign, smaller programmatic campaigns in the Spring, and End of Year campaign in June).
  • Contribute budget information for grant applications.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

  • Manage contracts, including distribution of core HR materials to all new part-time andfull-time hires, and support Education Director with agreements for artists working in the school season.
  • Support the contracting and negotiation process for new professional productions, incollaboration with the AD and the organization’s pro-bono legal team.
  • Coordinate with Actors’ Equity and any other relevant unions for the development andproduction of new work.

COMMUNICATIONS

  • Collaborate with Communications Intern, Education Staff and AD to develop andmanage the communications calendar for social media posts and e-blasts. This will sometimes overlap with Fundraising campaigns, and ideally the person in this position can help coordinate work between those teams.
  • Take a leading role in crafting public messaging about Waterwell and its projects, collaborating with AD, ED, and board on crafting messaging.

How to Apply

To apply, please send an email with your resume and a cover letter sharing why you are interested in this position to info@waterwell.org with “Managing Director Application / Your Name” in the subject line. If you are looking for more information about the position, please email with the subject line “Managing Director Interest / Your Name” and we will get back to you with the full breakdown PDF.

Waterwell is committed to creating an inclusive community of mutual respect where anti-racist and anti-oppression principles guide our decision-making and the organization’s culture. We are currently evaluating how our stated intentions align with the outcomes created by our decisions and identifying actions that will make those goals a reality in the short-term and long-term. We believe that having a staff of artists, teaching artists, and administrators that is racially equitable and represents a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences is essential to fulfilling our mission. Equal employment opportunities are available to all. Applicants from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national social or ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression, age, physical, mental or sensory disability, veteran status, and family or parental status. To read more about Waterwell’s Commitment to Anti-Racism, visit our website here: www.waterwell.org/anti-racism