EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION  

The Durham Symphony Orchestra  
The Durham Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is a leading performing arts organization in Durham  and contributes actively to the rich cultural life of the city and the greater Triangle community.  Durham is home to Duke University, North Carolina Central University, The American Dance  Festival, Durham Performing Arts Center, Kidznotes, El Sistema USA, Full Frame Documentary  Film Festival and the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice, among many other arts  and cultural organizations.   

The DSO was founded in 1976 by Vincent Simonetti, a tuba player with the NC Symphony,  creating the Triangle’s first regional community orchestra. Alan Nielson took the baton a few  years later, building the group into a semi-professional orchestra and expanding the season to  offer 8-10 concerts per year. Today the orchestra is a professional group of fifty-five musicians.  In 2009, William Henry Curry was named Music Director of the Symphony, becoming the first  African American music director of a symphony in the South. Resident Conductor of the NC  
Symphony for 20 years, he has enriched the DSO mission with his exceptional experience in  education, outreach, and diverse programming. He is well known and appreciated by audiences  throughout the region.  

The DSO performs affordably priced and free concerts in a wide variety of community spaces, including Durham’s landmark venues The Carolina Theatre and the Hayti Heritage Center.  Concert programs range from Baroque to contemporary plus the best of Broadway, Jazz, and  Hollywood. The DSO regularly programs works by Americans, composers of color, and women.  Educational and mentorship programs are vital to its work. The DSO gave its first Rising Young  Vocalists Award in 2019, in 2023 appointed its first Composer in Residence, and held its first  Young Composers Competition. The DSO performs often with students including the Nativity  School Choir, Kidznotes, The Art of Cool Project, and United Strings of Color. The DSO is  committed to demonstrating, especially to young people, that the joy of orchestral music  belongs to everyone as a natural part of robust community life. During the pandemic, the DSO released sixty-five video programs, Monday Musicales with the Maestro, through social media  and 1,700 email subscribers.   

The Opportunity  
The Durham Symphony is debt free, has an endowment fund and is supported by a hard working 10-member board of directors. It enjoys strong relations with elected city leaders,  academic institutions, public schools, funding organizations, and the arts community. Like  many organizations it was hard hit by the pandemic and is only now sufficiently resourced to fill  the Executive Director position that has been vacant since 2019. In the intervening years, the  board has been responsible for all fund raising, marketing, communications, and scheduling  while concert operations have been carried out by paid professional personnel and production  managers.  

The opportunities ahead for the Executive Director include extending and deepening the DSO connection to its community, building strong relationships with current and new community  partners, expanding the donor base, resourcing continuing artistic growth, professionalizing the  management of the DSO, and supporting the board in transitioning to a governing, rather than  managing role.   

Job Description  
The Executive Director of the Durham Symphony Orchestra functions as the chief executive  officer. The Executive Director is responsible for the implementation of policies and priorities set  by the Board of Directors as well as for the execution of annual goals, objectives, and  administrative management. The Executive Director develops and executes development,  finance, communications, education, community engagement, concert production, and  marketing in furtherance of the DSO mission and overall institutional health. The Executive Director collaborates with the Music Director in fulfilling his/her artistic vision and serves as  liaison between the Music Director and the musicians. The executive director is responsible for maintaining a culture of respect, transparency, collaboration, and fairness.

  • Key Roles and Relationships  
Report directly the DSO Board of Directors through the board President  
Serve as a voting member of the board   
Supervise the personnel manager and the operations manager/librarian  
Collaborate with the treasurer, Music Director, musicians, and Board  
Communicate with the musicians periodically on major institutional and musical matters  
• Concert Production  
Create season schedule with MD and PM  
Secure venues and negotiate venue and related production agreements  
Negotiate artist contracts  
Establish communication protocols among key constituents  
• Marketing  
Create and implement annual marketing plan  
Ensure all sales activity is captured and reported accurately.  
Ensure adequate front-of-house staffing and sales technology.  
Seek and negotiate concert sponsorships  
• Communications  
Create and implement annual communications plan to enhance DSO image, including season and individual concert announcements, media buys, and feature coverage  
opportunities  
Manage the DSO website  
Develop and oversee production of all print materials including concert programs   
• Finance  
Collaborate with Treasurer in development, implementation, and communication of current and long-term financial plans to ensure fiscal stability and health.   
Maintain financial controls and integrity and security of all digital 
systems.
Maintain transparency with all relevant stakeholders 
Develop budgets and reports for funding proposals  
Monitor and provide timely and accurate financial statements to the board  
• Development  
Develop and implement development plans and strategies  
Lead research, prospecting, cultivation, stewardship, and reporting  
Draft all proposals, solicitations, and acknowledgements  
Maintain necessary digital infrastructure to ensure clean records, analysis, and reporting.   
• Governance  
Partner closely with the Board President in board development  
Support board administration, including scheduling meetings, creating agendas, meeting  materials, minutes, and communications  
Partner with the board in fundraising and creation of policies, programs, and strategic direction of the organization.    
• Community Engagement and Education  
Administer current programs and develop new ones to deepen DSO ties to community. 
Develop and maintain relationships with relevant organizations such as Durham Public  Schools, Durham Arts Council, Hayti Heritage Center as well as civic leaders, faith based and  social service organizations.   

Qualifications and attributes   
Qualified candidates will have minimally a bachelor’s degree and 2 years of related, applicable experience. Not-for-profit experience is preferred especially regarding fund raising and board relations. Skills in marketing, financial management, development, marketing/communications,  community engagement, education and project management are essential. Demonstrated written and public speaking skills are required. Qualified candidates will have sufficient knowledge of orchestral music to partner with the Music Director and engage with stakeholders in an informed manner. Computer skills in primary applications in both Windows and Google  
Drive environments are required. Desktop publishing skills are highly desirable.  

A passion for music and an appreciation of the many ways it can serve a community are  expected from qualified candidates. Leadership qualities, i.e., the ability to guide and align constituents toward a compelling vision are essential. These skills include self-awareness, active  listening, collaboration, respect for divergent perspectives, creativity, and imagination.  Candidates should demonstrate a high value for inclusive practices in all dimensions of DSO activity and prioritize a culture of transparency, collaboration, and respect. Candidates should  have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with volunteers and  staff and to work flexible and changing schedules, including evenings and weekends.   

Salary: $30,000; Hours: average 25 hours per week. The DSO does not offer health insurance.  

Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to office@durhamsymphony.org no  
later than September 20, 2024  

The DSO complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the  basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual  orientation, and gender identity).