Career Listings

Positions Currently available:

Director of Marketing
Chief Development Officer

Position: Director of Marketing
Company: Houston Grand Opera
Location: Houston, Texas

Houston Grand Opera (HGO)—one of the world’s leading opera producers-- seeks a Director of Marketing to head a department responsible for the planning and management of the company’s marketing function, including subscription and single ticket sales campaigns, advertising, telemarketing, special promotions, web-based marketing, sales forecasts, budget oversight, and box office. Working closely with the communications, publications, and development functions, this position is responsible for the strategy, implementation, and evaluation of the earned revenue goals.

We seek an individual with eight years of senior level marketing experience in cultural marketing, preferably in opera; a bachelor’s or master’s degree; knowledge of and proficiency with ticketing data bases (HGO uses Tessitura) and Excel. The position requires strong interpersonal, managerial, analytical, and organizational skills. The Director of Marketing plays an important role on the strategic planning team of Houston Grand Opera and must be sufficiently familiar with the operatic repertoire and industry to be a full partner in the planning process. The annual earned revenue is approximately $4 million.

Founded in 1955, Houston Grand Opera is internationally renowned for commissioning and producing new works (forty world premieres and six American premieres since 1973) and for reaching new audiences. HGO has toured extensively, including trips to Europe and Asia, and is the only opera company to have won a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Awards. Houston Grand Opera’s productions are broadcast nationally over the WFMT Radio Network and internationally through the European Broadcasting Union and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Under the leadership of General Director Anthony Freud, Houston Grand Opera is a multi-faceted opera company with an annual budget of $20 million. Its 2010/11 season will include MADAME BUTTERFLY, PETER GRIMES, DEAD MAN WALKING, LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, and ARIADNE AUF NAXOS.  

The work environment is creative, collegial, and fast-paced. The Revenue functions of HGO are sophisticated and aim at state of the art/cutting edge strategic thinking and relationship building techniques. Some overall departmental restructuring is envisioned to heighten the interaction and compatibility of the efforts of the fund-raising, communications, and sales functions.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Excellent benefits package. Deadline for applications: Friday, July 16, 2010. Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume with a list of references and samples of marketing materials to:

Margaret Genovese,  Senior Partner
Genovese, Vanderhoof & Associates,
77 Carlton Street, Suite 1103
Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2J7. 
Fax (416) 340-6276
E-mail: gvasearch@gmail.com

For additional information: www.houstongrandopera.org. www.genovesevanderhoof.com

Houston Grand Opera is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates for employment are considered without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, national origin, sexual preference, age, non-job related disability, or marital status.

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Position: Chief Development Officer
Company: Houston Symphony
Location: Houston, Texas

Reporting to Mark C. Hanson, Executive Director/CEO, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) is the organization’s leading development professional and a key member of the senior management team.

The CDO is expected to develop a comprehensive strategy and operating plan for maximizing contributed revenue for the Symphony and then manage the implementation of the plan through to fruition.  The comprehensive plan must address all Annual, Capital and Endowment needs over the next decade, with a special focus on the operating funds required for the next four years. Currently the Development Department administers an $8 million annual campaign.    

The Houston Symphony’s base of support includes a large constituency of high net-worth individuals, with the potential to increase their levels of support when further engaged by the institution.  The strategic challenge for the CDO is to develop an embracive, major gift calls-oriented relationship-building program on top of the existing internally focused phone/mail program.

The Symphony provides an excellent opportunity for a consummate professional with an impressive campaign track record.  The CDO must inspire and manage a growing department of fourteen development professionals and engage volunteer community leaders through personal call-oriented cultivation, solicitation and stewardship techniques.    

The ideal candidate will combine the highest level of professional development knowledge and experience with strong leadership skills and managerial acumen.             Through personal example, the new development leader will need to manage the balance between sustaining effective programs and the implementation of new personal call-oriented initiatives to generate significant growth in the operating and endowment funds.

The majority of the CDO’s time and focus is split between high level personal call major gift cultivation/solicitation and the management of the development effort.  In addition, the CDO is responsible for the overall strategy and plan of the organization’s move from an annual unrestricted focus to a total giving approach that will maximize all sources of contributed revenues: unrestricted, temporarily restricted and permanently restricted. 

