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Eisemann Center, City of Richardson

Executive Director

Organization

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations (Eisemann Center) is one of the leading performing arts facilities serving the Dallas/Fort Worth area. With the mission to create, foster, and sustain an environment of cultural diversity, educational enrichment, and fulfilling experiences, the Eisemann Center presents more than 450 events annually, serving an audience of over 100,000. Critical acclaim has been awarded not only for events that have taken place at the Eisemann Center, but for the facility and its architectural design.

The Eisemann Center is a 117,000 square-foot facility with three performance spaces. The largest venue is the Margaret and Al Hill Performance Hall. A 1,563-seat venue, it is designed to meet the production needs of any performing arts group producing dance, opera, musical theater, or other event. The Hill Hall features a full working stage house, an adjustable proscenium opening, orchestra pit, customized Wenger orchestra shell, 4,815 square feet of stage space, wood sprung floor, and a full lighting and sound package. The audience chamber was built with acoustically sculpted natural wood-clad walls, which assist in diminishing sound vibrations for symphonic music, dance, theatre, opera, and a wide range of concerts and other events. The Bank of America Theatre is a flexible and versatile performance space and seats between 200 and 400 people, depending on the configuration. The venue features a full working stage house, a 36 foot wide proscenium opening and 1,914 square feet of stage space.

The Bank of America Hall at over 3,000 square feet provides space for hosting private receptions, meetings, seminars, recitals, small tradeshows, and exhibits. The Forrest and Virginia Green Mezzanine-Gallery has 4,000 square feet of exhibition space and reception space that showcases the best of local and regional artists.

Located in the heart of Richardson’s business and technology corridor in the Galatyn Park Urban Center, and just a few hundred feet from DART Rail’s Galatyn Park Station, an attractive public plaza welcomes everyone to the Urban Center. The Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel and Galatyn Park Conference Center is located adjacent to the Eisemann Center and provides more than 30,000 additional square feet of meeting and banquet space.

The Eisemann Center is a department within the City of Richardson. Staffing includes 27 full-time positions and nine part-time staff positions. For the fiscal year ending September 2022, annual revenues are projected to be over $1.3 million, which is down due to the continued impact of COVID-19 on performances and events.

Community

Richardson is a first-ring Dallas suburb located approximately 12 miles north of Dallas’ Central Business District. Originally established in the mid-1800s as a farming community, today Richardson has grown to be a center for telecommunications and other North Texas tech-based industries and is home to the University of Texas at Dallas research university. The concentration of high-tech operations located in and around the Richardson community has earned the city the moniker of being home to the Telecom Corridor® area and the city also now hosts the newly formed Richardson Innovation Quarter® or Richardson IQ®. Richardson is home to more than 500 high-tech and telecommunications companies.

The City’s central location also attracts people and businesses looking for multi-modal transportation amenities and easy access to major North Texas transportation corridors. US-75 bisects the community, with the President George Bush Turnpike running along the City’s northern border and Interstate-635 adjacent to the city’s southern limits. The city is easily accessible from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and has four Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stations along the Red Line that offers access to Downtown Dallas.

While the City has less than 30 square miles of land area, Richardson is among the largest employment centers in the DFW Metroplex – with the normal working daytime population surpassing 130,000. Fossil, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, and several other large companies are also headquartered in the city. Texas Instruments, Qorvo, State Farm, United Healthcare, CBRE, Bank of America, Raytheon, Fujitsu, and other Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 companies also host corporate offices, R&D, production, or other operations in the community.

Richardson is a city that has it all. With more than 900 acres of parkland and an extensive trail system, Richardson is a place where you can enjoy the outdoors while still retaining all the amenities of suburban life. The city also is heavily invested in the cultural arts, with the Eisemann Center bringing world-class shows to town and the annual Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival attracting some of the biggest names in music.

Richardson offers a high quality of life, diverse array of neighborhoods, convenient Metroplex location, multi-modal transportation infrastructure, and outstanding City services, while also being known globally for its high-tech business leadership. Richardson has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top places to live and work by the national media, and the city remains dedicated to continuous improvement, as well as to the principles of open government and two-way communications with residents. The City of Richardson is served by both the Richardson and the Plano Independent school districts.

Sources: cor.net, City of Richardson

Position Summary

Reporting to an Assistant City Manager, a successful Executive Director will build upon the twenty-year history of the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in creating a venue that showcases not only the arts in Richardson but also the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Executive Director will develop, implement, and manage day-to-day operations and staffing for the facility and serve as an ambassador for the facility and the City of Richardson and for all the arts in Richardson. The Executive Director will work to achieve a balance in providing a location for local arts performances while also serving as a presenter for innovative and relevant arts performers to display their talents for audiences to enjoy. The Executive Director will lead staff in providing superior customer service while managing the operation in an efficient and effective manner.

