Vice President of Orchestra and Production

Department:

Orchestra Operations

Reports To:

President and CEO

Classification:

Exempt

Status:

Regular Fulltime

Direct Reports:

10 direct reports; 3 indirect reports

Salary Range:

$150000 $175000

Position Summary:

The Vice President of Orchestra and Production (VPOP) is an executive leadership role responsible for overseeing orchestra management and concert operations of the Minnesota Orchestra guided by the MOAs vision values and strategic plan. As a member of the senior management team the position reports to the President and CEO and ensures operational and production implementation of concert experiences for audiences at Orchestra Hall in the community and throughout the region. The VPOP manages a team of five fulltime staff three librarians and five stage crew and collaborates closely with the Music Director Orchestra leadership and the entire senior management team to support artistic excellence while maintaining financial sustainability and operational efficiency.

About the Minnesota Orchestra

The Minnesota Orchestra is a Grammy Awardwinning orchestra known for acclaimed performances in Minnesota and around the world a storied history of recordings and radio broadcasts innovative educational engagement programs and a commitment to new orchestral music. Founded by Emil Oberhoffer in 1903 as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra the organization was the eighth major orchestra established in the United States. In 1911 it began a series of childrens concerts under the sponsorship of the Young Peoples Symphony Concert Association (YPSCA) which continues to this day. Early in the 1920s the orchestra was one of the first to be heard on recordings and on the radio playing a nationally broadcast concert with guest conductor Bruno Walter in 1923. In 1968 the orchestra changed its name to the Minnesota Orchestra (or Minnesota Orchestral Association).

Today the Orchestra performs a wide variety of music including nearly 175 concerts in a typical year primarily at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis the organizations home since 1974. The Orchestra is led by Music Director Thomas Sndergrd and has historically toured regularly throughout Minnesota nationally and abroad.

The Minnesota Orchestra has an annual budget of $42.6M and ended FY2024 with net assets of $185.5M. The organization employs 92 musicians 86 FT staff and many more PT staff and is supported and governed by an 80 member Board of Directors. Last year 224049 guests attended inperson concerts and an additional 168810 watched digitally for a total audience of 393859. With streaming listeners included the Orchestra reached more than 2 million people.

At the Minnesota Orchestra we believe every employee is essential to the success of the organization and critical to accomplishing our mission to enrich inspire and serve our community. Our working relationships are based on respect for each other as individuals confidence in one another and a genuine desire to actively listen and collaborate with each other. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization that honors and reflects the community we serve welcomes and instills diversity across our organization and nurtures an equitable and inclusive culture.

Learn more at

Essential Functions:

Orchestra Management

• Serve as an advocate for the Orchestra nurturing a strong rapport with Orchestra leadership and fostering a work environment characterized by healthy relationships with Orchestra musicians. Primary staff liaison with the musicians committee (MOMC).
• Administer the Orchestras Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and serve as first point of contact with American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 3073 ensuring accurate adherence to all terms of the Agreement and applicable labor laws.
• Collaborate with the President and CEO and other senior leadership in the collective bargaining process with AFM Local 3073 ensuring productive negotiations that advance the mission vision and goals of the organization.
• Provide counsel to the Music Director on Orchestra audition planning recruitment retention culture and personnel matters impacting the artistic excellence of the ensemble.
• Oversee functions and related activities of the Orchestra library and librarians.
• Negotiate individual musician contracts.

Concert Operations and Production:

• Oversee all aspects of onstage and backstage production including rehearsals performances special events rentals and concerts outside of Orchestra Hall.
• Ensure equipment and production needs are fulfilled maintained and optimized in accordance with artistic standards safety requirements and financial parameters.
• In consultation with the VP of Artistic Planning and Director of Artistic Operations develop and maintain multiyear rehearsal performance and venue calendars ensuring adherence with labor agreements and balancing efficient use of orchestra services and Orchestra Hall.
• Manage the work of the stage crew consistent with the terms of the Orchestras agreement with IATSE Local 13 and applicable labor laws. Interpret implement and uphold terms of the Agreement while cultivating an onstage environment supporting high artistic standards and operational efficiency.
• Lead the collective bargaining process with IATSE Local 13 ensuring productive negotiations that advance the mission vision and goals of the organization.
• Manage relationships and negotiations for feebased engagements and coproductions within the state of Minnesota ensuring compliance with contracts and agreements.

