Executive Director – Sonoran Glass School

Position Details
Position: Executive Director
Organization: Sonoran Glass School (SGS): A 501(c)3 non-profit, public-access educational organization
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Reports to: The Board of Directors
Salary: $70,000 – 80,000 per annum plus benefits, depending on experience

To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, and three references to toapply@sonoranglass.org by December 2, 2024

Job Responsibilities

1. Fundraising/Development: Create a development plan; major gifts fundraising, grant management, capital campaigns, and fundraising events.
2. Marketing and Public Relations: Raise the visibility of the school through traditional and social media; oversee internal staff and outside marketing firm.
3. Management: Manage leadership staff and create a culture of collaboration among staff, contract instructors, and volunteers; formulate and implement policies and procedures; work with the board of directors.
4. Human Resources: Hire, manage, assess, and promote the professional development of staff and faculty.
5. Finances: Understand balance sheets and financial reports; manage and grow the financial health of the school; prepare yearly budget with leadership staff.
6. Diversity: Dedication to increasing the diversity of students and staff.
7. Support of Glass Artists: Commit to developing and growing the local community of artists.
8. Community Engagement: Collaborate with other arts organizations, reach out to potential community partners, and represent SGS in Tucson and with the national glass arts community.
9. Health and Safety: Maintain legal and regulatory compliance; ensure that all occupational safety regulations and procedures are followed.
10. Facility Management: Oversee the current facilities’ needs and future expansion.
11. Proven experience in upper management at a non-profit.
12. Marketing experience.
13. Visual arts background with glass experience a plus.
14. Business and/or finance experience.
15. Arts administration experience.
16. Facility management and/or real estate experience.
17. Public speaking skills.

About the School
Sonoran Glass School (SGS) has been a center for glass artists, students, and community members who wish to experience the wonders of glass art since 2001. We actively engage established and emerging artists of all ages and abilities. Our educational programs nurture creativity and communication, encourage creative expression, and amplify the role of glass art and artists in building community. Our curriculum includes the disciplines of glass blowing, torch working, fusing, and cold working in four distinct studios for glass arts. We serve the general public with beginning and intermediate courses, semester-long courses for college credit, facilities for professional glass artists, workshops by visiting artists, corporate team-building programs, and community outreach events and education.

Located in Tucson, Arizona, Sonoran Glass School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public-access educational organization with an annual operating budget of around $500k. Sonoran Glass School is currently poised for expansion. The Executive Director must be comfortable working in a unique artistic environment, be an experienced fundraiser, and be prepared to manage a major facility expansion. Truly an opportunity for the future, this is an exciting moment to be part of the legacy of the glass world in the Southwest.

About Tucson
Arizona has long inspired artists who have been drawn to the Sonoran Desert, while The Wall Street Journal has described Tucson as “a mini mecca for the arts.” In one of the fastest growing areas of the US, Tucson has a more affordable cost of living than many metropolitan areas. Tucson’s art scene offers outstanding museums and galleries, an extensive filmmaking history, a vibrant music scene, a world-class university, and rich food traditions as the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy designated in the U.S. With a population of approximately one million in the metropolitan area, the city embraces a blend of cultures, producing its own unique perspective and aesthetic.