Roles and Responsibilities

Venue Management, Artistic and Programmatic Leadership

  • Create and guide the artistic vision for the Eisemann Center.
  • Conceptualize and implement a vibrant and diverse annual schedule for the Eisemann Center that implements Eisemann Center Presents, a presenting series featuring nationally touring artists and attractions, and other special events.
  • Develop and nurture strong relationships with presenters, promoters, and community stakeholders to ensure that the Eisemann Center’s annual season is recognized for its eclectic and attractive programmatic mix.

Earned Revenue and Fund Development

  • Establish annual and long-term goals for earned and contributed revenue that ensure the sustainability of the Eisemann Center.
  • Lead the staff in the execution of a robust ticket sales and rental plan that generates earned revenue to support the Eisemann Center’s current and future program goals.
  • Oversee marketing and communication strategies that maximize ticket sales, concessions, program fees, rentals, and other earned revenue opportunities.
  • Identify and secure, directly or with community partners, public funding and strengthen relationships with local, state, and federal community and arts agencies.

Organizational Oversight

  • Recruit, retain, and mentor a highly qualified staff, centered on team cohesiveness and collaboration, and providing opportunities for professional and personal growth.
  • Establish and maintain efficient systems and policies for the scheduling and use of the facilities, including all aspects of performances, rentals, and daily operations.
  • Ensure that the organization’s fiscal management and operational practices are in accordance with city policies, procedures, agreements, and guidelines.
  • Maintain a strong financial position, working within the approved budget and in close coordination with city financial officers.

City and Community Engagement

  • Become an active and engaged presence throughout the City of Richardson and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area at large, serving as the Eisemann Center’s visible leader.
  • Foster partnerships and collaborative relationships with businesses and community organizations to achieve the Eisemann Center’s programmatic, educational, and inclusive access goals.

Traits and Characteristics

The Executive Director will be a result-oriented leader with the ability to anticipate and solve complex problems and will possess effective people skills to work collaboratively with city officials, donors, staff, patrons, and community stakeholders. The Executive Director will be decisive, collaborative, resourceful, a clear communicator, and an active listener. The selected individual will have the capacity to discern systems and create a sense of balance within the organization. The Executive Director will have high aesthetic values and a commitment to arts education as a priority.

Other key competencies include:

  • Customer Focus - A commitment to customer satisfaction with a high value on multiple stakeholder needs and the ability to anticipate challenges and develop appropriate solutions.
  • Personal Accountability and Project Management - The capacity to identify and oversee all resources, tasks, systems, and people to obtain results and the competence to prioritize and complete tasks necessary to meet mutually agreed upon expectations and assume responsibility for professional actions.
  • Time and Priority Management and Teamwork- The ability to cooperate with others to meet objectives and prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
  • Interpersonal Skills and Diplomacy- The acumen to effectively and tactfully communicate, building rapport and relating well to all kinds of people, while also being able to handle difficult or sensitive issues.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in arts, theatre, arts administration, business, marketing, or related fields required. Seven years of experience required in fields directly related to arts/theater facility administration, business, or related field, plus a minimum of two years of management experience in the same field(s). Must be computer literate in word processing and data manipulation software; literacy in event scheduling software preferred. Extensive knowledge required of recruiting and producing events, event planning and support functions, marketing, and sales strategies, booking procedures, and budget management. Knowledge of public administration preferred. Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to make effective public presentations. Must be skilled in coordination, negotiation, and community interaction. Must have excellent skills in decision-making, planning, and organization. Must function effectively and independently as well as within a team environment. Must maintain mental focus throughout all assigned activities.

Compensation and Benefits

City of Richardson provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with benefits that include paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; medical, dental, and vision insurance, long-term disability, and life insurance; tuition reimbursement and a wellness program; and a retirement program provided by Texas Municipal Retirement System. The anticipated salary range for this position is $150,000 to $180,000.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, please contact:

Adam Davis, Vice President

4579 Laclede Avenue Suite 456
St. Louis, MO 63108
Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 215
Email    EisemannCenter@ArtsConsulting.com

Richardson is a strong, amazingly diverse city that has deservedly earned recognition for our inclusiveness and compassion. We are a community known for our spirit of volunteerism and servant leadership, and we are a place where the Golden Rule is both practiced and appreciated as evident in our Vision Statement, which calls for Richardson to be, “a clean, safe, vibrant and inclusive community.”

Click here for the downloadable PDF.

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