Chief Executive Officer

Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra; San Juan de Terranova; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Accommodations available upon request

Job summary

The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra in St. John’s, NL, is seeking a transformative Chief Executive Officer to guide strategic direction, operations, and community engagement for a leading provincial arts organization.

Reporting to the Board and collaborating with the Artistic Director, the CEO will drive long-range planning, fundraising, education initiatives, and audience growth while stewarding financial resources and organizational culture toward artistic excellence and community impact.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a performing arts organization or similar mission-driven entity.
• Track record of strategic planning, budgeting, and performance measurement.
• Proven ability to secure funding and manage donor relations.
• Experience collaborating with artistic leadership and boards.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, operational, and financial leadership for NSO.
• Advance the organization's long-term vision in partnership with the Board.
• Lead fundraising, sponsorships, grants, and stakeholder relations.
• Oversee marketing, education programs, and audience development.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture among staff and musicians.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Arts administration

Fundraising

Stakeholder relations

Governance

Budget management

Communication

Education

Undergraduate degree in Arts Administration

Job description

Chief Executive Officer, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO)

St. John’s, NL

This is a unique opportunity to lead one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most important cultural institutions and help shape the future of orchestral music, arts education, and community engagement across the province.

The Company

The NSO is the province’s largest employer of professional musicians, with a 94-member professional orchestra and a broader artistic community that includes the NSO Sinfonia, the Atlantic String Quartet, and the NSO Philharmonic Choir, engaging more than 200 individuals. Operating from the Arts & Culture Centre in St. John’s, the NSO delivers performances, educational initiatives, and outreach programs that enrich communities across the province. With an annual budget of approximately $1.7 million, the organization serves audiences of 20,000 people annually and reaches more than 12,000 students through innovative music education and community programming. Guided by its vision as “Makers of culture, grounded in place,” the NSO presents, reinvents, and shares the musical traditions and legacy of Newfoundland and Labrador while embracing artistic innovation and diversity.

The Role

Reporting to and working closely with the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) provides strategic, operational, and administrative leadership for the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra within a collaborative leadership model alongside the Artistic Director. The CEO is responsible for advancing the organization's long-term vision, implementing strategic plans, overseeing day-to-day operations, and cultivating the relationships and resources required to ensure the NSO’s continued artistic and organizational success.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Executive Leadership: Develop and articulate the organization's strategic vision, values, and priorities while working collaboratively with the Board, Artistic Director, musicians, staff, and key stakeholders to advance artistic excellence, community engagement, outreach, and inclusion.
• Financial Management: Directs the financial and business operations of the organization, including financial planning and annual operating budget. Ensures appropriate internal controls are in place, and all financial reporting is prepared with integrity. Under Board guidance, negotiates contracts with players and guest artists. Collaborates with the Artistic Director to organize rehearsals, concerts, tours and production arrangements.
• Fundraising & Revenue Development: Lead fundraising initiatives, sponsorship development, grant applications, donor engagement, and partnership development to support financial sustainability and organizational growth.
• Marketing & Communications: Serve as a key ambassador and spokesperson for the NSO, overseeing audience development, ticket revenue strategies, communications, media relations, marketing initiatives, and customer experience.
• Community Outreach & Education: Support and expand educational, outreach, and artist training programs while strengthening audience engagement and ensuring broad provincial access to NSO programming.Collaborates with the Artistic Director to organize rehearsals, concerts, tours and production arrangements.
• Board & Stakeholder Relations: Foster strong relationships with the Board of Directors, government partners, community organizations, donors, sponsors, and other stakeholders while supporting effective governance and policy development.
• Human Resource Leadership: Promote a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing culture among staff and musicians while ensuring compliance with workplace legislation, policies, collective agreements, and professional development priorities.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a strategic and collaborative executive leader who combines strong business acumen with a passion for arts and culture. They bring demonstrated success leading complex arts, cultural, not-for-profit, or mission-driven organizations and excel at translating vision into action. An engaging relationship builder and organizational ambassador, they are skilled at cultivating trust, securing funding, navigating government and community relationships, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture. They are equally comfortable managing operations and finances while championing artistic excellence, audience growth, and community impact.

Qualifications and Experience

While the Search Committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all qualifications in equal measure, those listed below are desirable and will be used to compare candidates.

• Undergraduate degree in Arts Administration, Business, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Progressive leadership experience within a performing arts organization or a comparable sector.
• Demonstrated commitment to collaborative leadership and partnership with artistic leadership.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic plans, annual operating plans, and performance measures.
• Experience managing government relations, community engagement, and external stakeholder partnerships.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, grant writing, sponsorship development, and donor relations.
• Experience growing community engagement, audiences, and organizational visibility.
• Experience marketing and promoting a performing arts organization.
• Experience with labour relations and leading within a unionized environment.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong organizational leadership skills and business acumen.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into measurable outcomes.
• Proven fundraising, partnership development, and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Supportive leadership style focused on coaching, mentoring, and professional development.
• Genuine appreciation for the arts, culture sector, and the NSO’s role within the community.
• Ability to build trust and foster collaboration among artistic leadership, musicians, staff, Board members, donors, and community stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Strong interpersonal, relationship management, and ambassadorial skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Vibrant, influential, and engaging professional presence.

The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. We will provide support and accommodations to applicants with disabilities, upon request. If you need accommodation in order to participate as a candidate in the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail] or communicate your needs to the recruitment professional named in the job description.