President & CEO

The New Jersey Symphony is seeking its next President & CEO to lead the organization and help prepare it for a new era of music in the Garden State. This role oversees the entire Symphony and will evaluate all activities while ensuring great music for patrons and promoting growth within the orchestra. The selected candidate will be responsible for sustaining the lifechanging impact of the orchestra and leading the Symphony through all major projects, including the organization’s eventual move to its newest headquarters at the Symphony Center in Jersey City.

Status: Full Time, Exempt
Reports to: Co-Chairs, Board of Trustees
Direct Reports: Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Artistic Planning, Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Marketing & External Affairs, Vice President of Development, Vice President of Education & Community Engagement, Chief of Staff & Board Liaison
Location: Newark, NJ

About the New Jersey Symphony

Scope and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, through the Co-Chairs, the President & CEO directs, plans, and evaluates all major activities of the New Jersey Symphony. The President & CEO works closely with the Music Director, the VP of Artistic Planning, and the Artistic Advisory Committee to ensure that the highest quality music is presented with a diverse range of programs relevant to Symphony’s constituents and to contemporary life. The President & CEO works collaboratively with all internal stakeholders to ensure the future health and growth of the orchestra. The President & CEO is the key external representative and spokesperson of the organization to many of the major individual donors, the business community, philanthropic and community partners, media and to the government. Overall, the President & CEO plays a critical role in elevating and sustaining the lifechanging impact of the Symphony.

Specific Responsibilities

• Represent the Symphony externally throughout New Jersey and the metropolitan area and, along with the Music Director, act as a visible spokesperson for the orchestra;
• With the assistance and collaboration of the VP of Development, serve as the front-line fundraiser for the organization, ensuring the continued success of the annual giving, planned giving, and other special campaigns;
• Drive the new strategic plan, partnering with and directing the Board and senior leaders in achieving extraordinary outcomes;
• Oversee the Jersey City relocation, liaising with the City, developer, and project manager to ensure the new Symphony Center is opened on time and on budget;
• With the assistance and collaboration of the VP of Marketing & External Affairs, oversee the execution of a long-term, strategic marketing effort that capitalizes on the brand of the Symphony and results in increased subscription and individual ticket sales;
• With the CFO and the Finance Committee of the Board, develop the annual budget and set policies that result in sound fiscal management and operations;
• Deepen the Symphony’s position as a catalyst for engaging future generations of music lovers by maintaining and extending the organization’s nationally recognized ECE programs guided by the VP of Education and Community Engagement;
• Work closely with the Board Governance Committee to recruit and introduce new board members to the Symphony and ensure current Trustees remain engaged;
• Maintain the Symphony’s culture of collaboration among musicians, board, and staff;
• Sustain the Symphony’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as critical to the future success of the organization;
• Oversee the hiring and management of the administrative staff through supervision of the department heads;
• With the Vice President of Operations, work in a collaborative fashion with the musicians on individual and collective matters, including union contracts and labor activities;
• Through example, ensure that the Symphony is a continual learning organization, striving for excellence in all of its internal and external activities;
• Communicate regularly with professional colleagues in the New Jersey arts community and share information and current trends involving American symphony orchestras;
• Keep current with existing and emerging artists and repertoire.

Key Selection Criteria

The next President & CEO of the New Jersey Symphony must be a strategic and visionary leader with the requisite depth and breadth of experience and track record of success in nonprofit arts management to immediately understand and seamlessly assume responsibility for the varied and complex functions of this position. This person must demonstrate a keen skill and desire to be the chief fundraiser for the organization and comfortably and effectively represent the Symphony to a broad set of audiences and stakeholders. This person must have an acute understanding of the unique and intricate business model and collective bargaining dynamics of the American symphony organization to expertly interpret financial data and make sound decisions. An inspiring and motivating manager, this person must collaborate with and maximize the potential of each team member. Ideally, this person will have direct experience with capital construction projects and exhibit a high level of competency in optimizing the earned revenue capacity of a performance hall. A knowledge of classical music repertoire is a plus; a love for the art form is a must.

Personal and Professional Attributes

• Visionary thinker combined with a practical approach to problem solving
• Comfortable and confident as the face of an organization, visible in the community
• Strategic mind with an openness toward innovation, creativity, and boundary testing
• Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and personally aligned with the mission of NJS
• Demonstrated integrity and impeccable personal ethics
• Poised, polished, and diplomatic with exceptional emotional intelligence
• Knows when to pivot and when to drive forward regardless of adversity
• Synthesizes and interprets data quickly while maintaining sight of “the forest for the trees”
• Charismatic leader with ability to inspire, empower, and unify teams
• Indefatigably optimistic and endlessly enthusiastic

Contact Information

Phil DeBoer
DHR Global Partner
Miami, FL
786.558.2636
pdeboer@dhrglobal.com

James Abruzzo
DHR Global Vice Chairman
New York, NY
973.885.5447
jabruzzo@dhrglobal.com

Emma Kemper
DHR Global Associate
Denver, CO
720.262.7574
ekemper@dhrglobal.com

Connie Medina
DHR Global Executive Assistant
New Jersey
551.299.2550
cmedina@dhrglobal.com