THE OPPORTUNITY

The experienced and dedicated Board of Directors seeks an emotionally intelligent and nimble Managing Director to partner with Artistic Director Peter Williams in co-leadership of the Freight & Salvage (“the Freight”). Celebrating its 55th year of operations, the Freight is ready to embark on the next round of strategic visioning and is looking for an individual who listens, inspires, collaborates, and leads. The Managing Director provides organizational leadership centering fiscal management, administration, human resources, and cultivation, stewardship, and relationship building with major funders and supporters of the Freight. The Managing Director directly supervises and provides strategic guidance to the Director of Finance & Administration, the Director of Development, the Director of Education & Community Engagement, and the Director of Rentals & Community Partnerships. The Managing Director also positively contributes to and embodies the Freight’s passionate, inclusive, and music-loving culture for the hardworking and dedicated staff. The Managing Director will represent the Freight in community engagement activities to develop new and expand existing organizational relationships. This is an exciting time for an empathetic and proactive leader to help solidify a dynamic new leadership model while inspiring and bringing together internal and external stakeholders around ways to take the Freight’s rich legacy of community impact to new heights.

THE FREIGHT

The Freight & Salvage is a mission-driven nonprofit community arts organization and world famous music and cultural venue dedicated to promoting public awareness and understanding of traditional music—music that is rooted in and expressive of the great variety of regional, ethnic, and social cultures of peoples throughout the world. The Freight is a valuable community resource and premier listening room delivering an eclectic and diverse mix of live traditional music from across the globe and outstanding, hands-on educational programming locally for young people and adults. The Freight is supported by steadfast attendance, grants, musicians’ benefit performances, volunteer efforts, and generous donations. Visit https://thefreight.org to learn more.

THE HISTORY

Since its founding in 1968, the Freight has been deeply rooted in that part of Berkeley, California’s culture that embraces freedom, justice, acceptance, collaboration, and innovation. The ethos of Berkeley in the 1960s - characterized by a free-wheeling mix of anti-establishment politics; radical life-style experimentation; struggles for racial and gender equality; and a profound respect for traditional cultures able to survive and even flourish outside the commercial “mainstream” - was vitally linked to the city’s music scene and lives on today at the Freight which continues to reflect those heady times.

What began as an 87-seat coffee house in June of 1968, when Nancy Owens took over the lease and the name of a failing used furniture store at 1827 San Pablo Avenue, became a place where musicians and music-lovers gathered and evolved to a landmark venue for folk and old time music that has expanded inclusively to world-wide traditions and new genres. By 1983, patrons, performers, and employees formally incorporated the operation as the Berkeley Society for the Preservation of Traditional Music. Thanks to a solid base of community support, astute business practices, and a little bit of luck, the Freight settled into its facility at 1111 Addison Street in 1984. Only three blocks from the original storefront, and with 220 seats and a new sound system, the new facility became one of the best spots in the San Francisco Bay Area to see and hear live music including traditional music from outside the continental US. In 2009, the Freight moved to its current, world-class location at 2020 Addison Street with 490 seats in the heart of the Berkeley Arts District.

THE ROLE: KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Leadership and Management (70%)

• Under the Dual Leadership Model, partner with the Artistic Director to develop and implement goals, strategic plan, and shared vision
• Serve as a principal resource, alongside the Artistic Director, to the Board of Directors and its key committees
• Maintain an effective and collaborative working relationship with the Board of Directors as a whole and with individual board members
• Oversee all operational, financial, and fundraising activities of the organization ensuring that they are in alignment with program and artistic mission (just as the Artistic Director leads and manages to meet financial and operational objectives)
• Manage and inspire staff, leading the team toward a common mission
• Directly supervise, develop, and support four Directors: the Director of Finance & Administration, Director of Development, Director of Education & Community Engagement, and Director of Rentals & Community Partnerships
• Foster an organizational culture of results, learning, innovative thinking, accountability, and collaboration
• Be an advocate and bridge-builder building awareness of and enthusiasm for the Freight and cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with major donors, government agencies, and partner organizations
• Oversee facilities management and IT
• Play a leadership role in growing the ecosystem of independent venues that offer musicians fair fees, ethical treatment, a professional working environment with high production values, effective promotion that attracts audiences, and opportunities to intersect with other constituencies in the local community