The Houston Symphony:

Founded in 1913, the Houston Symphony is one of America's oldest performing arts organizations, with a distinguished musical history. Each year the orchestra performs approximately 170 concerts for more than 350,000 Houstonians.

The season includes a Classical, Pops and Family Concert Series at Jones Hall, a summer series at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and Summer Symphony Nights at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The season also includes six SoundPlusVision concerts and the Summer in the City series.  The organization administers a large education program that reaches more than 40,000 students. Every summer, the orchestra tours the region with free family Sounds Like Fun! Concerts for more than13,000 Houstonians.  

Houston Symphony musicians serve the community as soloists, master class teachers and ensemble performers, lecturers, recitalists, touring and in student competitions. They also educate and entertain more than 22,000 area residents in schools, hospitals, retirement homes, shelters and community centers.

Responsibilities:

  • Plan, develop and implement strategies to meet fundraising goals. Lead staff, Board and volunteer efforts towards achieving goals for individual, corporate, foundation and government support.   
  • Manage the day-to-day operation of the Development Department.  Direct the development and implementation of department goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards. Select, supervise, develop and evaluate departmental staff; coordinate the work of the department with other departments within the Symphony.
  • Advance the Symphony’s most important relationships with key donors.   
  • Identify new sources and programs for increasing contributed revenue.
  • Implement engagement and training programs for Board and other fundraising volunteers.   
  • In consultation with the Executive Director and trustee leadership, develop and oversee long-range plans and policies for the Symphony’s auxiliary organizations and ensure their coordination with other Symphony activities.   
  • Represent the orchestra in numerous public arenas and serve as a spokesperson for the Symphony, as needed.

  • Continue personal professional development, including contributing to the field by participating in appropriate orchestra/development organizations.

Qualifications:

The CDO must represent the most senior level of professional development accomplishment with a specialization in multi-million dollar gift cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.  This individual is a respected manager/coach that stimulates others through example and Socratic leadership. He/she understands that the Development process facilitates the donor’s ability to achieve personal fulfillment through philanthropy. 

The CDO must also be an expert development planner/strategist capable of elevating the entire Houston Symphony Development Department’s capabilities to one of the best development programs in the community.

The ideal candidate:  

  • is a consummate professional with 7 to 10 years of Development experience, the ability to articulate programmatic objectives and strategically seek, with passion and integrity, support in fulfillment of the mission of the Houston Symphony;  
  • has served in a leadership position for at least three years and has extensive experience in the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gift contributors, including the closing of six and seven figure contributions;
  • holds a Bachelor’s degree; an advanced degree is preferred;
  • has extensive knowledge of:
  • fundraising principles, techniques and ethics; an understanding of annual giving, capital, endowment and comprehensive campaigns and planned giving strategies
  • the major sources of funding, including foundation, corporate, individual and government
  • trustee and volunteer engagement and encouragement;
  • possesses and demonstrates:
  • excellent writing and organizational skills
  • sound judgment and strong professional presence
  • strong leadership characteristics
  • excellent administrative and managerial skills
  • the ability to manage a number of individuals performing diverse tasks
  • a strong collaborative orientation, having partnered closely with other key functions (Marketing, Finance, etc.) on broader objectives within an organization.

The successful candidate will have the emotional intelligence to interact effectively with Board, volunteers, donors and orchestra staff at all levels as well as an ability to understand and effectively articulate the mission and goals of the symphony.

The ideal candidate might come from a notable institute of higher learning, a major hospital, a cultural institution with a sophisticated Development function, a noteworthy academic institution, or a national not for profit organization.

Knowledge of orchestras is preferred, passion for the Houston Symphony is essential

Compensation and Benefits:

A senior level package will be developed to meet the candidate’s senior level experience and capabilities.  

To Apply:

Send letters of interest and resumes no later than August 15th, 2010 by mail, fax or e-mail to:

Margaret Genovese,  Senior Partner
Genovese, Vanderhoof & Associates,
77 Carlton Street, Suite 1103
Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2J7. 
Fax (416) 340-6276
E-mail: gvasearch@gmail.com.

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