Organization

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary Season, Symphony San Jose (The Symphony) is a premier arts organization committed to the communities of San Jose and the Bay Area. Founded in 2002 as Symphony Silicon Valley, the organization has built its own artistic and inclusive identity through a broad range of popular programs. Repertory featured includes all of the symphonic classics, as well as more contemporary composers, including Gabriela Ortiz, Quinn Mason, Jennifer Higdon, and Avner Dorman.

The Symphony’s nationally recruited and locally based artists have an average performance tenure in San Jose of more than 20 years. The artists are recognized as among the best in the Bay Area. A feature of this orchestra is that it is led by a select roster of distinguished guest conductors, including JoAnn Falletta, Tito Muñoz, John Nelson, Tatsuya Shimono, and Carolyn Kuan. Recent performances have included Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream overture, and works by Corigliano. The organization also presents a subscription concert season and produces free programs for thousands of local children each year.

The organization is deeply committed to the surrounding community and performs for other popular events that range from blockbuster movies, such as Lord of the Rings, Amadeus, and Harry Potter, with live symphonic accompaniment, to San Jose State University’s 150th Anniversary Gala Concert. The Symphony is an anchor tenant of San Jose’s magnificently restored downtown California Theatre, one of Northern California’s most outstanding music halls. Performances also take place at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts and other local venues.

The organization has a nine-member board of directors led by Chair Richard Conniff. The Symphony is an example of an innovative business model in the arts. Its approach is market driven and financially conservative. The organization has low overhead and the flexibility to match its programming to its support base. In a regular year, the organization has a revenue of $3 million, approximately 60 percent earned and 40 percent contributed.

Community

With a population of more than a million residents, San Jose is the third largest city in California, the 10th largest city in the United States, and the county seat of Santa Clara County—the most affluent county in California. It is at the south end of the San Francisco Bay and is considered the “Capital of Silicon Valley.” San Jose is a vibrant city at the center of the region known worldwide as Silicon Valley.  Silicon Valley is an iconic hub of innovation, creativity, and technology—home to thousands of tech start-up companies and headquarters to many of the largest high-tech companies in the world, such as Apple, Google, Applied Materials, Intel, and Zoom.

With its Mediterranean climate and more than 300 days of sunshine each year, outdoor activities are a local favorite. San Jose features 193 regional and city parks and gardens, including 60 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and walking. In addition, San Jose’s vibrant dining scene offers a kaleidoscope of authentic global flavors with more than 250 dining and entertainment options.

Diversity is the most frequently mentioned element of San José’s culture, both as a demographic fact and as a long-held civic commitment. Two-thirds of San Jose’s residents are either foreign-born or have foreign-born parents, representing 176 of the 194 nations in the world. More than half of the adults living in Silicon Valley hold a college degree.

San José State University is part of the California State University system and offers intellectual, artistic, and commercial opportunities to its 30,000 students and the broader community. In 2020 San Jose State was named the most transformative college in the United States by Money magazine. Other nearby educational institutions include Santa Clara University, Stanford University, and the University of California Berkeley.

San Jose has one of only three Japantowns in the United States and boasts an abundance of cultural offerings and attractions, including The Tech Interactive, Winchester Mystery House, San Pedro Square Market, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose Museum of Art, and Santana Row, San Jose’s premier shopping destination. The city is home to many performing arts companies, including Opera San Jose, San José Symphonic Choir, Children’s Musical Theater San Jose, San Jose Youth Symphony, City Lights Theater Company, Tabard Theatre Company, and San Jose Stage Company.

Sources: census.gov; sanjose.org; sanjoseca.gov/home, sjsw.edu

Position Summary

Reporting to the board of directors, the General Director will provide strategic leadership and artistic management. They will oversee all of The Symphony’s artistic and business operations, including artistic planning and season programming, fundraising and donor relations, external communications, and board and community relations. The General Director will build positive relationships with a range of stakeholders, including artists, audiences, funders, staff, and board members, and will be committed to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

Role and Responsibilities

Artistic Planning and Season Programming

§  Conceive, plan, and shape an engaging season for all attendees that both honors the beloved works of the classical canon and embraces and highlights other genres.

