General Manager
/Job Title:
General Manager
Organization:
Goh Ballet
Deadline:
Jul. 31, 2026
Organization Description:
The Organization “Inspired dance is not the result of physical exercise alone; truly great dance requires the care and dedication of the whole person. Ballet transcends individuals, shaping the creative culture and imaginative vision of our society.” Chan Hon Goh, C.M., D.Litt, General and Artistic Director Growing up and training at Goh Ballet Academy is a very special experience. Whether you come to us in pre-school or your teenage years, we are committed to providing you with dance education that will prepare you to make the very best of the opportunities and challenges that await you in the future. The unabashedly forward-looking and internationally focused Goh Ballet enables students to develop the skills necessary to thrive in the diversely interconnected dance world of the 21st century.
We believe that inspired dance is not the result of physical exercise alone; truly great dance requires the care and dedication of the whole person. We know, too, that ballet transcends individuals, shaping the creative cultures and imaginative vision of our society. We are a caring, supportive, and inspiring institution with high standards and high expectations. Goh Ballet takes tremendous pride in the commitment and accomplishments of our students. Our world-class faculty demonstrates innovation, loyalty, sustainability, care, dedication, teamwork, and leadership by example. These same values are shared by our administrative team, our ballet shop associates, and our volunteers.
Often described as a family, Goh Ballet boasts a remarkable quality of relationships between staff, students, and parents; this three-way partnership is the key to your success. It is my belief that by encouraging our students to lead creatively inspired lives, we are educating them to make the world a better place, offering them a meaningful way to tell their story, and providing an avenue for them to contribute constructively to our society. At Goh Ballet Academy, we know that even the most hidden talent may blossom into The Swan. In this environment, we seek to help aspiring dancers realize their dreams of performing on any stage, in any city in the world. We understand that rigorous training involves acquiring finely-honed skills and beneficial performance opportunities, while a well-rounded dance education also instills the enjoyment of dance and the nourishment of passions in other areas as well.
In 2027, Goh Ballet will open a new permanent state-of-the-art facility at Oakridge Park in Vancouver. Goh Ballet will leverage these unparalleled new facilities to combine dance, education, and performance into a world-class performing arts centre. Goh Ballet and its students will make a significant contribution to the way people express, view, and enjoy art day to day.
Website:
Job Description:
“Fostering Confidence & Creativity Through Self-Expression” Goh Ballet is seeking a creative, dynamic, and entrepreneurial individual to serve as its General Manager. Reporting to and collaborating with the General and Artistic Director of Goh Ballet, Chan Hon Goh C.M., D.Litt., the General Manager will provide leadership across finance, administration, human resources, marketing, business development, facilities, technology, and organizational planning. The successful candidate will support Goh Ballet's continued growth across Vancouver and Toronto while strengthening operational excellence, enhancing financial performance, and expanding organizational capacity. As the management leader of Goh Ballet, the General Manager will play an active role as a thought partner in planning for the organization’s overall advancement. Supporting and partnering with students, parents, staff, and volunteers, the General Manager will build and operationalize the strategic plan while contributing to a thriving, creative, and diverse culture serving artists, students, audiences, and stakeholders in Vancouver, Toronto, and the national and international dance communities. The General Manager will conceptualize and implement a plan to continue growing Goh Ballet’s objectives while leading and motivating a team to devise and realize successful strategies. This role requires an experienced arts manager and business leader who combines strategic thinking with practical execution. The successful candidate will possess strong financial acumen, demonstrated leadership experience, exceptional organizational skills, and a passion for supporting excellence in arts education. As Goh Ballet enters an exciting new chapter with the opening of its permanent home at Oakridge Park, the General Manager will play a central role in shaping the future growth and success of one of Canada's leading dance training institutions. Candidates are encouraged to explore the Goh Ballet website at www.gohballet.com
Responsibilities:
General Manager Roles and Responsibilities
Reporting to Goh Ballet’s General and Artistic Director, the General Manager is Goh Ballet’s management leader. The General Manager is responsible to overseeing HR, marketing, finance, business development and planning, community engagement, and facility management activities. The General Manager works collaboratively with the General and Artistic Director, taking Goh Ballet into its next period of growth and success by implementing an organizational strategy that embraces entrepreneurism, creative thinking, and innovation.
