Executive Director

EXECUTIVE SEARCH:  EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YOUNG AUDIENCES, INC.

ABOUT YOUNG AUDIENCES:

Founded in 1952, Young Audiences Arts for Learning is the nation’s first and largest producing and presenting arts-in-education network.

Through its national network of 30 affiliates and roster of close to 5,000 artists, Young Audiences has introduced the arts to tens of millions of young people across the country. In 2008 alone, more than 7,000,000 students experienced the arts through 89,000 YA programs in nearly 7,000 schools.

With core assets including unmatched outreach to children and youth, and expertise in arts learning, education, research, and product and service design, Young Audiences now seeks to position itself to become the nation’s leading voice for the arts in education.  Through innovation, advocacy, and program delivery, Young Audiences will change the national conversation about the arts’ role in children’s lives.

Young Audiences is grounded in the belief that the arts are important for both their intrinsic value and their unique role in enhancing creativity, critical thinking, cultural awareness and learning in children and youth.

Young Audiences, Inc. (YAI), is the New York City based organization that coordinates, convenes and augments the national network.  An infrastructure of affiliates, committees and national staff supports YAI’s work.  YAI seeks a dynamic leader with the vision, capability and passion to leverage the network’s vast resources to elevate and extend the role of the arts in education.

THE POSITION:  EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOUNG AUDIENCES, INC.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the effort to realize Young Audiences’ vision of achieving access for all young people to outcomes-based, quality arts learning experiences that nurture creativity, cultural awareness, critical thinking and learning skills.


• Establish Young Audiences as a leading advocate for the inclusion and expansion of arts in education experiences for young people throughout the country.


• Strengthen and enhance relationships with existing affiliates, and establish new affiliate partnerships throughout the country.


• Lead fund-raising efforts, creating a diverse portfolio of sustainable revenue sources for Young Audiences and affiliates.


• Oversee research and development for the Young Audiences network to create innovative products and services for use by affiliates, partners and others in the field.


• Develop local and national partnerships with leading individuals and organizations throughout the arts and education communities.


• Build and sustain the Young Audiences brand.

Candidate Profile:

• A known individual who is respected by the arts and education communities for a track record of leading and advancing organizations in the field of arts, education or youth development.

-OR-

• An individual from the corporate world with a proven track record of leadership, including leading sales, branding, business development, fund-raising and talent acquisition initiatives. 

Qualifications:

• An exceptional communicator who inspires trust and confidence and who possesses the ability to lead a diverse group of constituents.


• A relationship builder and manager par excellence.  The candidate must have an existing network that can accrue to the benefit of YAI and the affiliates and must further possess the ability to build and manage new relationships with key influencers and decision makers.


• Proven ability to direct, participate and contribute to an organization’s growth and success.


• Ability to maximize resources and work with a small and efficient office.


• Experience or interest in the arts, education or youth development.

The Executive Director will be based in New York City and will travel as needed for the position.  Compensation and benefits will be competitive.  The Executive Director will begin in the summer of 2010.