Long Beach Opera seeks an Executive Director who will manage all operations, including marketing, development and production. The Executive Director reports directly to the board of trustees and is responsible for strategy, ensuring the long-term sustainability of LBO. While the Artistic Director and Chief Creative Officer reports to the Executive Director, it is expected that there will be a close collaborative relationship in decision making.

The Organization

Founded in 1979, Long Beach Opera (LBO) is the LA Metro area’s first professional opera company, with a focus on site-specific productions of unusual and rarely performed works, both classical and contemporary. LBO seeks to reach, and shape, a new audience by premiering and commissioning work that expands the boundaries of the operatic form. LBO reimagines operatic classics in ways that reflect contemporary realities, making these works accessible and relevant. Our anchor arts programs include three fully staged productions each year, along with an annual film festival and Opera@School, which produces children’s operas in Long Beach public schools.

LBO’s approach to performance helps to build and launch careers that matter. Our programming reflects the diversity of the Southern California audience, and the artists whose work we present come from the many communities that make up the LA metro area. As an artist-centered organization, we engage the artistic community by seeking out and working with emerging local artists and offering mentoring on all aspects of composition, design and production.

James Darrah, who is also the Director of UCLA’s Opera Program, is LBO’s Artistic Director and Chief Creative Officer. Christopher Rountree, who is also the Artistic Director of Wild Up, is the Music Director.

A member of Opera America, LBO’s annual budget has ranged from $1.5 to $1.9 million in recent years.

Position Responsibilities

Strategic Vision and Financial Oversight
• Collaborate with the Artistic Director and Music Director on season planning, budget development, and ensuring that all artistic and financial decisions will advance organizational goals.
• Work with board members, staff and external constituents to develop a long-range strategic plan for the company.
• Monitor financial performance by developing and managing budgets, identifying new revenue sources, controlling expenses and overseeing financial processes to support decision-making and ensure long-term fiscal health.
• Supervise the preparation and presentation of detailed financial reports and Issue regular updates, reports and strategic guidance to the Board of Directors.
• Work with financial team and senior artistic and production leaders to develop strategies to enhance revenue generation.

Organizational Effectiveness and Revenue Enhancement
• Recruit and supervise key senior team members, fostering a culture of accountability, empowerment and continuous professional growth within the organization.
• Cultivate a supportive organizational culture where staff members feel a strong sense of belonging, trust and shared purpose, encourage collaboration and innovation.
• Seek out new and renewed sources of contributed income, with a particular focus on individual donors and production-specific funding, while motivating board members to leverage their networks and skills.
• Embrace organizational diversity, equity inclusion and accessibility initiatives across all administrative and artistic decisions.

Community Leadership and Educational Engagement
• Serve as a public spokesperson and ambassador, raising awareness and support for the organization’s activities and promoting LBO and its mission. Form relationships with elected officials, state and local government agencies and other community leaders.
• Create opportunities for collaborations with local and regional partners to raise the visibility and cultural presence of LBO.
• Collaborate with the Opera@School team to promote Long Beach Opera’s presence and revenue-generating possibilities with local school districts.
• Direct and expand LBO’s opportunities to engage with more diverse audiences.

Organizational and Administrative Leadership
• Supervise and manage direct reports, including the Directors of Development, Marketing, Production, Administration, and Artistic Production, and consultants as needed.
• Oversee the hiring, supervision and mentoring of all administrative staff, providing opportunities for professional development and growth to support employee engagement, satisfaction and a high level of performance.
• Manage board relations through effective communication, ensuring that board members are fully engaged while identifying and recruiting new board members as part of the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Traits and Characteristics

The Executive Director will be an entrepreneurial, adventurous and strategic leader who leads with creativity and pragmatism. With a collaborative approach to problem-solving, they will be an effective and transparent communicator who is able to resolve conflict and handle challenging situations calmly and with compassion. Embracing a public-facing role, they will be a natural collaborator who forms strong working relationships internally and throughout the community.

Other key competencies include:

Leadership and Teamwork – the ability to organize and influence people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction.

Personal Accountability and Interpersonal Skills – the capacity to be answerable for personal actions while effectively communicating, building rapport, and relating well to all kinds of people.

Diplomacy and Negotiation – the dexterity to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues while listening to many points of view and facilitating agreements between two or more parties.

Goal Orientation – the acumen to set, pursue and attain goals in the face of obstacles or difficult circumstances.

Qualifications

The Executive Director will bring demonstrated leadership experience, ideally with significant experience in opera, music or theater production and administration. A proven track record of success in fiscal understanding and accountability, fundraising and strategic partnership building is essential. They should exhibit exceptional written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including artists, staff, board members, donors, and community partners. The Executive Director will possess a deep commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. No specific number of years of experience or specific educational credential are required, but love and knowledge of opera, new music and/or theatre is desirable.

Salary: $125,000 – $175,00, annually

Benefits: Health Benefits
Vacation

Education requirements: None.

Deadline to apply: April 14, 2025

Documents required to apply: Resume, cover letter, references.

How to apply: Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following items for consideration by April 14, 2025:

• Cover letter
• Current resumé
• Names and contact information for three professional references

All documents should be in .pdf format and include the candidates’ name as part of the file name. Submissions should be made to Amaridis Quintana via email at aquintana@longbeachopera.org.