Key Accountabilities:
Strategy and Leadership
●Embody and provide positive and collaborative leadership to the staff.
●Develop an organizational culture that supports a cohesive, creative, and productive staff that embodies the highest ethical standards.
●Utilize a confident leadership approach in collaboration with the volunteers, parents, community partners, donors, staff, and other stakeholders.
●Possess the ability to inspire and engage stakeholders, the community, and the region to support Goh Ballet.
●Together with the General and Artistic Director, implement a strategy to broaden the training models to grow the organization, increase engagement with community members and stakeholders, and capture the attention and participation of new residents, given the changing demographic profiles in Vancouver and Toronto.
●Identify opportunities, plan, and implement collaborations and events that advance Goh Ballet. Financial Management
●Oversee the day-to-day financial management and accounting officer, ensuring transparency, integrity, risk management, and accuracy in all financial reporting.
●In collaboration with the General and Artistic Director, create an annual operational budget.
●Manage the preparation of quarterly and annual deliverables for internal financial reporting to the General and Artistic Director.
●Provide regular updates on variances from the budget and report significant issues to the General and Artistic Director.
●Oversee the operations of the administrative department, including the design of an organizational structure adequate for achieving the department’s goals and objectives.
●Identify and implement opportunities for process improvements and increased efficiency.
●Review and document business and reporting processes, developing, and implementing modifications to improve the efficiency and accuracy of internal controls and systems.
●Oversee budgeting, accounting, and payroll, as well as manage investments and cash flow, to ensure sufficient funds to meet operating needs.
●Review and issue all business contracts and agreements, ensuring accurate preparation and execution.
Facility Management & IT
●Develop/oversee the facility capital maintenance program and day-to-day facility operations.
●Oversee the management of the IT infrastructure, including hardware, software, network security, day-to-day troubleshooting of issues and backups.
●Contribute to the development and execution of the IT Strategic Plan. Administrative Management
●Manage all aspects of human resources, including employment contracts and conflict resolution, with regular reporting to the General and Artistic Director on significant issues.
●Support recruitment and retention strategies, event planning, fundraising efforts, and marketing initiatives.
●Supervise support staff and third-party contractors, ensuring compliance with HR policies.
●Maintain and update staff schedules, handbooks, and procedural manuals.
●Liaise with the artistic department to ensure readiness and execution of all events as per the annual calendar.
●Oversee the maintenance of administrative files and compliance with governing authorities.
Marketing, Communications and Audience Development
●Develop, in collaboration with the General and Artistic Director and Marketing consultants, a comprehensive, integrated, and strategic marketing plan that aligns with the artistic vision and communicates the organization’s brand and programs to a wide range of students, parents, audience members, donors, partners, and other stakeholders.
●Expand the use of digital content and contemporary outreach strategies to increase customer and stakeholder engagement and market reach.
●Develop strategies to connect with the changing demographics of Vancouver and Toronto.
●Assess and adapt audience engagement plans based on the markets served, addressing the distinctive community features of Vancouver and Toronto.
●Develop, expand, and fortify the existing relationships to advance educational and connectivity initiatives.
●Represent Goh Ballet in any community engagement initiatives strategic to the future growth of Goh Ballet
●Manage an agile marketing plan to ensure that all marketing channels present a holistic and unified brand story for Goh Ballet
Management and Empowerment
●Supervise and guide in partnership with the General and Artistic Director, a diverse staff, including professional, creative, technical, production, administrative, front of house, maintenance, and volunteer workers, to ensure patrons, artists, students, and community members have a welcoming and high-quality experience.
