Colorado Conservatory of Dance Seeks an Executive Director

The Position

This is a unique opportunity for the right person to make a significant contribution to the growth of an

important and respected arts education organization.

The Executive Director is responsible for the overall management and development of the organization.

This individual, working closely with the Artistic Director and the Board, will identify and guide the

implementation of goals and strategies that ensure CCD’s artistic vitality and financial stability. This will

include identifying and cultivating new Board members and organizing the Board’s activities in support

of effective governance, fundraising, and advocacy.

The Executive Director will actively seek and cultivate strategic partnerships to bolster CCD’s Community

Education programs and initiatives and the overall viability, reach, and diversity of the organization.

The Executive Director will oversee the organizational objectives by each department, including

fundraising, financial management, marketing, and operations.

The Executive Director will maintain a highly visible presence in Broomfield/Denver, CO and surrounding

communities while promoting an atmosphere of open communication and stakeholder engagement.

Who We’re Looking For

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will work alongside CCD Artistic

Director Julia Wilkinson Manley in leading the professional staff to deliver superior programs and achieve

the long-term goals of the organization.

CCD’s Executive Director will be resourceful, driven by practical results and by the return on investment

of time, talent, energy, and resources. Receptive to new ideas and opportunities for learning and growth,

the Executive Director will be collaborative and have a competitive drive for excellence. Socially engaged

and people-oriented, the Executive Director will maintain an ongoing community presence, exude

confidence, and have boundless energy to deliver superior programs and services. This individual will

maintain the highest ethical standards and serve as a model of integrity throughout the region.

Other key competencies include the following:

● Leadership and Decision Making – A results-oriented and self-directed entrepreneur with the

ability to create and implement fundraising, marketing, and operating plans.

● Project Management and Personal Accountability – A conceptual, strategic, and practical

thinker who possesses a solid understanding of the factors that contribute to organizational

success and community impact for an arts education organization operating in a competitive arts

and culture market.

● Interpersonal Skills and Customer/Donor Focus – An individual with strong interpersonal and

communication skills who can articulate CCD’s vision and priorities and mobilize the board, staff

and volunteers in securing the necessary contributed and earned revenue necessary to fuel

continued growth.

● Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – possesses experience and personal passion for advancing

equity and addressing structural racism within nonprofit organizations.

Roles and Responsibilities

Program and Strategic Planning

● Develop and oversee implementation of organizational and fundraising plans with short- and

long- range goals that meet CCD’s mission, vision, and funding objectives.

● Devise and execute a comprehensive program strategy to build and expand audiences, build our

student pipeline, and increase funding bases.

● Identify and develop strategic partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations to

bolster and broaden the reach and viability of the organization.

● Build a strategy for rental of CCD spaces that maintains an overall vision for quality programs and

positively reflect CCD’s brand, while increasing revenue.

● Effectively and efficiently utilize physical and human resources with the staff.

Revenue Enhancement and Community Engagement

● In collaboration with the Board and Artistic Director, identify ways to:

○ Increase contributed and earned revenue opportunities for CCD;

○ Identify and implement the most effective donor stewardship and cultivation methods;

○ Devise appropriate marketing and public relations strategies to effectively disseminate

information regarding CCD presentations and educational activities; and

○ Identify and craft grant proposals for various foundations and organizations, and ensure

that awarded grants are used according to their terms and conditions. Report to funding

entities about use of funds to ensure ability to apply for future grants.

● Actively seek out and initiate contacts with potential donors, including individuals, foundations,

and corporate partners, and develop, cultivate, and maintain relationships to advance CCD’s

mission.

● Serve as a primary spokesperson to the media and community.

● Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the political and social leaders of the

Greater Denver Metro area.

Governance and Financial Management

● Provide support to best utilize the talents and resources of the Board, stimulate involvement,

and recruit new members.

● Work closely with the Board to ensure strong fiscal health of the organization.

● Develop effective methods with the Chair and the Board to identify, cultivate, and recruit

prospective CCD Board members.

● Educate, engage, and celebrate Board members and their successes.

● Assist the Board in developing and implementing their goals and objectives.

● Design a comprehensive capital and operating budget with other members of the leadership

team, for approval by the Board, and provide timely reports on its progress.

● Ensure that all activities in CCD meet contractual agreements and are consistent with CCD’s

mission.

● Revise human resources policies with Board committees, including practices and procedures,

and ensure that they comply with state and federal laws and regulations.

● Directly supervise and assess senior staff and other administrative support.

Qualifications

The position requires an established record of successful nonprofit management in the performing arts,

or similar organizations, with demonstrated results in achieving successful fundraising and institutional

advancement efforts. Candidates must have experience planning, designing, and implementing effective

marketing and fundraising efforts to support programming. A demonstrated track record working with a

Board of Directors to generate financial support, cultivate community relationships, and appropriately

govern the institution is necessary. Bachelor’s degree is required and graduate degree or equivalent

experience in business, arts administration, or a related field is highly desirable.

Compensation and Benefits

Competitive salary, paid vacation, and modest health insurance stipend. Additionally, the Executive

Director and their family will receive free dance classes.

Full-time position compensation range: $50,000 - $60,000

Applications and Inquiries

Please submit cover letter, résuméand three references to careers@ccdance.org by August 16, 2021.

About CCD

At Colorado Conservatory of Dance, we unleash individual potential and invigorate community through

dance.

Primed for growth, Colorado Conservatory of Dance (CCD) has been a leader in arts education for 29

years. Since 1992 CCD has provided quality dance education and outreach to North Metro Denver

schools. Under the guidance of Julia Wilkinson Manley since 2002, the conservatory has developed a

reputation for its highly professional and nurturing environment for preschool through adult students.

Colorado Conservatory of Dance serves a broad spectrum of youth and adults regardless of age, ability,

aspiration, or socio-economic status, and provides as much as $100,000 in scholarships and financial aid

each year for students who would otherwise not be able to participate in dance education.

CCD provides its students with high-quality performance experiences, including an annual production of

The Nutcracker, which brings students together with professional dancers. CCD's Studio Company gives

upper level students a pre-professional company experience that includes community education

performances and culminates in an annual production at the end of each school year. Additionally, CCD

provides a summer dance program, which attracts students from across the nation.

The Colorado Conservatory of Dance’s Title 1 Elementary School Partnerships, known as our Move2Learn

Partnerships, bring yearlong arts experiences to more than 3,000 students in six public schools in

high-need neighborhoods. More than 92% of the students in these schools fall below the federal poverty

line, and many are classified as homeless. CCD’s two-year residencies help these students gain

confidence through an in-depth process that merges dance with each school’s specific curricular

priorities. Because many of these students speak English as a second language, through movement, they

are better able to understand many complex concepts essential to their academic success.

CCD students regularly win top honors at area ballet competitions and gain entry into some of the

nation's most respected college dance programs. CCD alumnae have gone on to dance with Atlanta

Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Ballet Met, Ballet Nebraska, Ballet West, Boston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Houston

Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Verb

Ballets, Washington Ballet, and others.

In addition to CCD’s Artistic Director and Executive Director, CCD currently has six part-time staff

members and two part-time administrative assistants, in addition to 19 faculty members. We currently

have approximately 300 active students, which includes nearly 100 adult students.

In 2006, CCD partnered with Creating Caring Communities to jointly build a dance-based initiative to

help reduce bullying in schools. The first installment, known as The Ugly Duckling Anti-Bullying Program,

received consistently positive reviews. Based on this success, CCD has now performed anti-bullying

ballets for over 30,000 elementary students.