The Augustin Family Artistic Director (Artistic Director) of The Rep will be an exceptional artist and leader with significant experience in similar roles. They will plan and implement The Rep’s vision for the future, securing its artistic and financial health in partnership with the Managing Director and reporting to and working in concert with the Board of Directors. While building on existing relationships and creating new ones, the Artistic Director will develop and maintain programs to increase audience growth, diversity, and engagement. Acting as the face of the organization, they will engage with donors, subscribers, and the board to collectively re-build the theatre’s presence.
It is expected that the Artistic Director will be an active artist, leading with their own work and curatorial aesthetic. A gifted collaborator, with a wide network of artists in every area, they will engage with those artists and new ones to attract and grow a contemporary audience, while encouraging the continued support of the existing patrons.
Roles and Responsibilities
Artistic Vision, Planning, and Execution
- Set and execute The Rep’s artistic direction and overall aesthetic with a commitment to artistic excellence.
- Create, nurture, and refine a long-term artistic vision for the organization that inspires the staff, board, artists, and larger community.
- Lead the season planning process that will navigate the organization’s current obstacles, meet the needs of each stakeholder group, and move the organization toward greater financial stability.
- Select and manage artistic personnel, both staff and visiting artists who are skilled in a broad range of theatre production and who will attract and inspire a growing contemporary audience.
- Guide the production process through the work of the production team and artists.
- Embrace other artistic vision, planning, and execution responsibilities as needed.
Strategic Planning and Organizational Leadership
- Co-lead the long-range planning processes, in partnership with the Board, staff, and other stakeholders to secure The Rep’s long-term artistic and financial health.
- Analyze the theatre’s operational status and develop strategies supporting organizational success and sustainability.
- Partner with the Managing Director to provide exceptional, aligned, and stable leadership.
- Build an effective organization that ensures each member understands their role and contributions, has the required skills, and is committed to the organization’s vision and artistic initiatives.
- Embrace other organizational leadership and strategic planning responsibilities as needed.
Community Engagement and Board Relations
- Develop and maintain programs that engage and grow audiences, support diversity and inclusion, and support the community.
- Be the principal spokesperson in the theatre industry and the St. Louis community.
- Connect with The Rep’s stakeholder groups—patrons, donors, and community members at large.
- Engage in board development and recruitment activities as appropriate.
- Embrace other community engagement and board relations responsibilities as needed.
Financial Management and Fundraising
- Create annual budgets, in conjunction with the Managing Director, with direct responsibility for determining annual artistic and programmatic expenses.
- Control artistic and programmatic expenditures in line with pre-approved fiscal outcomes.
- Inspire and attract financial support for The Rep’s mission, with the Board, Managing Director, and development team.
- Embrace other financial management and fundraising responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Artistic Director will be visionary, pragmatic, and committed to the human element of the work. An effective and energetic communicator, they will not hesitate to make decisions while always considering the larger impact of those decisions. Relying on guidance rather than oversight, they will give the staff agency as part of the larger team. They will face challenges with commitment and excitement and a flair for creative problem solving.
Other key competencies include:
- Leadership, Decision Making, and Resiliency – The ability to organize and influence people in support of a common vision, making appropriate decisions in a timely fashion, and recovering and adapting quickly from adversity.
- Diplomacy and Personal Accountability – The sensitivity to effectively and tactfully address difficult situations and be answerable for personal actions in context.
- Customer Focus and Goal Orientation – The clarity to ensure customer needs, wants, and expectations are met or exceeded, while being mindful of the organization’s goals.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will be an accomplished artist with at least 7 to10 years of experience in leadership roles and a significant network of existing relationships and connections to artists across the country. They will demonstrate a deep understanding of production and technical needs. Experience in partnering with fundraising and donor cultivation teams is required. Understanding of and interest in building public visibility through marketing and other initiatives is preferred. Candidates must have a record of commitment to and demonstrable results in inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and anti-racism policies.
Compensation and Benefits
The Rep provides a competitive and equitable compensation package in the range of $185,000 to $225,000 with benefits that include paid time off and holidays; health insurance (medical, dental, vision, and prescription drugs); long-term disability and life insurances; and an employer contributed 403(b) retirement plan.
es for diverse artistic expression, as well as diverse artists, staff, and audience. Diversity is a wide-ranging value, encompassing but not limited to diversity in aesthetics, age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, geography, race, and sexual orientation.
We value the contribution of our artists and our staff. The Rep seeks to attract outstanding professionals to join our work. We support the concept of The Rep as an “artistic home” which engenders a sense of pride, involvement, and mutual support among all who work here. This means that we must provide these individuals with the best possible working environment, compensation, benefits, and support, within the constraints of our available resources.