Managing Director

Job Title:

Managing Director

Organization:

The Port Theatre Society

Deadline:

Jul. 13, 2026

Organization Description:

The Port Theatre Society is a charitable not-for-profit organization that co-manages the Port Theatre with the City of Nanaimo. The Port Theatre is a community performing arts centre located on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, in the heart of Nanaimo on Central Vancouver Island.

The organization has earned an international reputation for its acclaimed Spotlight Series. The theatre is important gathering place for professional arts organizations, community groups, audiences, donors, volunteers, and civic partners. Strategically situated on the national touring circuit, the theatre supports a wide variety of events and activities including concerts, theatre, dance, recitals, competitions, graduations, conferences, community events, and many other public and private activities.

The Port Theatre is one of the busiest theatres in British Columbia with over 280 days of activity and welcoming over 120,000 people through our doors annually. The Society has grown substantially in recent years building back from the pandemic. In 2022, its annual operating budget was approximately $1.6 million. In the upcoming 2026-2027 season, it is expected to reach $3.7 million. This growth reflects the Society's expanding artistic, civic, operational, and community role, and requires additional senior leadership to support long-term sustainability, resilience, and high-level execution.

Website:

https://www.porttheatre.com/about/careers/

Job Description:

Reporting to the Artistic Executive Director, the Managing Director will provide executive-level leadership for the Society’s operations, ensuring that the organization has the people, systems, structures, and resources necessary to successfully deliver its mission with integrity, discipline, and long-term sustainability.

The Managing Director will lead the Society’s administrative and operational activities, where the Artistic Executive Director will focus on artistic vision, long-term growth, community impact, advocacy, and strategic direction. The Managing Director will take strategic priorities and turn them into actionable annual plans with measurable outcomes while strengthening cross-departmental alignment and execution. Together, they will foster a safe, inclusive, and effective workplace culture.

The Managing Director will spend much of their time overseeing multiple departments and day-to-day operations. The position will meaningfully lead or contribute to financial oversight, risk management, budgeting, grant writing and reporting, major fundraising campaigns, capital planning, and other areas while closely working with the Artistic Executive Director, Finance Officer, Manager of Technical Operations, and department heads.

A central priority of the Managing Director is to strengthen organizational resilience. This position will improve continuity by formalizing systems and processes, clarify staff roles and responsibilities, update and maintain policies and procedures, and reduce the reliance on single-person dependencies in critical administrative and operational areas. This vital work will support stronger internal capacity during periods of growth, staff transition, peak activity, special projects, and change.

The Managing Director will also play an important role in advancing the Society’s public, civic, and community presence. In collaboration with the Artistic Executive Director, the role will engage with the Board of Directors, funders, government representatives, civic partners, donors, community stakeholders, and sector colleagues to support the Society’s position as a leading cultural institution on Vancouver Island.

More info: www.porttheatre.com/careers

Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic and Organizational Leadership
• Translate strategic priorities into departmental work plans, timelines, key performance
indicators, and reporting processes.
• Monitor progress against organizational priorities, and identify barriers, risks,
implementation gaps, and resource needs.
• Support a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism, and continuous
improvement.
• Provide clear reporting and analysis to the Artistic Executive Director, Board of Directors, and relevant committees.
• Ensure that administrative and operational decisions and policies reflect the Society's
mission, values, equity commitments, and community role.

2. Administration and Operations
• Ensure that internal procedures, workflows, documentation, and communication systems are effective and current.
• Support effective coordination across rentals, programming, and shared services: ticketing, front of house, development, marketing and outreach, and patron services.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement practical improvements that strengthen service, reliability, and accountability.
• Ensure high standards of service for audiences, donors, clients, community partners, artists, renters, volunteers, and staff.

3. Finance and Grants
• Work with the Artistic Executive Director and Finance Officer to develop the annual operating and capital budgets.
• Support departmental budgeting and ensure managers understand and work within approved budgets and processes.
• Lead grant writing and final reporting.
• Identify public, private, corporate, foundation, and community funding opportunities.
• Contribute to financial reports, forecasts, variance analyses, and budget updates.
• In conjunction with the Finance Officer, review and approve payroll, and process payroll when the Finance Officer is away.

