Executive Director

POSITION SUMMARY
The Executive Director at Shakespeare & Company will serve as a key business and operations leader, partnering with the Artistic Director to ensure the overall health and sustainability of the organization. This role emphasizes operational excellence, financial management, and brand awareness, while also fostering relationships within the community and the arts sector. The Executive Director will guide the staff towards operational success and navigate the challenges of the evolving theatre landscape.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Manage all operational and financial affairs of the company.
• Lead a collaborative budgeting process and ensure ongoing fiscal rigor.
• Grow revenue streams to support artistic and educational programming.
• Build, implement, and manage systems and procedures for ethical business practices.
• Establish and maintain a relationship of trust with the Artistic Director, Staff, and Board.
• Set goals and accountability systems for administrative teams.
• Advocate for financial support as an ambassador for Shakespeare & Company.
• Manage Shakespeare & Company’s union relationships.
• Collaborate with the Board and Artistic Director on strategic planning and vision.
• Explore new compensation and benefits strategies to attract and retain staff.
• Lead commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion in business functions.
• Mediate and resolve conflicts with patience and listening skills.
• Improve communication within and outside the organization.
• Expand marketing of Shakespeare & Company’s programming in innovative ways.
• Work with the board to create and execute fundraising strategies to secure the necessary resources for the organization’s mission.
• Actively engage and energize Shakespeare & Company’s extensive volunteers, board members, event committees, alumni, partnering organizations, and funders.
• Deepen and refine all aspects of communications—from web presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand.
• Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities.
• Spearhead the beautification of our exceptional property, making a community resource.
• Enhance the Company’s role as a member of the Lenox municipal and business communities and the consortium of arts organizations in the Berkshires.
ABOUT SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY
Shakespeare & Company is a professional live theater company in the heart of the Berkshires offering innovative, socially responsive, and educationally challenging performances, workshops and residencies, recognized nationally as an innovative leader in teaching Shakespeare and integrating theatre arts. Founded in 1978, Shakespeare & Company is a thriving center of creative and collaborative excellence in Actor Training, Performance, and Education, rooted in Shakespeare’s work and the Elizabethan ideals of inquiry, balance and harmony. Shakespeare & Company is committed to nurturing the creative impulse, exploring the universal themes of human experience, and engaging with the widest possible audience in order to influence future generations. Shakespeare & Company is committed to an evolving approach to diversity and inclusion to engender an active process and positive change toward equity in its employment and artistry and to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported, and inspired to bring their authentic voice and creative perspective to their work. We strive to represent individuals from all walks of life in our workforce and seek to engage those who will embrace our vigorous commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility as well as anti-racism initiatives, with the goal of engaging ourselves in endeavors that enrich and promote a more just society.
TO APPLY
Send cover letter, resume, and references. Applications accepted until December 4, 2025.
By Email: jobsearch@shakespeare.org (include: Position Title and Name in subject line)
By Mail: Job Search: Executive Director
70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA 01240