Fiscal Management (20%)

• Develop, manage, and monitor organizational budget in partnership with the Director of Finance & Administration and the Board of Directors
• Strategically link revenues and resource allocation to facilitate and manage agency and programmatic growth
• Oversee the presentation of financial and organizational progress reports to the Board of Directors

Fundraising (10%)

• Deepen and expand relationships with diverse funding sources, including public agencies, foundations, corporations, and individual donors
• Drive key results in fundraising by working with the Director of Development and Board of Directors in development and execution of a strategic development plan

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

The Freight is partnering with values-aligned, Bay Area-based, BIPOC and woman-owned and -led strategic management consulting and executive search firm Walker and Associates Consulting on this search. Please email a cover letter describing your interest and why you feel you are a strong candidate for this position and resume to thefreight@walkeraac.com by Friday, June 2, 2023. We understand that no candidate brings 100% of what is sought in a role so please feel free to outline transferable experiences and skills related to those sought above in your cover letter.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

The Freight and Salvage is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity to its employees and applicants for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other reason unrelated to ability to perform the position.  This policy applies to every aspect of employment, including but not limited to hiring, advancement, transfer, demotion, termination, compensation, benefit, training and working conditions.

THE IDEAL MANAGING DIRECTOR

The ideal Managing Director will bring the following:

Relevant Knowledge, Experience & Skills

• A deep love of music with interest in and, preferably, some familiarity with traditional music, cultures, and their roots and trends
• Experience in senior leadership, including staff and budget management, preferably in a performing arts, music and cultural, and/or nonprofit setting in, inclusive of, or similar in diversity to the Bay Area
• Track record of building relationships and working collaboratively with staff, Boards, public partners, government agencies, supporters, nonprofits, business leaders, and the community in a way that draws people in and connects them to a mission or community
• Demonstrated ability to think big and create a vision for greater organizational prominence, reach, and impact
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills including the ability to charismatically, authentically, and effectively build enthusiasm for the Freight and clearly, empathetically, and yet with determination address issues with a range of diverse people and stakeholders
• Experience supervising direct reports in an organization that has 10+ employees/volunteers including a demonstrated ability to develop and retain diverse staff and cross-functional teams performing in a dynamic environment
• Experience with oversight of complex range of programs or operations, preferably inclusive of arts programming and/or venue/facilities management
• Financial fluency and experience managing and analyzing complex budgets and understanding of how to increase, diversify, and optimize multiple funding sources
• Professional experience concretizing the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); including and not limited to fostering a work environment where everyone is respected, listened to, encouraged to participate fully, and has the support and advocacy needed to be effective; incorporating DEI principles into policies and practices
• Experience developing and executing strategic plans for an organization with the ability to plan and execute on specific metrics to achieve organizational goals
• Experience in facilities management and planning for capital improvements strongly preferred

Personal Leadership Traits & Competencies

• Emotionally mature and grounded with a good sense of humor, calmness, and the flexibility and sensitivity to work with diverse personalities in complex situations
• Relational, not transactional, in dealing with people including listening to understand, taking into account multiple viewpoints, and engaging others thoughtfully and productively in conflict resolution
• Approachable and humble creating space for others to contribute and be recognized
• Committed to personal excellence and equipping others to achieve excellence
• Organized, attention to detail, flexible and ability to help others adapt as priorities shift and new opportunities arise
• Problem solver who seeks solutions and inputs from others and is comfortable making tough decisions and how to bring others along to move work forward
• Embodies cultural competencies and humility
• Curious, learning-oriented, and open to feedback