§  Program repertoire that is accessible, encourages growth in audience development, and welcomes those from a diversity of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds within the community.

§  Identify and hire a diverse roster of guest conductors and soloists who continue to advance the level of artistic excellence.

§  Collaborate with the Artistic Committee, comprised of five musicians within the orchestra, in making all major artistic decisions.

§  Embrace other artistic and season programming responsibilities as needed.

External Relations and Community Engagement

§  Serve as a visible external ambassador—overcoming barriers of languages, culture, and traditions—to build relationships with the many constituencies and communities throughout the San Jose area.

§  Cultivate, develop, and deepen relationships with local organizations, including Opera San José, other key cultural institutions, and the business community.

§  Prioritize the growth of contributed revenue through increasing grants from foundations and corporations, cultivating relationships with individual patrons and donors, and creating fundraising events.

§  Advocate for arts education by liaising with local school districts to support and implement arts education programs in the community and enhancing programming to ensure that students of all ages attend The Symphony performances.

§  Embrace other external relations and community engagement responsibilities as needed.

Organizational Management and Board Governance

§  Conduct an organization-wide evaluation to assess and revise the organizational structure, ensuring that staff and departments are properly positioned and key administrative roles are hired.

§  Oversee the marketing department, helping to implement new and innovative marketing strategies and communication initiatives to raise earned income and increase relevance to the broader community.

§  Supervise, train, and mentor staff, ensuring that The Symphony is a safe space for all people, where diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are fully valued.

§  Expand and diversify the board of directors, keeping members regularly updated and engaged in accordance with their skills and interests.

§  Embrace other organizational management and board governance responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The General Director will be an inspiring and outgoing visionary who is able to form strong working relationships with all artists, staff, and external stakeholders. With exceptional communication and collaborative skills, they will be a flexible, adaptable leader who is committed to the arts and making music accessible to all people. As an entrepreneurial thinker, the General Director will be expansive and innovative in their approach to problem solving while having a strong sense of moral value and deep respect for all constituents.

Other key competencies include:

§  Personal Accountability and Time and Priority Management – The ability to be answerable for personal actions while prioritizing and completing tasks in order to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.

§  Interpersonal Skills and Customer Focus – The capacity to effectively communicate, build rapport, and relate well to all kinds of people while anticipating, meeting, and exceeding customer needs, wants, and expectations.

§  Decision Making – The dexterity to analyze all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.

§  Diplomacy and Teamwork – The acumen to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues while cooperating with others to meet objectives.

Qualifications

No specific degree or years of experience are required. The successful candidate will have arts administration and/or orchestral management experience, as well as deep musical knowledge across the Western classical canon and other genres. A working knowledge of Spanish and/or Mandarin is beneficial. Strong candidates will have experience in developing earned and contributed revenue, building and strengthening strategic partnerships, and demonstrating fiscal accountability. Exceptional communication skills are expected.

Compensation and Benefits

The Symphony provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with a range between $150,000 and $180,000, a bonus tied to performance, and a relocation bonus and housing assistance, if the successful candidate is not based locally. Benefits include four weeks of paid vacation per year and fully paid medical insurance, with dental, vision, and family medical available but paid for by the employee. Cost of parking is also covered.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Geoff Chang, Vice President

Arts Consulting Group

501 West Broadway, Suite A-582

San Diego, CA 92101

Tel        (888) 234.4236 Ext. 218

Email    SSJ@ArtsConsulting.com

Symphony San Jose is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diversity, equitable hiring practices, and an inclusive workplace. The Symphony is a safe environment for all its employees, committed to being free from discrimination on any grounds and from harassment of any kind.