Team Leadership & Financial Management

• Supervise the Director of Artistic Operations Orchestra Personnel Manager librarians and stage crew fostering a culture of collegiality excellence and collaboration.
• Manage recruitment training and performance evaluations for orchestra operations and production staff. Serve as a key liaison between artistic and operations teams.
• Lead and implement strategies in collaboration with VP of People and Culture to advance diversity equity and inclusion internal culture belonging recruitment and retention of Orchestra production and operations personnel.
• Develop and oversee the Orchestra stage crew library and production budgets ensuring costeffective resource allocation monitoring and forecasting.
• Identify ongoing opportunities for process improvements and efficiency in concert production orchestra operations and touring logistics.

Electronic Media & Touring

• Administer and interpret AFM media agreements ensuring accurate payments required reporting and any applicable royalty distribution. Negotiate and administer recording contracts in collaboration with other senior management.
• Execute national/international tours and residencies coordinating logistics travel and production needs for the Orchestra.
• Coordinate local broadcasting plans and schedule with Minnesota Public Radio.

Additional Responsibilities

• Attend concerts and events frequently to gain additional insight into the performance of the Orchestra and develop meaningful relationships with audience members.
• Communicate with orchestra staff and Board of Directors regarding orchestra operations and production matters.
• Engage with industry organizations such as the League of American Orchestras the American Federation of Musicians Sphinx and the International Conference of Symphony and Orchestra Musicians to stay informed of trends and activities in the orchestra sector.
• Perform other duties as needed or directed.

Leadership Expectations:

The leader in this position is wellinformed of high integrity and can easily build trust. The following are expected leadership qualities for this role:

• Demonstrate integrity in actions and words
• Demonstrate a commitment to the MN Orchestra Values
• Set clear goals and priorities holding yourself and direct reports accountable to meet strategic priorities
• Ability to effectively lead through changing priorities
• Coach and counsel direct reports regarding individual performance and other career development areas taking corrective action when necessary
• Create an environment that inspires a high level of commitment and performance
• Lead innovation and positive change on your team and across the organization
• Maintain staff by recruiting selecting and training employees

Minimum Qualifications Skills and Abilities:

• Bachelors degree in arts administration business music or a related field
• Minimum of 8 years of experience with an orchestra or performing arts organization with at least 4 years in a director or seniorlevel leadership role
• Strong knowledge of orchestral music orchestra management best practices production and technical equipment backofhouse venue operations and stage management
• Experience developing and managing complex budgets and union agreements (AFM IATSE etc.)
• Exceptional leadership communication analytical ability and problemsolving skills
• A peopleoriented leader who demonstrates emotional intelligence flexibility and a commitment to diversity equity and inclusion
• Ability to work collaboratively with musicians and a diverse range of stakeholders
• Experience with touring logistics project management and largescale productions

Technology/Equipment:

• Intermediate knowledge of video conferencing tools (i.e. Zoom Microsoft Teams)
• Intermediate knowledge of ArtsVision
• Intermediate knowledge of MS Office suite especially Excel Word Outlook PowerPoint

Work Environment and Physical and Mental Demands:

The Minnesota Orchestra is primarily a placebased organization offering hybrid schedules that require some inperson onsite work. Permission is required for applicants and current employees seeking to reside outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area or more than 60 miles from Orchestra Hall.

While working on site at Orchestra Hall or the administrative offices work is performed in an open office environment with moderate noise levels in a cubical desk configuration and in a performing art building on stage in a lobby or other location within the facility and occasionally in an outdoor environment for outdoor concerts or other activities.

While performing the duties of this position incumbents may be required to do all or some of the following with or without accommodation:

• Sit or stand at a desk counter or other work surface
• Talk and/or hear spoken words music or other sounds
• Use hands or fingers to handle or touch objects around them
• Review documents monitors or displays with potentially small print
• Operate a computer phone and other common office tools or controls
• Mentally focus on tasks and apply sound reasoning and judgement
• Work in or attend meetings or other events in any of the Orchestra locations or other sites as necessary
• Lift/move objects (such as files packages props or office equipment) or ensure objects are lifted/moved that may weigh up to 15 lbs.

The typical workdays and hours for the organization are Monday Friday 8:00 am 5:00 pm with potential for extended evening weekend or holiday hours if required by the performance schedule.

In this exempt position work is expected to be delivered within established deadlines and quality standards without regard to the typical working days or hours as noted above with some autonomy to determine attendance at a performance or other events.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Minnesota Orchestral Association is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable discrimination laws. We recruit hire train and promote all persons without regard to race color sex religion national origin sexual orientation age disability creed status with regard to public assistance or any other nonjob related characteristic.