Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer

Gay Men's Chorus Of Los Angeles; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan with Safe Harb

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles seeks a proven nonprofit executive to serve as CEO & Executive Producer, shaping strategy, fundraising, and operations for a leading LGBTQ+ performing arts organization in Los Angeles.

The role combines leadership of staff, production oversight, and external relations to advance artistic excellence, financial sustainability, and audience growth in a dynamic cultural community.

Qualifications

• Ten+ years of nonprofit leadership with executive experience.
• Experience in performing arts management preferred.
• Proven fundraising success across donors, foundations, and institutional supporters.
• Strong marketing and audience development capabilities.
• Excellent communication and public speaking; poised as a spokesperson.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to advance GMCLA’s mission and sustainability.
• Oversee budgets, fundraising initiatives, audience development, and external relations.
• Supervise senior staff and collaborate with the Board on governance and strategy.
• Ensure production, financial health, and artistic priorities align with organizational goals.

Skills

Nonprofit leadership

Fundraising

Marketing & audience development

Financial management

Board relations

Public speaking

Strategic planning

Staff supervision

Communication skills

Job description

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA), one of the nation's most prominent LGBTQ+ performing arts organizations, seeks an experienced, dynamic, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as its next Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer.

Founded in 1979, GMCLA has built an extraordinary legacy at the intersection of music, community, advocacy, and social change. From its earliest days in the emerging gay rights movement, through the devastating years of the AIDS crisis, the fight for marriage equality, and today's continuing work for equality and acceptance, GMCLA has used the power of music to entertain, inspire, educate, and bring people together.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA), one of the nation's most prominent LGBTQ+ performing arts organizations, seeks an experienced, dynamic, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as its next Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer.

Founded in 1979, GMCLA has built an extraordinary legacy at the intersection of music, community, advocacy, and social change. From its earliest days in the emerging gay rights movement, through the devastating years of the AIDS crisis, the fight for marriage equality, and today's continuing work for equality and acceptance, GMCLA has used the power of music to entertain, inspire, educate, and bring people together.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the Board of Directors through its Chair, the CEO & Executive Producer is the chief staff executive of GMCLA and has overall responsibility for the leadership, management, financial sustainability, fundraising, audience development, external relations, operations, and production activities of the organization.

The CEO & Executive Producer supervises the Artistic Director, Development Director, and Administrative Manager, oversees production personnel, and manages relationships with contracted professionals and firms providing services including marketing, communications, bookkeeping, accounting, and other organizational functions.

The CEO works in close partnership with the Board of Directors to establish organizational priorities and long-range strategies and is responsible for translating those priorities into effective programs, budgets, fundraising initiatives, audience-development efforts, and operations.

As Executive Producer, the CEO & Executive Producer holds overall responsibility for the successful production and presentation of GMCLA's performances. Working in close partnership with the Artistic Director, the CEO ensures that artistic plans are supported by effective production management, appropriate resources, realistic schedules, and sound financial planning. The Artistic Director retains responsibility for artistic vision, programming, repertoire, and the musical and artistic standards of the Chorus, while the CEO oversees the operational, financial, and production elements necessary to bring that vision to life.

LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for GMCLA and ensure that the organization's programs and activities advance its mission while supporting long-term financial and institutional sustainability.
• Work closely with the Board Chair and Board of Directors to develop organizational priorities, long-range plans, annual budgets, and strategies for growth.
• Recruit, supervise, support, and evaluate senior staff, including the Artistic Director, Development Director, and Administrative Manager, while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing organizational culture.
• Maintain rigorous oversight of GMCLA's financial operations, working with bookkeeping, accounting, audit, and financial professionals to ensure responsible budgeting, reporting, internal controls, cash management, and long-term fiscal health.
• Ensure that organizational resources are deployed effectively and that artistic and programmatic ambitions are appropriately balanced with financial realities and institutional priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with artistic leadership, balancing artistic ambition with financial sustainability, production requirements, and organizational strategy while respecting the Artistic Director's responsibility for artistic direction.

FUNDRAISING, MARKETING & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

The CEO & Executive Producer serves as one of GMCLA's principal fundraisers and is responsible for building the contributed and earned revenue necessary to sustain and grow the organization. Working with the Development Director, Board, staff, consultants, and volunteers, the CEO will cultivate relationships with individual donors, foundations, corporations, government agencies, community partners, and other supporters.

• Lead the organization's overall fundraising strategy and participate actively in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors and institutional funders.
• Build strong relationships with foundations and other institutional partners and identify new sources of contributed revenue.
• Work closely with the Board of Directors to strengthen Board participation in fundraising and donor cultivation.
• Oversee marketing, communications, ticketing, and audience-development strategies designed to maintain existing audiences while reaching new and increasingly diverse constituencies.
• Monitor ticket sales, audience behavior, pricing, subscription and single-ticket strategies, marketing effectiveness, and other indicators affecting earned revenue and attendance.
• Ensure that GMCLA maintains a compelling, contemporary, and consistent public identity across advertising, digital communications, social media, public relations, and institutional messaging.

COMMUNITY & EXTERNAL RELATIONS

The CEO & Executive Producer is the chief institutional spokesperson for GMCLA and an important public representative of the organization and its mission.

The CEO will maintain and expand relationships throughout Los Angeles and the broader arts, LGBTQ+, philanthropic, civic, business, and entertainment communities and will represent GMCLA at public events, fundraising activities, community gatherings, media appearances, and other opportunities as appropriate.

The CEO will also work closely with GMCLA's chorus leadership, particularly the Chorus Membership President and Membership Committee, to maintain strong communication and alignment between the professional management of the organization and its volunteer singer membership. This relationship is essential to preserving GMCLA's unique culture: an organization in which professional artistic and administrative leadership works in partnership with a large and deeply committed volunteer membership.

THE CANDIDATE

GMCLA seeks a proven executive who combines strong nonprofit management skills with entrepreneurial energy, financial discipline, fundraising ability, creativity, and a genuine enthusiasm for live performance.

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible nonprofit management experience, with significant senior or executive leadership experience.
• Experience in performing arts management strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including individual giving, major gifts, foundation and institutional support, donor cultivation, and working collaboratively with boards on development.
• Significant understanding of marketing and audience development, including the rapidly changing environment for attracting, communicating with, and retaining contemporary arts audiences.
• Strong financial management skills, including experience developing and managing organizational and production budgets and interpreting financial reports.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise senior professional staff and outside consultants and to create accountability while encouraging collaboration.
• Experience working effectively with a nonprofit Board of Directors.
• Excellent communication and public-speaking skills and the presence and judgment necessary to serve as an institutional spokesperson.
• Experience developing relationships with community leaders, foundations, corporations, civic organizations, donors, artists, and other external stakeholders.
• An understanding of live performance and theatrical production is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of music and/or choral music is a plus but is not required.
• A demonstrated ability to work effectively with volunteers and an appreciation for the distinctive culture of a membership-based performing arts organization.
• A strong commitment to GMCLA's mission and to the values of equality, inclusion, artistic excellence, and service to the LGBTQ+ and greater Los Angeles communities.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The anticipated salary range for this position is $140,000-$180,000, commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate.

GMCLA offers a competitive benefits package, including employer-supported health insurance and participation in the organization's 401(k) retirement plan with Safe Harbor contribution, as well as paid vacation, holidays, and other benefits consistent with GMCLA policies.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

GMCLA welcomes qualified applicants of all backgrounds and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

GMCLA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.