Opera North Seeking Director of Development - Opera North

Development Director, Opera North



Opera North, located in Lebanon NH, is a nationally recognized cultural leader. The company, which celebrates its 43rd anniversary in 2025, is a professional producer of opera, musical theater and concerts in the culturally rich Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont.

The company’s principal season — June through August — consists of the annual Summerfest made up of concerts in historic locations, and three fully produced mainstage productions with a noted artistic team of conductors, coaches, directors, and designers, along with internationally recognized opera and musical theater singers. Opera North is home to one of the country’s most sought-¬‐after training program for young opera professionals. Each year, over 700 singers, apply for positions as Resident Artists with the company. Opera North also mounts an annual holiday performance with school matinees and evening performances.

Opera North has a long history of collaboration with higher education, arts and culture partners in the region. The 2018 season marked the first year of Opera North’s partnership with the National Park Service to develop a new national park for the arts at the historic Blow-Me-Down Farm in Cornish, New Hampshire. Through its work at Blow-Me-Down Farm, Opera North seeks to revitalize the extraordinary spirit of creativity that defined the Cornish Colony through the development of the Farm into a campus for the arts and the site of a new summer arts festival.

The company has shown exponential growth in the last several years, and its success has helped to transform the Upper Valley region as an important cultural destination. As a contributor to the creative economy of the region, Opera North provides meaningful employment and internship opportunities for the region’s artists, musicians, and technical theater professionals.

POSITION:

The Development Director is responsible for leading a wide range of fundraising and advancement services activities for a highly entrepreneurial company, including instituting long term planning, revenue-generating programs, legacy gifts, spearheading its annual individual giving drive, increasing the size of its donor base, and building relationships with potential corporate sponsors. S/he also serves as a key partner is the company’s strategic planning efforts and works with the Director of Marketing in the implementation of the organizational marketing campaign and for individual special projects.



This dynamic position is full-¬time exempt, includes a benefits package and paid time off, and reports to the General Director. Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• With the General Director, plans and executes all development activities and special events.

• Leads all aspects of company’s annual individual giving programs, with specific goals of increasing the size of the donor base and the amount raised through the annual fund drive.

• Develops and leads strategies to encourage planned giving.

• Manages institutional giving by overseeing relationships and grant proposals to foundation, government and corporate/business partners. Supervises the work of a grant writer.

• Oversees corporate sponsorship program; coordinates with Director of Marketing to integrate corporate sponsorship and playbill advertising programs.

• Develops and maintains ongoing relationships with key donors. Implements stewardship efforts for major donors. Coordinates the involvement of the General Director, Artistic Director, and board members in donor solicitations and stewardship.

• Serves as a member of the leadership team for planned capital campaign in celebration of 50th anniversary; works productively with capital campaign consultant

• Collaborating with Director of Marketing on all digital and print media strategies to ensure coordination of development and marketing communications.

• Ensures accuracy of all related data and reporting.

Qualifications

Ideally, the successful candidate will have a/an:

• bachelor’s degree.

• minimum of three years of progressively responsible direct fundraising experience, preferably in an arts or other cultural organization.

• demonstrated understanding of the best practices in fundraising and current philanthropic trends.


• enthusiasm for and knowledge of opera and musical theater, along with a belief in the importance of cultural organizations as core to the fabric of a community.

• proven ability to develop and manage creative fundraising strategies for individuals, foundations, government, and corporations.


• outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with internal and external constituencies.

• ability to craft clear and compelling written proposals.

• proven organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects 
simultaneously, meet deadlines, and produce high quality results.

• demonstrated experience managing fundraising databases or other CRMs and strong proficiency in MS Office, and ability to learn new software.

• demonstrated ability to manage volunteers.

• ability to work proactively, independently, and collaboratively.

• superior organizational skills, demonstrated attention to detail, ability to project manage short-term and long-¬‐term projects and tasks, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities with good judgment.

• ability to problem solve and to analyze and explain data.

• availability to staff and attend events on nights and weekends as needed; availability during the core Summerfest season is required.



Additionally, the ideal candidate will either live or be willing to relocate to the greater Upper Valley region.

Opera North is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability, or national origin.








Salary: $65-75K