Executive Director

Jazz Bakery; Los Angeles, California (CA, MO); On-site; USD 86,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

The Jazz Bakery, based in Los Angeles, seeks an Executive Director to lead artistic programming, operations, and fundraising while expanding community partnerships and education programs. You will work with the Board to set strategy, budgets, and long-term planning, ensuring a vibrant platform for jazz in the city.

The role demands hands-on leadership, financial discipline, and a deep network in the LA jazz scene to cultivate artists, venues, sponsors, and partners for sustainable growth.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of nonprofit fundraising and community engagement.
• Experience leading artistic or cultural programming.
• Ability to manage budgets and report to a board.

Responsibilities

• Curate and oversee artistic programming and community engagement.
• Oversee day-to-day operations, scheduling, and budgets.
• Prepare quarterly Board reports on fiscal operations and programming.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Nonprofit management

Budgeting

Job description

Founded in Los Angeles in 1992 by artist and visionary Ruth Price, The Jazz Bakery is a living platform for jazz, storytelling, community, and education. Rooted in the city's rich jazz history and deeply connected to its musicians, venues, and audiences, The Jazz Bakery has served as a beacon for America's original art form, honoring and advancing the legacy of Black American culture through performance, education, and artistic innovation.

Dedicated to amplifying the voices of artists, The Jazz Bakery creates opportunities for creative expression, cultural exchange, and meaningful connection. Through its programming and educational initiatives, the organization preserves, celebrates, and extends the rich legacy of jazz while fostering its continued evolution for future generations.

The Jazz Bakery is not simply seeking its next Executive Director. We are seeking the person who will help write our next chapter. This is an opportunity for a visionary leader to honor one of jazz's most respected legacies while reimagining how the art form is experienced by new audiences. Working in partnership with an engaged Board of Directors, the Executive Director will shape innovative programming, cultivate meaningful community partnerships, strengthen the organization's financial future, and ensure that The Jazz Bakery remains a vital force in American cultural life for decades to come.

Position Overview

The Executive Director will serve as The Jazz Bakery's sole senior staff leader, curating and advancing artistic programming, overseeing day-to-day operations and budget, and serving as the primary point of contact for the Board of Directors — ensuring The Jazz Bakery remains a vibrant platform for artistic innovation, community engagement, and the continued evolution of jazz, while operating within the organization's current financial capacity.

We seek a creative, hands-on leader who sees change as an opportunity rather than a challenge — someone comfortable exploring new territory, creating welcoming entry points for new audiences throughout the greater Los Angeles area while deepening engagement for longtime jazz enthusiasts, and equally comfortable managing budgets, schedules, and board reporting. A future assistant hire may be considered in 2027, pending concert growth and endowment milestones — until then, this role carries full responsibility across artistic and operational functions.

Key Responsibilities

Artistic Leadership & Programming

• Curate and oversee performances, exhibitions, productions, and artistic programs.
• Ensure artistic programming aligns with the organization's mission and audience engagement goals.
• Identify opportunities to collaborate with artists, performers, designers, and creative teams, and identify potential commissioning opportunities.
• Maintain awareness of industry trends and emerging artistic talent; develop relationships with managers, agents, and artists to identify and nurture talent.
• Highlight the intersectionality of jazz by exploring its connections across generations, mentorship, science, math, technology, culinary arts, and other performing arts.
• Balance artistic excellence with financial sustainability; develop programming that aligns with attendance, revenue, and audience development goals.
• Work with the Board on setting financial goals, the annual budget, and short- and long-term planning.
• Identify target areas for future investment.
• Work with the Grants Writer to prepare materials for funding proposals, grants, gifts, and donations.

Audience Development & Community Engagement

• Monitor programming performance and audience feedback.
• Represent the organization in public events, media, and industry conferences.
• Foster partnerships with cultural institutions, sponsors, and community organizations.
• Develop educational, outreach, and community-based programming; foster relationships with schools, universities, and community partners.
• Support initiatives that increase access, inclusion, and participation in jazz.

Operations & Administration

• Manage performance schedules and logistics; maintain accurate records of artist contracts, schedules, and artistic planning.
• Create and balance show budgets and general operational budgets.
• Oversee marketing, promotional strategy, and social media outreach (with volunteer support as needed).
• Make recommendations for research and program development to meet the organization's mission.

Civic Engagement

• Work with the Founder and Board in developing programs in Culver City aligned with the LA28 Olympics & Paralympics.
• Represent the organization professionally within the local, national, and international jazz community.

Board Communications & Governance

• Prepare quarterly reports for Board meetings covering fiscal operations, programming, budget, sales, and marketing/promotions.
• Advise the Board on market opportunities, trends, and concerns that may affect the health and vitality of the organization.
• Make recommendations for long-term programs and investments.

Compensation & Terms

• Full-time, remote position based in Los Angeles. Compensation is approximately $8,000/month (~$96,000/year), commensurate with the organization's current revenue and budget.
• Compensation to be reviewed as organizational revenue and fundraising grow, and as concert programming and endowment goals are met.

Ideal Candidate

• Strong understanding of the Los Angeles music and jazz landscape, including venues, presenters, festivals, and audience trends specific to the region.
• Established relationships and network across artists, managers, and agents, with the credibility to book leading talent and negotiate contracts directly.
• Proven track record in nonprofit fundraising — individual giving, grants, and institutional partnerships — with the ability to grow contributed revenue over time.
• A visionary, entrepreneurial mindset — someone energized by imagining what The Jazz Bakery can become, not only maintaining what it already is.
• Combines credibility and relationships within the jazz community with financial and operational management skills.
• Comfortable serving as the organization's sole senior staff leader, balancing artistic vision with budget discipline.
• Experienced in nonprofit board relations and community partnership-building.
• Hands-on and adaptable, with the flexibility to work across artistic, operational, and administrative functions in a lean organization.