Executive Director

Dance/NYC is Hiring:
Executive Director, Dance/NYC
Status: Full-Time, At-Will, Exempt
Reports to: Board of Directors
Start Date: Early 2026 (Search concludes late 2025)
Compensation: Package includes a salary of $120,000 and competitive benefits such as Health care, 401K, pre-tax Commuter and Health contributions, flexible PTO, and more
*Dance/NYC offers the highest available salary our budget can afford as an alternative to salary negotiation, which can introduce bias and reflect an individual’s positional power or negotiation skills rather than their job qualifications.
Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)
Because Dance/NYC only serves the five boroughs of New York City and surrounding counties of Bergen, Hudson in New Jersey State, and Rockland, Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties in New York State; and the City of Yonkers, Dance/NYC is only recruiting individuals who are based in or relocating to this geographic area and able to commute to regular in-person meetings and events.

About Dance/NYC
Incorporated as a nonprofit on August 17, 2012, and beginning operations on January 1, 2013, Dance/NYC carries on the legacy of its former branch office under Dance/USA. It was founded to promote the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and performance of dance in the NYC metropolitan area, embedding values of justice, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of its work. Now in its thirteenth year of service, Dance/NYC is the only dance service organization of its kind and has emerged as a true cultural force. Dance/NYC serves 6,000+ dance workers and 1,700+ dance entities each year, with an emphasis on small budget dance companies and dance workers with historically disinvested identities.

Mission (to be adopted September 2025):

Dance/NYC champions the New York City area dance sector by fostering a more just, equitable, and inclusive landscape where dance workers and organizations can thrive. Through research, advocacy, regranting, and information sharing, Dance/NYC advances dance as a cultural necessity and a common good.
Its work is grounded in four key areas:
Action-oriented research – Providing data that drives policy, informs investment, and strengthens the field.
Advocating for the NYC dance community by engaging policymakers, civic leaders, and funders to increase visibility and financial support for dance.
Regranting direct monetary support to the field.
Knowledge-sharing via Dance/NYC’s robust online presence through initiatives like Dance Worker Digests, the Dance Workforce Resilience Hub, and more.
Learn more at Dance.NYC.

The Opportunity
Dance/NYC seeks an innovative and equity-driven Executive Director (ED) to lead the organization into its next phase, guided by a new five-year strategic plan. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED will serve as a prominent advocate, fundraiser, and representative for New York City’s diverse dance community. This leader will be deeply connected to the field and committed to ensuring that dance workers and organizations have the resources, recognition, and support needed to thrive. The ED will provide inclusive leadership, oversee a $1.5M budget, manage a team of 8–10, and partner with a to-be-hired Director of Programming & Operations to foster balanced, sustainable leadership and long-term organizational sustainability.
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Lead implementation of Dance/NYC’s new five-year strategic plan, aligning programs and initiatives with mission, values, and community needs.
Drive long-term sustainability and impact, ensuring organizational priorities are responsive to the evolving needs of the dance field.
Foster a collaborative, transparent, and equitable organizational culture in partnership with staff and board.
Fundraising & Resource Development
Design and implement ambitious fundraising strategies across government, foundation, corporate, individual, and board giving.
Secure new and increased support to sustain and grow Dance/NYC’s programs and regranting initiatives.
Partner with the Board of Directors to expand contributed revenue and diversify funding streams.
Community Engagement & Program Oversight
Cultivate relationships with peer organizations, field leaders, and funders to expand organizational capacity and deepen partnerships.
Ensure Dance/NYC reflects and uplifts the diverse communities it serves, with emphasis on historically underfunded and underrepresented dance workers.
Provide strategic direction for programs, including research, advocacy, grantmaking, convenings, and digital platforms.
Provide editorial leadership for communications and articulate Dance/NYC’s research agenda and advocacy priorities.
Advocacy & Policy Leadership
Serve as a prominent advocate for the dance sector with civic leaders, public officials, and cultural partners to ensure dance is represented in civic and cultural policy decisions at the city, state, and national levels.
Build coalitions and maintain partnerships to secure greater public investment and advance systemic change.
Represent Dance/NYC at performances, convenings, and events, serving as a trusted presence for the community.
Financial & Organizational Management
Oversee fiscal health, budgeting, and revenue strategies to ensure long-term sustainability.
In partnership with Director-level leadership, manage a team of 8–10 staff, as well as interns, volunteers, and contractors.
Engage organizational best practices for communication, workflows, and record keeping.
Justice, Equity & Inclusion
Deepen Dance/NYC’s commitment to racial justice and systemic equity, ensuring inclusive access to resources, funding, and platforms for all dance makers.
Regularly engage in learning focused on justice, equity, and inclusion (including racism, xenophobia, ableism), and apply these practices in leadership and management.
Uphold Dance/NYC’s values of justice, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across all aspects of organizational work.
Ideal Qualifications
Deep connection to the dance community and demonstrated commitment to its growth and sustainability.
An open-mindedness and curiosity to more deeply understand Dance/NYC’s constituents.
Proven record of advocacy and policy leadership within arts, culture, or nonprofit sectors.
Demonstrated success in fundraising and resource development, including government, foundation, corporate and individual giving.
A demonstrable record of success in leading racial justice, equity, inclusion, and/or access initiatives.
Senior leadership experience with strong skills in strategy, team management, and coalition building.
Adaptable and proactive in encountering new technologies or ways of working.
A compelling, values-driven communicator able to inspire funders, artists, and policymakers.

Dance/NYC is an equal opportunity employer
Employment is offered without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, political belief or activity, or status as a veteran. The policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, transfer, termination, layoff, compensation benefits, social and recreational programs, and all other conditions and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. It is the policy of Dance/NYC to comply with all the relevant and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Dance/NYC does not discriminate against any qualified Employees or job applicants with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of employment because of a person’s physical or mental disability. Dance/NYC makes reasonable accommodation wherever necessary for all Employees or applicants with disabilities, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the duties and assignments connected with the job and provided that any accommodations made do not require significant difficulty or expense.
Dance/NYC does not operate from a single physical office location. Our in-person meetings and events are hosted at various venues throughout the city. We prioritize accessibility in all event and meeting spaces, selecting locations that offer step-free access or lifts/ramps where needed. We also provide additional access services such as CART captioning, ASL interpretation, and other accommodations upon request. We are committed to creating welcoming environments for all members of the dance community and continue to evaluate and improve access in alignment with disability justice principles.
Application Process
This search process is managed by our talent partner Zocalo and the Search Committee comprised of select Board and staff members. The timeline will run approximately:
September 9-29 – initial outreach and applications
October 3-17 – first round interviews by Zoom
October 20-31 – second round interviews by Zoom, including an assessment task to be provided at least 1 week in advance and presented during the interview
November 3-17 – third and final interviews in person. References will be requested and contacted by candidate’s consent following the final interview.
November 17 – December 15 – offer and onboarding
*Dance/NYC can provide candidates with access requests, if needed. Candidates are asked to submit accessibility requests directly in their application so we can ensure your interview experience meets your needs.

To apply, please email your cover letter and resume to our talent partner, Zocalo, kimberly@zocalo.cc

Cover Letter:
Your cover letter should include answers to each of the following questions:
How does your background and interest align with the Core Responsibilities of the Executive Director at Dance/NYC?
How would you characterize your understanding of the NYC dance ecosystem?
Dance/NYC is a values-driven organization, please review our values of Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (found at: www.dance.nyc/equity/values) and discuss two instances in your professional career where you have demonstrated at least one of them?
Please briefly describe your leadership style and the type of workplace you cultivate.