Executive Director

The Executive Director, in partnership with the Artistic Director, is a public face of Singing City in the greater Philadelphia area and co-manages a 100-person choir, a smaller teen choir, and a variety of community engagement initiatives. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is accountable for all administrative and operational aspects of the organization including budgeting, finance, marketing, fundraising, and regulatory compliance. The individual plays a leading role in the long-term cultivation of individual and institutional support to build loyalty and commitment to the Choir. The Executive Director provides guidance and staff support to the Board of Directors and supervises the work of a part-time choir/office manager.

Singing City Choir

Dr. Rollo Dilworth, Artistic & Music Director

Mission: Through Performance, Arts Education, and Fellowship, Singing City is a force for social impact, bringing people together and lifting the human spirit through the artistry of choral music.

POSITION AVAILABLE: Executive Director

Background: Singing City Choir was founded as an integrated chorus in 1948 in Philadelphia by Dr. Elaine Brown. For more than 75 years, Singing City has been Philadelphia’s premier avocational chorus, committed to bringing people together through music. It grew out of a Quaker human relations movement which believed that differences between races, religions, and cultures could be bridged by ordinary people coming together in shared activities. As an artistically driven, socially conscious, and civically engaged vocal movement, Singing City remains steadfast in its purpose of bringing people together to sing a diverse choral repertoire as a catalyst for education, community building, lifting the human spirt, and social change.  The chorus has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leningrad Philharmonic, and Israel Philharmonic, and has to its credit several critically acclaimed international concert tours and festival appearances.  In addition to producing an annual concert series at various venues around the Greater Philadelphia region, Singing City frequently collaborates with arts, civic and social organizations, sponsors Teen Voices of the City Ensemble (T-VOCE), and commissions new works by composers (particularly those who have been historically underrepresented).  In 2023, in honor of its 75th anniversary, Singing City commissioned 27 composers to write short works to create the Singing City Songbook.  The songbook plays a central role in Singing City’s commitment to audience engagement and advocacy for social justice.

Position Summary: The Executive Director, in partnership with the Artistic Director, is a public face of Singing City in the greater Philadelphia area and co-manages a 100-person choir, a smaller teen choir, and a variety of community engagement initiatives. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is accountable for all administrative and operational aspects of the organization including budgeting, finance, marketing, fundraising, and regulatory compliance. The individual plays a leading role in the long-term cultivation of individual and institutional support to build loyalty and commitment to the Choir. The Executive Director provides guidance and staff support to the Board of Directors and supervises the work of a part-time choir/office manager.

Position Description:

Management and Administration

• Partner with the Artistic Director overseeing the elements involved in presenting a four-concert season including planning, production, and audience engagement such as special displays, receptions, etc.
• Participate with the Board of Directors and the Artistic Director in the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan.
• Organize and participate in Board meetings; Provide informational materials and reports of results and plans.
• Supervise and oversee the work of the part-time Choir/Office Manager.
• As appropriate, address the Choir at rehearsals about upcoming events and other news.
• Be accountable for developing and managing the annual budget, ensuring alignment between artistic goals and financial resources.  
• Monitor financial status (cash flow, reserves, investments); work with the Treasurer and Finance Committee to make recommendations for performance improvements.
• Oversee the annual audit with outside accounting firm. Ensure compliance with contractual agreements, regulations, and laws.
• Oversee planning and administration of periodic Choir tours with a selected tour company.

Organization Advancement: Fundraising, Marketing, Community Relations

• Fundraising:
  • Lead the implementation of a multi-faceted program to expand the audience and foster individual patron relationships leading to financial support over time.
  • Lead a comprehensive fund-raising program that includes annual individual giving campaigns, legacy giving, foundation, corporate, and government grants.
  • Facilitate special fundraising events.
  • Create and implement donor and patron appreciation programs that celebrate those who support the organization.
  • Provide guidance and support for the Board in the areas of solicitation and patron/donor relations, including compelling written materials promoting the Choir and its mission.
  • Assure maintenance of an efficient, up to date patron/donor database that supports development and marketing initiatives.
• Marketing:
  • Develop and implement institutional and concert marketing plans aimed at increasing visibility and growing audiences.
  • Use a broad range of marketing communications media to reach current and potential audiences with timely, effective messages (such as social media, Email, website, video, media advertising).
  • Solicit and act on feedback from concert audiences.  
  • Be a visible and engaging host at concerts and special events.
  • Get to know individual patrons and donors to strengthen the organization’s relationships with them.
• Community Relations:
  • Develop contacts in the community such as media sources, corporate and government leaders, civic leaders, and other arts organizations to promote community awareness of Singing City and to foster networking and collaboration.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years’ experience in nonprofit arts leadership (performing arts preferred)
• Demonstrated experience with nonprofit financial and budget management
• Proven fundraising success, both individual and institutional
• Experienced in the use of current arts marketing principles; ability to generate and test new ideas.
• Excellent writing skills; ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of people.
• Comfort with public speaking and addressing large audiences.
• Demonstrated facility with requisite information technologies to perform the functions of the position.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, positive energy, and flexibility; ability to create an open environment where creative ideas and suggestions are encouraged and respected.
• Self-directed, strong work ethic, organized, skilled at prioritizing a mix of short-term and strategic goals.
• Ability to work some evenings and weekends.
• A love for choral music and an appreciation for its power to move hearts and minds.
• A passion for the underlying principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion that have defined Singing City since its creation 76 years ago. 

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $70,000 to $75,000 annually

Hours: This is a full-time position with flexible hours requiring availability for some evening and weekend events including concerts, some rehearsals, annual retreats, and Board meetings. September through May, rehearsals and most board/committee meetings take place at Friends Center on Tuesday evenings.

Paid time off, up to 3 weeks’ vacation

Location:  This is a hybrid environment. There is shared workspace and conference room availability at Friends Center, 1520 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, which is also the rehearsal location. 

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume, including two references, to  jobs@singingcity.org Deadline: January 17,2025. Please also attach a sample of something you have written in the course of your work such as a promotional brochure, advertising/promotional Email, narrative from a grant proposal, donor appeal letter, program notes, etc.