Associate Director of Education and Engagement - The 5th Avenue Theatre

The 5th Avenue Theatre is seeking an Associate Director of Education and Engagement to join its leadership team.



About The 5th Avenue Theatre

The 5th Avenue Theatre is one of America's leading musical theater companies. We enrich the community we love with the art form we love—giving the Pacific Northwest a front-row seat to original powerhouse productions that go on to light up marquees and audiences all the way to Broadway. From the page to the stage, we bring passion and epic scale to every musical we create. With big talent. Bigger-than-life productions. And did we mention dazzle? As a nonprofit theater company and our region's largest performing arts employer, we spread the joy of great musicals with people of all ages across our region and state.



Each year, we reach more than 75,000 young people through our nationally acclaimed education programs. Programs designed to develop new musicals ensure that the next generation of great musicals will be there to tell the stories that captivate tomorrow's audiences. On the national stage, we are a leading voice for the power of this American art form to lift the human spirit.

For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org



Land Acknowledgement

The 5th Avenue Theatre and the communities we serve are on the land and waterways of the Coast Salish people who have continuously inhabited our region since time immemorial. They are the original storytellers and theater-makers of this place we call home.



We also acknowledge and honor the Tribal nations across Washington State and the many Indigenous peoples from across the country who also live and work in the Seattle area. As we step into this new period of The 5th's history, we hope to honor their legacies and bring greater attention to their continuing fight for equity and recognition.



At The 5th Avenue Theatre, we are actively working towards goals as an anti-racist organization, you can learn more about our work and statement here: https://www.5thavenue.org/about/anti-racism-at-the-5th/



Position Summary:

The Associate Director of Education and Engagement is responsible for the successful day-to-day operation of Education and Engagement programs—translating The 5th’s organizational mission and objectives into action and advancing the use of musical theater to address identified needs of patrons and young people throughout the multi-faceted Pacific Northwest region.



This position will focus on enriching the experiences of our diverse audiences, cultivating the practice of musical theater in its various and evolving forms throughout our communities, championing musical theater as a means to empower young people and as a gateway to celebrating the multitude of our region’s performing arts cultures and traditions, and advocating for musical theater—and live theater—as necessary and vital components of a compassionate, equitable, and inclusive society.



The Associate Director of Education and Engagement collaborates with the Associate Artistic Director: Community Engagement to create and communicate a vision and strategic goals for education and community engagement programming at The 5th and is accountable for the management of program budgets and revenue. The incumbent also serves as a representative of The 5th in education and community engagement matters, a strategic partner with Development in securing funding, and collaborates cross-departmentally to provide insight in programming, partnership, and marketing initiatives.



Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership for education and community engagement programming as envisioned and designed in collaboration with the Associate Artistic Director: Community Engagement.

• Oversee the implementation of all programming in theater education, arts education, and career exploration—including career training for young people, student matinee performance programs, digital education initiatives, educational dramaturgy, professional development for teachers, parent support and orientation, and all in-school and community-based education programming. This includes the following existing programs: Rising Star Project, The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards, the Rally for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, Fridays at The 5th and Tech Tuesday.

• Oversee the implementation of educational programming that connects audiences and patrons with the work on our stage. This includes the following existing programs: Show Talks and Community Conversations.

• Assist with day-to-day administrative needs of the department as needed. Resolve and troubleshoot student, parent, educator, and teaching artist issues or complaints.

• Take a primary producing and supervisory role in the Rising Star Project program and oversee all cross-departmental coordination and communications regarding project activities and components

• Be a primary advocate for child safety policies and protocols and uphold the highest standards of child well-being for all students participating in programming

• Support The 5th Avenue Theatre's goals towards being an anti-racist organization and culture. This position will help to achieve equity, diversity, and inclusion goals at The 5th Avenue Theatre by developing and implementing anti-racist practices and policies throughout all education and community engagement initiatives.

• Develop, implement, and manage annual budgets for Education and Engagement programs.

• Hire, direct, manage, and evaluate all Education and Engagement activities staff and oversee the regular submission of payroll.

• Lead and guide the Education and Engagement staff to be a motivated and confident team that positively contributes to the mission and culture of The 5th—providing coaching and feedback to all direct reports to enhance their professional development and job performance

• Collaborate with the Associate Artistic Director: Community Engagement to set and evaluate yearly outcome-driven Education and Engagement goals.





• Collaborate and coordinate with the Development Department as necessary to support and facilitate patron interactions, Board & Donor relations, and other joint Development/Education and Engagement activities.

• Serve as the conduit of information to The 5th Avenue Theatre staff regarding Education and Engagement activities and overseeing the development and maintenance of all digital and print content related to Education and Engagement programming.

• Work collaboratively with Marketing & Communications to ensure appropriate representation and messaging of Education and Engagement events, press releases, and e-mail communications—as well as to develop and manage marketing and communications strategies in support of robust enrollment and participation in Education and Engagement programs.

• Develop, maintain, and implement pay scales for teaching artists and mentors—working with Human Resources and across departments to ensure equitable pay structures.

• Foster and maintain strategic approaches, culturally responsive pedagogy, and an anti-racist culture within the Education and Engagement team—aspiring toward the joyful inclusion of all students, families, and patrons into the work and mission of The 5th and the wholehearted celebration of our surrounding community and its talents, traditions, and stories.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• The ability to create musical theater curricula as well as experience in pedagogical theory, teaching strategies for all ages, and their intersection with current approaches to teaching theater to children and young adults.

• A deep knowledge in and/or passion for the musical theater art form

• The ability to accommodate a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and holidays (corresponding to the schedule of productions and Education and Engagement activities).

• Experience with and knowledge of equitable and anti-racist community engagement approaches and strategies.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

• The individual in this role must demonstrate a positive “can do” attitude, exercise sound decision making, demonstrate effective problem-solving skills, and have exemplary attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Demonstrated skills in management including the ability to lead, train, motivate and inspire others.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent interpersonal skills

• Analytical decision making, financial acumen, curiosity, creativity, and the ability to imagine unconventional solutions for challenges and obstacles.

• Skills to maintain confidentiality as warranted and to exercise tact and discretion.

• Motivated, detail-oriented and personable individual with excellent follow-up skills.

• Strong planning, project-management, and strategic thinking skills. A sense of humor is a plus.

• Ability to lead and work within a professional environment composed of individuals representing a diversity of backgrounds and identities, handle challenging situations, and set priorities to meet deadlines in stressful situations





• Adept at positive and solution-based communication styles for internal and external collaborators, teaching artists, educators, parents, and other strategic partners

• Ability to identify critical issues and create strategies that affect positive results

• Prior experience with Tessitura is helpful, but not required.

Reports To: This position reports to the Associate Artistic Director: Community Engagement



Compensation & Benefits:

The full-time annual salary range is $65,000-$70,000 commensurate with relevant experience. Currently the Theatre is planning for a partial return to office in early to mid-October, with a partial remote work plan this is subject to change, working with the needs of the Theatre, individual departments and will follow Federal, State & City safety requirements and recommendations.



This is a Full Time Exempt position. Given that this position requires employee’s flexibility for Nights, Weekends, Holidays and long hours during production weeks, we encourage a work/life balance and there will be some schedule flexibility to honor and offset hours worked when this additional work is required.



The 5th Avenue Theatre offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes 100% Employer covered Medical, Dental & Vision package, Sick, Personal & Vacation time, commuter benefits (Orca Card and reduced-price parking), Life Insurance, AD&D & Long-term Disability Insurance, Flexible Spending or Health Savings Account, Complimentary Tickets, and Company Paid Holidays. 401K retirement plan after eligibility requirements are met.



Application information & Timeline:

Applications from those who have been traditionally underrepresented in the theatrical industry and those from the global majority are strongly encouraged. We are striving for our staff to be representative of a diverse and vibrant community that includes multiple identities, ages, abilities, perspectives & influences.



To apply, please send materials to HumanResources@5thavenue.org.

Please include in Subject line: Associate Director of Education and Engagement



To ensure that this process is equitable and attempts to remove barriers, we welcome any combination of the following application materials for our review & consideration:

• Written cover letter (Word or PDF Format) OR Up to a 5-minute self-tape video that introduces you, your work and interest in this job. (Video submissions should be compatible for PC viewing/download)

• All candidates should provide a resume & 2 work related references.

• Any supplemental materials, samples or portfolios that candidates feel best represent their work and skills in addition to or in lieu of a traditional resume

Priority for interviews will be given to those who submit by October 15th, 2021, however we will continue to interview and review materials until the position has been filled. This will be an intentional search, and while we hope to fill this position as soon as possible, we do not have a start date set.

A background check will be required upon offer of position.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is an Equal Opportunity Employer.



The 5th Avenue will be requiring Covid-19 Vaccinations for all employees as of October, 4th 2021, with considerations for Medical & Religious exemptions.

Work Location: When not working remotely, the work location is The 5th Avenue Theatre, located in the Skinner Building at 1326 5th Avenue, in downtown Seattle






Salary: $65,000-$70,000