The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra seeks a strong leader who brings a successful track record in fund-raising, excellent interpersonal skills, and the proven ability to manage and lead an organization in achieving its strategic and budgetary goals.

The Position: Executive Director & Chief Development Officer

With an energy that draws people to the organization, the Annapolis Symphony’s Executive Director and Chief Development Officer will be responsible for building upon and extending our successful development strategy, continuing to implement the Symphony’s vision, its and artistic and educational priorities, managing the human and financial resources of the organization, taking the Symphony into the community, and providing the leadership and vision to achieve the orchestra’s mission and build on its financial stability. The position reports to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Responsibilities include:

• Engaging and promoting the Symphony among an ever-widening circle of individuals, corporations, community leaders, foundations, and government agencies both state and local, to cultivate new partnerships and patrons;
• Building upon the SYMPHONY 2020 strategic framework and implementing the Symphony’s 3-year Artistic and Educational priorities;
• Nurturing and growing a donor base to successfully meet or exceed established financial goals;
• Managing all aspects of operations including personnel, marketing, budgeting, and financial management as well as overseeing labor relations and contract negotiations;
• Managing all aspects of concert production, including Masterworks, Pops, Chamber Series and Family concerts;
• Establishing a solid working relationship with the Board of Trustees, Music Director, Symphony staff and the Friends of the Annapolis Symphony (FASO);
• Working with the Board to design a multi-year comprehensive campaign, with the support of the Development Committee, to encompass multiple streams of philanthropic investment, including annual, restricted, planned and endowment giving.
• Working in partnership with Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) to promote the educational priorities and, working with its Director, oversee the direction of the Annapolis Symphony Academy (www.tunedtoyouth.org.)

Qualifications

• At least five years of senior management experience in a non-profit organization, including a minimum 3 years experience in successfully designing and leading development strategies and fundraising efforts of a major non-profit;
• A love for and dedication to raising funds personally, especially cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and transformational gifts;
• Proven leadership ability and measurable experience in fundraising, public relations, marketing, audience development and increasing earned revenue;
• Strong strategic thinking; the ability to deliver results that meet or exceed target goals;
• Experience working in or managing a comprehensive, capital, or endowment campaign;
• Solid financial management and budgeting skills within non-profit organizations;
• Superb interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively motivate the Board, staff and volunteers to achieve the orchestra’s mission;
• Understanding of and ability to build, nurture and sustain positive relationships with all patrons and donors -- and the ability to translate that into sustained and growing financial support;
• A love for classical music and an ability to communicate its importance persuasively to a broad range of audiences;
• Working knowledge of orchestral music, production, and operations helpful but not critical;
• Understanding of issues and challenges facing symphony orchestras, especially in small-to-medium sized communities;
• A reputation for integrity, high energy, strong interpersonal skills and a strong work ethic.

Compensation

Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Annapolis Symphony offers a competitive benefits package to its employees, including health insurance and paid annual vacation.

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The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra www.annapolissymphony.org 

Based in Maryland’s capital and regularly performing at the newly renovated Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is the largest performing arts organization in the city. It is a fully-professional, part-time, union orchestra. As

such, the Symphony has taken a leadership role in promoting excellence, innovation, and education. It offers a variety of concerts each year, including a series of five pairs of Masterworks concerts (Friday and Saturday nights), one of which is also performed at the Music Center at Strathmore, a four-concert Chamber Series, two Pops concerts (Labor Day in the Park and Holiday), family and school concerts, and a wide variety of educational outreach activities, residencies and special events. The orchestra regularly collaborates with other major organizations throughout the region, including the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs and the Annapolis Opera. In 2018, the Symphony launched the Annapolis Symphony Academy, an educational program that identifies and nurtures musical talent in youth in an environment of artistic excellence, as well as economic and cultural diversity.

The Annapolis Symphony’s artistic excellence has grown significantly under the leadership of Music Director and Conductor José-Luis Novo, now in his fifteenth season. In 2019, the Symphony was named an Affiliate organization at the Music Center at Strathmore. Some highlights during Maestro Novo’s tenure include the 2019 appearance at the Music Center at Strathmore with the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Clubs, performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In 2018, the Symphony’s performance of Martinu’s Concerto for Oboe was broadcast nationally on the public radio program Performance Today. In 2011, the ASO was one of two orchestras nationwide selected to receive a two- year Music Alive Composer-In-Residence grant, through which it engaged Latin Grammy Award-winning composer Gabriela Frank for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

The Annapolis Symphony is governed by a 20-member Board of Trustees and, in addition to its Music Director, employs a professional staff of four full-time and three part-time. Its professional ensemble of approximately 70 contracted musicians operates under a collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Musicians, Baltimore Local 40-543; a new 3-year agreement, effective July 1, 2019 was recently ratified. The annual operating budget is $1.8 million. The ASO also holds a significant endowment. It has balanced its budget for the last two years, while increasing the size of the budget by 50%, and has a robust program of major giving to fund new initiatives.