●Develop and implement business and operational plans based on the strategic direction.
●Cultivate an organizational climate and culture that attracts, retains, and motivates a diverse top-quality staff.
●Empower all staff members to work at their highest potential to realize success with organizational priorities.
●Establish accountability measures while actively ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.
●Support team ingenuity and professional development with appropriate human resources, structures, systems, and technological platforms in alignment with current and future trends in the theatre field.
●Foster the ongoing development of the team by providing day-to-day direction.
●Support continuous improvement and team building that encourages an effective and rewarding organizational culture for the staff.
●Provide leadership to the team, ensuring they have the tools and skills necessary for the development and implementation of their respective goals and objectives.
●Keep the office team updated with emerging priorities and assist them in modifying plans and practices as required.
●Develop and implement human resource policies, including performance management, performance reviews, coaching, and mentoring, plus all other policies relevant to personnel employed or contracted by Goh Ballet.
Qualifications:
Traits and Characteristics
Proactive, dynamic, independent, self-motivated, detailed, and people-oriented, the General Manager will have exceptional management skills and value frequent interaction and collaboration with others.
The General Manager will be an experienced and entrepreneurial professional, with a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude, who has the know how to actively pursue Goh Ballet’s goals with creativity and determination, and will have a high degree of personal accountability, with a commitment to exceeding expectations.
This individual will balance tasks and projects with a sense of urgency and possess superlative interpersonal and communication skills that articulate compelling verbal and written messages for support.
A self-sufficient and self-managed professional with a highly organized approach, the General Manager will excel at achieving organizational objectives with artists, students, parents, staff, volunteers, sponsors, and prospective supporters.
This individual will bring an affinity for Goh Ballet’s mission and vision, a highly developed financial acumen, and a passion for positively impacting the organization’s long-term success.
Other key Traits and Characteristics of the role include:
Leadership – Organizing and influencing people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction.
Teamwork – Cooperating with others to meet objectives.
Negotiation - Listening to many points of view and facilitating agreements between two or more parties.
Diplomacy - Effectively and tactfully handling difficult or sensitive issues.
Problem Solving - Defining, analyzing, and diagnosing key components of a problem to formulate a solution.
Project Management - Identifying and overseeing all resources, tasks, systems, and people to obtain results.
Planning and Organizing - Establishing courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.
Futuristic Thinking - Imagining, envisioning, projecting, and/or creating what has not yet been actualized.
Flexibility – The ability to prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – Being aware and sensitive to the issues and opportunities with ED&I in the organization.
Qualifications and Experience
Qualified candidates will have at least 7 years of progressive experience with increasing responsibility in a management leadership role in dance, dance training, performing arts, or the education sector. Superior written and verbal communication skills are required. Candidates must possess expertise in and be willing to mentor and develop team members to create a high-performing team.
Additional Requirements
●Criminal Record Check, including a vulnerable sector search.
●Ability to travel frequently to Toronto and other cities as required.
●Valid driver's license.
●Full-time role with occasional evening, weekend, and out-of-hours work
●First Aid Certification: Valid Child Care First Aid and CPR, or willingness to obtain within the first three months of employment.
How to Apply:
Goh Ballet’s General Manager Search is led by Martin Bragg and Nicola Dawes of Martin Bragg & Associates. To apply in confidence, please email your letter of interest and resume in Word or PDF format to Martin Bragg & Associates at gohballet@mbassociates.ca All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply and will receive an acknowledgement of their application. No phone calls, please. Applications will be reviewed immediately, and the deadline is 5:00 p.m. on July 31, 2026. Goh Ballet and Martin Bragg & Associates are committed to an open and transparent hiring process and encourage applications from our diverse community. We welcome all applications from women and gender nonconforming people, people of color, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of Goh Ballet.
Remuneration:
An annual salary of $100,000-$110,000 commensurate with experience, with three weeks of paid vacation and a health spending account of $2,500 annually.
