Presented Programming Manager

DEPARTMENT:  Artistic; Presented Programming 

REPORTS TO:  Director of Presented Programming

PAY: $70,000 - $80,000; Full-time; Annual; Exempt (Not eligible for overtime)

BENEFITS INCLUDE:  Medical, vision, and dental insurance; paid time off (PTO), sick leave, and holiday time; flexible spending and health savings accounts; employer-sponsored life, long-term, and short-term disability insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution and match, access to free parking, and various perks.

LOCATION & SCHEDULE:  This is an in-person position reporting to 91 University Place, in Princeton, NJ, with a schedule largely based on the performance calendar and other departmental needs. This may include evenings, weekends, and holidays, as scheduled in advance.

START DATE: This position will be filled as soon as possible.

 

POSITION & RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions & Duties:

Artist Contracting:

Collaborate with the DPP to draft offer letters and develop budgets for prospective performances.

Review and amend artist contracts and riders, ensuring alignment with Production, Marketing, Front of House, and Patron Services teams.

Track all bonding documents related to performances, ensuring timely execution of contracts and riders.

Collect and process payment documents (e.g., deposits, balances, bonuses, buyouts), ensuring all payments are completed on time.

Prepare and issue settlement sheets for performances when necessary.

Provide testimonial letters and assist international artists with work visa applications and tax withholding when required.

Partnership Management:

Work with internal departments to plan and execute "performance plus" events (e.g., pre-show talks, meet-and-greets, photo ops).

Identify and negotiate educational opportunities, overseeing select engagement events such as school visits and workshops in collaboration with other departments.

Promptly distribute event information to partners and internal teams to ensure all parties are well informed and aligned.

Serve as the main point of contact for artist relations at engagement events.

Issue invoices and ensure timely payments from partners, including cultural institutions and Princeton University.

Advance & Artist Relations:

Maintain and update artist contact information, ensuring accurate distribution across departments.

Collaborate with the Stage Operations team to support production advances as needed.

Coordinate with the Company Manager to support artist hospitality, accommodation, and travel logistics.

Liaise with Patron Services team to arrange artist comp tickets as required.

Provide weekly performance details to internal departments for scheduled events.

Act as the primary contact for additional artist relations support.

Marketing Coordination:

Create New Event Forms ("ticket build" forms) and ensure timely input from relevant departments.

Coordinate artist pre-sales through platforms like Seated.com in collaboration with internal teams.

Assist the DPP and Marketing team in projecting ticket sales for upcoming performances.

Facilitate communication between artist representatives and the Marketing team to gather promotional assets.

Distribute McCarter promotional materials to artists (e.g., e-flyers).

Review and proofread promotional content related to the Presented Series.

General Responsibilities:

Support the DPP in shaping the vision for the Presented Series, with opportunities for creative input.

Maintain a comprehensive event overview for each Presented Series performance, ensuring all details are accounted for and thoroughly addressed.

Cultivate professional relationships with artists, agents, and managers, responding to inquiries promptly.

Assist the DPP with budget reconciliation for the Presented Series.

Support the DPP in negotiating rentals with external promoters.

Help the DPP with narratives and budget details for grant applications and reports.

Respond to general programming inquiries via email and phone.

Prioritize safe working practices while embodying McCarter's safety and code of conduct policies to maintain a secure environment for all staff and guest artists.

Participate in the work to make McCarter an anti-racist theater. Actively seek ways to improve our work practices to make the Artistic department more equitable and inclusive, while upholding and exhibiting our stated values of “justice and joy, beauty and belonging.”

Qualifications:

Relevant, meaningful experience in a professional non-profit arts or music industry organization.

Proven track record of excellence in project management and event production.

Demonstrated experience in negotiation and contract management.

Natural team player who excels in cross-departmental collaboration, anticipating needs, and fostering a cooperative work environment.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, high-energy setting, with problem-solving skills and quick decision-making.

Exceptional organizational, fiscal, time management, and communication skills, and meticulous attention to detail.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly in Outlook and Excel.

Exceptional diplomacy, interpersonal, and teamwork skills; a proven track record of building and nurturing relationships with artists and colleagues alike.

A collaborative mindset, with the ability to work harmoniously with individuals from diverse backgrounds, personalities, and work styles, always approaching challenges with optimism, civility, and a solutions-oriented approach.

Exhibit a critical consciousness and genuine interest in promoting equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace values and practices while working with individuals of diverse needs, personalities, and work styles, and employing an optimistic and solution-oriented mindset towards fostering inclusivity and support within the team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Proximity to the Princeton area, or a willingness to move to the Princeton area, will be considered a strong positive.

The ideal candidate will embody an enthusiasm for live performing arts, with interest in supporting and elevating the work of global artists across many disciplines.

Work Environment:

Led by our core values, McCarter fosters and expects a culture of care and respect for the wellbeing of our staff. We seek individuals who share our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace, where diverse perspectives are valued and respected.

Work will primarily be completed in a shared office space in our administrative office spaces, subject to HVAC cooling and heating.

Availability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends, and to travel locally as needed to attend performances for scouting purposes.

This position entails extended periods of sitting, manual dexterity for operating office equipment, and the ability to read and interpret documents, engaging in repetitive tasks, standing, walking, bending, and reaching within the office environment.

Employees may be asked to use a personal cell phone in order to access authenticator apps and related software necessary for work credentials/multi-factor authentication (MFA). Applicants should be comfortable using their personal devices for these purposes as part of their job responsibilities, as workarounds cannot be guaranteed in order to access certain platforms.

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at any time at the sole discretion of McCarter.

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

McCarter is one of the country's flagship theatres, a vibrant center for community and for the performing arts, and a key cultural anchor for Central New Jersey. Located on the campus of Princeton University and incorporated as an independent, charitable nonprofit, the company is a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub of arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages.

A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence traces back to the theatre’s first performances in 1930. A home for new play development and world premieres, the company has launched numerous works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances reaching millions of audience members around the world.

Among the 100,000 community members who directly participate in the company’s work every year, more than 7,500 are students taking part in McCarter’s robust arts-in-education offerings. The company offers more than 20 annual in-school residencies in classrooms in Princeton and Trenton, hosts schools from throughout the region for student matinee performances, and offers need-based scholarships to every one of its dozens of educational after-school and summer programs each year. Co-led by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen and Executive Director Martin Miller, McCarter leads with values of “justice and joy, and beauty in belonging,” creating stories and experiences that enliven minds, expand imaginations, and engage communities.

The work of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is made possible through the generous support of committed individuals and institutions.