4. Shared Services
• Work with the Development Officer to increase fundraising to meet the organization’s goal of 15 percent of annual revenues in the next five years.
• Set annual targets and assist the Development Officer in building fundraising strategies for individual giving, corporate sponsorships, legacy programs, and fundraising campaigns.
• Work with the Marketing and Outreach Manager to monitor quarterly sales goals across
presentations and programs, support community events, and outreach activities.
• Ensure departments such as Patron Services and the Ticket Centre are collectively aligned around shared priorities, deadlines, programming, audience experience and service standards, and accessibility.

5. Human Resources and People Leadership
• Support a healthy, respectful, inclusive, and productive workplace culture.
• Develop and update clear workplace goals and expectations, policies and procedures,
employment agreements and job descriptions, and accountability structures.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management, professional development, retention, and succession planning.
• Ensure compliance with applicable employment standards, occupational health and safety requirements, privacy obligations, and internal policies.
• Conduct internal workplace investigations as required.

6. Facilities and Capital Projects
• Develop a long-term capital and asset replacement plan for the Port Theatre with the Manager of Technical Operations and City Managers.
• Support coordination between technical operations, finance, administration, City
representatives, contractors, suppliers, and consultants.
• Support planning related to facility improvements, accessibility, equipment renewal, asset management, safety, and operational sustainability.

7. Board and Governance
• Prepare board and committee reports, financial updates, project summaries.
• Attend board or committee meetings as requested by the Board of Directors and Artistic Executive Director.
• In conjunction with the Board of Directors and Artistic Director, and in collaboration with
staff, oversee the fulfillment and reporting of key strategic priorities as outlined in the
Strategic Plan and annual business plans.
• Provide staff support to board committees where appropriate, particularly in areas related to
finance, fund development, policy, facilities, capital projects, human resources, and operations.
• Ensure the Artistic Executive Director and Board are informed of significant operational, financial, staffing, facility, project, reputational and legal risks, or any other critical matters.

8. Community, Government, and Stakeholder Relations
• Support the Artistic Executive Director in building and maintaining supportive and positive relationships with community, professional, civic, provincial, and federal stakeholders.
• Support political advocacy related to arts funding, cultural infrastructure, downtown
vitality, tourism, community development, and the Society's role in our region.
• Help ensure external relationships are supported by reliable follow-through, strong
communication, and accurate information.

More info: www.porttheatre.com/careers

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:
• At least 10 years of experience in the arts and cultural sector.
• At least 5 years of senior leadership experience, preferably in a nonprofit, charitable,
cultural, civic, or performing arts organization.
• Strong people and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple and often competing priorities, timelines, people, budgets, contractors, reports, and deliverables.
• Experience translating strategic goals into practical workplans.
• Ability to read and interpret financial statements, forecasts, cash flow information,
departmental budgets, and variance reports.
• Experience with public-sector grants and arts funders.
• Fundraising campaigns, sponsorship, donor relations, or contributed revenue experience.
• Experience with human resources administration, including recruitment, onboarding,
performance reviews, employment standards, and HR policies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Alignment with The Port Theatre Society's mission, values, and community leadership role.

Preferred Qualifications:
• A relevant diploma, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or greater credential in arts administration, nonprofit management, business administration, public administration, or a related discipline. (NOTE: An equivalent combination of education, training, and directly relevant senior arts and cultural leadership experience may be considered)
• Experience in a venue, performing arts presenting, producing, festival, arts service organizations, or cultural institution.
• Knowledge of theatre operations, ticketing, marketing, audience services, rentals, front of house, development, technical operations, and programming.
• Experience with capital grants, infrastructure funding, facility renewal, accessibility projects, or equipment replacement projects.
• Knowledge of Nanaimo, Central Vancouver Island, British Columbia's arts sector, or municipal cultural ecosystems.
• Familiarity with British Columbia employment standards, occupational health and safety requirements, and nonprofit governance.
• Experience with payroll systems, accounting software, ticketing systems, donor databases, CRM systems, or project management tools.

More info: www.porttheatre.com/careers

How to Apply:

Candidates are invited to submit:
• A cover letter outlining their interest in the position and relevant experience.
• A current resume.
• Optional: a short writing sample, such as a grant excerpt, board report, project plan,
fundraising communication, capital project summary, or operational planning document.

Applications should be submitted by email to: ldesprez@porttheatre.com
Subject line: Managing Director Search

Only individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Port Theatre Society is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. The Society welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, identities, lived experiences, and perspectives.

Remuneration:

$80,000 - $90,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications