Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Omaha Performing Arts - Omaha Performing Arts

The Omaha Performing Arts (O-pa) welcomes nominations and applications for the position of Vice President for Marketing and Communications, available in the Spring of 2021.



The Opportunity



O-pa’s next Vice President for Marketing and Communication will join a dynamic and forward-thinking organization that consistently receives both local and national recognition for the excellent quality of its venues and performing arts programming. As steward of two landmark venues, presenter of broad offerings of major performing arts activity and with a commitment to inclusion and diversity, Omaha Performing Arts is uniquely positioned to expand its reach into the community. The Vice President will have the opportunity to take a leadership role in introducing an exciting new campus expansion for the next stage of O-pa’s growth. The Vice President will develop O-pa’s brand as an organization that serves a diverse, inclusive, and growing audience in Omaha while realizing O-pa’s vision as a leader in the arts regionally and nationally.



The Organization

www.o-pa.org



Founded in June 2000 and beginning full operations in 2005, Omaha Performing Arts provides experiences that engage, inspire, and connect. As the largest arts institution in Nebraska, O-pa serves 500,000 patrons annually in its two venues, the Orpheum Theater and the Holland Performing Arts Center, and beyond by presenting the best of Broadway, jazz, blues, dance, comedy, speakers, family, and popular entertainment. A broad range of educational programs, community engagement projects, and free community events affirm O-pa’s strong commitment to serving all citizens of the community and to being an inclusive and welcoming organization.



Located in downtown Omaha, the Orpheum Theater and the Holland Performing Arts Center are vital to the city’s cultural life. The Orpheum Theater is a 2,600-seat proscenium theater that was built in 1927 and received a major renovation in 2002. It serves as home to major touring Broadway productions, including Hamilton, Wicked, Disney’s The Lion King, and more, which are presented by Omaha Performing Arts in association with Broadway Across America. O-pa welcomes the finest dance companies, comedians, contemporary music artists, and other theatrical productions to the Orpheum. The venue is host to Opera Omaha, American Midwest Ballet, and a variety of private and community events.



The Holland Performing Arts Center is a state-of-the-art performance facility that opened in 2005 and includes the 2,000-seat Peter Kiewit Concert Hall, the 200-400-seat Suzanne and Walter Scott Recital Hall, and the outdoor Carl G. Mammel Courtyard with a capacity of up to 1,000. Heralded for its stunning architecture and superior acoustics, the Holland is O-pa’s venue for a wide range of musical events from legendary jazz and blues artists to country and contemporary music ensembles, as well as world music, speakers, and family performances. The performing arts center’s stage has been graced by award-winning and legendary performers, including Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, and Kristin Chenoweth. The Holland Center is home to the Omaha Symphony. It also hosts a variety of private, corporate, and community events.



O-pa has a strong commitment to ensuring that the organization, its programming, and its team reflect the diversity of the community, and that its programs are inclusive and welcoming. Inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility are core values, and are especially reflected in O-pa’s recently launched new program: “Voices AMPLIFIED!” – a multidisciplinary arts and social justice initiative that includes a series of discussions featuring artists of diverse cultures.



More than 500,000 have been reached through the organization’s education and community engagement offerings, which include student matinees, master classes, and three programs in association with national organizations: the Nebraska High School Theatre Awards associated with the Broadway League’s Jimmy Awards, Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers, and Disney’s Musicals in Schools. O-pa also partners regularly with community organizations and local social service agencies on engagement opportunities that bring performances to various neighborhood locations. Since beginning operations in 2005, O-pa has received local and national recognition for the quality of its venues and programs and has been ranked nationally by the industry publication Pollstar in worldwide ticket sales for venues with similar capacities.



Realizing that its existing facilities were fully utilized and had reached capacity, and after a robust analysis of community needs and opportunities, O-pa developed a campus master plan that includes two new facilities to provide a broad range of spaces to serve the performing arts community, education activities, and touring artists. The first phase, expected to open in 2023, calls for a Live Music Venue to host both local and nationally known artists, to reach younger, more diverse audiences, and to fill a void for a venue with 1,500 to 3,000 audience capacity. The second phase, an Education Center, will follow.



O-pa draws more than 500,00 patrons annually and generates more than $48 million of economic impact in the region. A key factor in O-pa’s success has been the passionate leadership of its board and administration. O-pa is governed by a 10-member board of directors comprised of prominent community leaders in business and philanthropy. A full-time administrative staff of more than 70 is led by O-pa President Joan Squires.



The Position



The Vice President for Marketing and Communication is responsible and accountable for the vision, strategy, and execution of Omaha Performing Arts’ brand and experience that attracts patrons and community members, framed by O-pa’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The VP achieves and exceeds O-pa’s annual and long-term goals for audience growth and earned revenue.



With a dedication to O-pa’s mission and through service to all aspects of the organization, the Vice President’s areas of focus include marketing, sales, communications, promotions, advertising, public relations, and institutional positioning. The VP develops a comprehensive marketing strategy that positions O-pa both locally and nationally, builds audiences for all performances, and includes initiatives that support all institutional departments. The VP ensures that O-pa’s brand is consistently utilized and representative of the organization.



The VP develops and executes an insight-driven marketing strategy. In collaboration with the Associate VP of Administrative Services, the VP analyzes data for decision-making to optimize sales and patron loyalty. The VP leads the creation of digital strategy and collaboration across departments to develop and implement patron-friendly ways to engage with O-pa through innovative user experiences in ticketing, contributing, food service, parking, etc.



The VP is responsible for the operation of O-pa’s website and the management of all digital assets, including Ticket Omaha and other apps for sales, marketing and social-media as well as web-based consumer interfaces such as ecommerce.



The Vice President of Marketing and Communications develops broad communications strategies and key messaging for all O-pa activities, including performances, education and community engagement, social justice activities, fundraising, and special events. The VP is responsible for public relations, publicity, and promotional campaigns and oversees media relations. They ensure that editorial and design standards for internal and external communications are consistently observed throughout the institution. The VP acts as spokesperson for O-pa as appropriate.



The Vice President of Marketing and Communications reports to the President and is a member of the senior management team. Working with the President and senior management team, they establish earned revenue goals and marketing budgets for all O-pa activities. They oversee the marketing, communications, and public relations staff. The VP maintains effective relationships with volunteers, artists, and organizations throughout the greater Omaha community.



Candidate Profile



The successful candidate will be a seasoned professional with a minimum of six years’ senior-level marketing and communications experience. They should have demonstrated ability to work effectively in a complex organization that has a strong commitment inclusion and diversity and have experience with diverse marketing strategies. Experience successfully building audiences for the performing arts will be considered a major asset.



The successful candidate will be an effective team leader with the ability to develop talent and to inspire their team to achieve and exceed goals. They will be a strategic thinker with excellent planning, budgeting, organizational, and communications skills, comfortable in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.



The successful candidate will have superb analytic skills and strong experience with use of data for decision-making. They will be experienced in conducting, analyzing and utilizing market research.



The successful candidate will be skilled at working effectively with designers, graphic artists, web-site technicians, writers, and other creative talent in order to achieve the highest standards in all marketing initiatives, especially digital. They will be knowledgeable about direct mail, digital marketing, and telemarketing, and will be comfortable employing new media, social media, and Internet technology for advertising, sales, and promotions. They will also be knowledgeable about box office operations, ticket pricing, and patron services.



The successful candidate will have a proven record of success in developing opportunities for promotional partnerships and collaborations with sponsors, media, and community organizations. They will have experience working with the press, including feature writers, critics, and news reporters. They will have excellent written and oral communication skills.



The successful candidate will be a team player with strong interpersonal skills. They will fully embrace O-pa’s core values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. They will be a person of integrity, high energy, and emotional maturity. They will be flexible, adaptable, and able to manage competing priorities and multiple deadlines. They will be able and expected to attend evening and weekend performances throughout the season. They will welcome the opportunity to become an active participant in the greater Omaha community.



Compensation



Compensation, including benefits, is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.



Applications



Omaha Performing Arts is committed to inclusion, diversity, and equity in all facets of the organization and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or national origin.



Please submit a cover letter that describes your specific interest in and qualifications for the position with a resume and salary expectations. Please also include the names of several references, including at least one current or previous supervisor. All applications will be treated as confidential and references will not be contacted without the applicant’s agreement. Electronic submissions are requested.



Please send materials to:



O-pa VP Marketing c/o Catherine French Group

2500 Q Street, NW, Suite 623

Washington, DC 20007

applications@catherinefrenchgroup.com



MS Word or Adobe Acrobat attachments only, please.