General Manager

The primary responsibility for the General Manager (GM) will be to ensure the organized, effective management of all operations, administration and financial areas of PS21. In addition, the GM will develop and realize a functional organization plan to appropriately staff for the smooth, sustainable operation of PS21.

The Organization: PS21

PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance, located in the Hudson Valley, presents innovative programming by leading and emerging artists in music, dance, theater, contemporary performance and the visual and multimedia arts. Our campus is nestled among farmlands and sits on one hundred acres of open space, wooded trails and apple orchards. Since the state-of-the-art, 300 seat flexible-configuration theater was inaugurated in 2018, PS21 has evolved into the Hudson Valley’s mecca for new programming, fostering creativity and community engagement through residencies and collaborations between performers across disciplines and genres.
PS21 has garnered the reputation as “a Hudson Valley outpost of the avant-garde” (The New York Times, June 2022).
PS21 has created PATHWAYS: Blazing Trails to a Sustainable Future, an ambitious, multi-faceted series of spectacle, performances, art installations, educational workshops, international contemporary circus, and participatory events designed for young and old, individuals and families, all offered for free or at very low cost.
We invite everyone to explore and engage at the intersection of nature, community and the arts. We reach broad audiences and provide the surrounding region with opportunities for arts engagement regardless of economic status, cultural background or age. In our new, green facility, PS21 offers resident makers and performers the tools and flexibility for successful innovation and collaboration in the development of sophisticated, multi-media work.

Our Executive & Artistic Director Elena Siyanko is an internationally recognized curator, producer and leader in the arts. Our annual operating budget is approximately $1,000,000 with a goal to double this amount within five years.

General Manager

Position Overview

The primary responsibility for the General Manager (GM) will be to ensure the organized, effective management of all operations, administration and financial areas of PS21. In addition, the GM will develop and realize a functional organization plan to appropriately staff for the smooth, sustainable operation of PS21. In these efforts, the GM will work in partnership with the Executive & Artistic Director (EAD), who serves as artistic and strategic leader, and directly with the Board. It is a time of rapid growth for PS21, not just in our innovative, international programming, but also in the areas of facilities and capital projects. The GM will be charged with overseeing plans for the care and maintenance of our state-of-the-art, world-class venue, its several artist residence houses and studio barn, and its 100+ acres of grounds, orchard and walking paths. Further, the GM will oversee and manage planned capital improvement projects. The GM will identify additional revenue generating opportunities, exploring commercial rental opportunities and other possibilities.

In Administration, the GM will work with the Board and the EAD to create sustainable financial plans, including capital planning, and ensure compliance with HR policies to ensure a safe, healthy working environment for all employees.

Institutional grants have been an important source of funding for PS21, and institutional advancement will be a critical component of PS21’s growth. The GM will collaborate with the EAD, Development Manager and the Board to develop and execute strategies in this area.

Additionally, expertise in marketing would be a welcome competency, to help support the financial sustainability of PS21. This position reports primarily to the Executive & Artistic Director, with areas of direct report to the Board.

Specific Responsibilities

First and foremost, the GM and EAD must build a deep, effective and positive working relationship, mutually supportive of each other’s areas of responsibility.

Administrative Objectives

• Develop multi-year financial goals, annual budgets and cash-flow projections, ensuring financial compliance and accountability; develop capital budgets and multiyear projections and support a capital campaign.
• In collaboration with the Director of Operations (DO), manage all facilities to ensure their sustainability and program advantages where possible.
• Work with the DO to manage construction contracts and contractors relating both to ongoing maintenance of facilities and to capital projects; maintain budgets and required reporting to grantors for capital projects.
• Expand our revenue opportunities through off-season and other space rental opportunities.
• Work with the EAD and the Board to develop and realize a staffing plan for the ongoing success of the organization and to attract and retain talent.
• Maintain performance appraisal and staff management processes to ensure employee accountability, professional growth and succession plans.
• Create and realize a plan to advance technology initiatives across the organization that are in alignment with current and future trends in the field.

Institutional Advancement Goals

• Advance institutional fundraising efforts and support capital campaign projects to ensure the financial sustainability of PS21.
• Work with the Development Manager to develop annual and long-term fundraising plans and supervise their implementation.
• Partner with the Board as appropriate to increase this income stream.
• Support revenue and audience engagement goals through broadening awareness of PS21’s impact and mission and increasing the visibility of its landscape and programs locally, regionally, and (inter)nationally.

Community Engagement

• Together with the Director of Operations, steward relationships with local government, organizations and businesses who provide ongoing support to our programs.
• Collaborate with the EAD to secure foundational and other funding pipelines for our Community Engagement programs.
• Work with the EAD to successfully produce all mainstage and Community Engagement programming.

Qualifications Overview

The General Manager will have had significant experience leading the administration and operations of a performing arts organization, with demonstrated success managing staff. Further, the candidate should have proven, solid fiscal and business acumen, including experience in capital planning, budgeting and financial compliance and accountability: planning, forecasting and reporting.

• The GM must have demonstrated expertise implementing the types of programs that will support the financial sustainability of PS21 as the organization progresses into its future.
• The GM must have experience working with institutional funders and writing or managing grant applications.
• The ideal candidate must appreciate both PS21’s international edge and its commitment to the local community; in addition, they must be passionate about advancing the PS21 mission and its cutting-edge programming.

Compensation & Job Requirements

• This is a full-time, exempt, permanent position, with an annual salary range of $80,000-$95,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• This position reports primarily to the Executive & Artistic Director, with areas of direct report to the Board.
• Competitive benefits package offered.
• This position is primarily in-person at PS21 in beautiful Chatham, NY. The GM will need to reside within commuting distance.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and list of references to info@ps21chatham.org on or before February 29, 2024.

Cover letters should reference the General Manager position and relevant experience, qualifications and personal drive, the ability to work independently and in teams and excellence planning and implementing organizational change.

PS21 is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome candidates who will bring a broad spectrum of cultural, ethnic, national, and international perspectives to PS21’s work and campus communities. We encourage all to apply, as diversity across our staff’s race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military status, disability status, marital or domestic partnership status, parental status, and all other identities is vital to our organization.

Find us @PS21CHATHAM on:
Instagram | Facebook | Youtube