Executive Director

About the project and the company

Our Mission

Theatre Off Jackson (TOJ) is located in Seattle’s historic Chinatown-International District with deep roots in the community. We help to maintain a vital and diverse arts culture in Seattle by amplifying the voices of underrepresented artists and marginalized groups. We offer and operate an affordable venue dedicated to performance, art, and community, and provide a safe space for artists to share their stories.

Our Values

We believe in empowering artists to tell their unique stories and the stories of our community.
We believe we can help artists develop and flourish by providing an environment where taking risks and trying new things is encouraged.
We believe that performance shouldn’t break the bank – artistic performance should be affordable for artists and audiences.
We believe that building pathways to opportunity requires broad, systemic change and TOJ wants to be part of this change in the Seattle arts community.
We believe that our stages and audiences should reflect the rich diversity of Seattle and surrounding areas.
And finally, we believe in unicorns.

Job Description

As the Executive Director, you will be responsible for the overall management and administration of Theatre Off Jackson, including revenue and expenses, human resources and staff supervision, public relations, and board relations. You will report to, and work closely with, the board of directors to develop and carry out a strategic plan that ensures TOJ’s long-term viability with an emphasis on building greater community connections. Your success will be measured by your ability to grow audiences, improve artist satisfaction, ensure the financial sustainability of the organization by increasing the volume of donations and donors, expand the diversity of our board and staff, manage a landlord relationship, and continue building a community where everyone is safe and welcome.

Required Qualifications

What You Bring Because TOJ is in a time of reinvention, we believe the value and mission aligned fit is just as important as finding a candidate that has experience with the outlined responsibilities. TOJ’s board and staff will work with the new ED to determine who does what – what matters to us is that the ED has the skills to lead us into the next chapter. You have a passion for the arts. You believe art should be accessible and affordable for artists and audiences alike. At TOJ, you’ll work closely with our curatorial team to curate an array of artists and performers that reflect the communities we serve. You will focus on building our partnerships with our Resident companies and Co-Producers. You are a builder. You’re a builder of teams, of relationships, of community. Wherever you go, you aim to build something durable. From establishing more sustainable revenue sources to creating opportunities that provide growth and stability for team members, you understand that true success is determined by how well it stands the test of time. You are a leader. You lead a team of passionate operations, marketing, and tech staff. You demonstrate leadership through your actions and in how you treat others. You make tough decisions and ensure compliance with policies and processes. You’re leading the team to build TOJ’s future and that means you aren’t afraid to experiment and try new ideas. You’re also a strategist who can plan one, if not two, moves ahead. You are a storyteller. You imagine what could be and paint a picture of that vision to inspire others to join you on the journey. Whether it’s marketing and brand awareness, donor relations and fundraising, or volunteer recruitment and hiring, you’ll tell our story to artists, donors, audiences, staff, and volunteers in a way that honors TOJ’s legacy and inspires investment and participation in its future. You are anti-racist and pro-justice. You’ve created successful programs and initiatives that led to improvements in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. You understand that people hold multiple identities and bring an intersectional approach to your work. At TOJ, you’ll be building off its rich history as a space that has been inclusive of LGBTQIA+ communities since its inception as a partnership between Northwest Asian American Theater and Alice B. Theatre. You’ll continue to feature diverse artists and grow our presence in the International District, a predominantly Asian American community. You’ll ensure TOJ is a safe and inclusive space where all are welcome. You’ll further our efforts in growing and diversifying our board. You can grow support for TOJ. You see the opportunities in doing less with more and operating in a lean environment. You’re well versed in what it takes to get the job done. You have experience with preparing and submitting grant applications, developing and maintaining both board and donor relations, partnering with community organizations, and forming coalitions to move things forward. You are a unicorn. If you believe that artists and producers create magic through resourcefulness, risk-taking, and creativity; and that art has the power to change the world, then you’re a unicorn. At TOJ, we not only believe in unicorns, we embrace them – and we hope you do, too. Please note that these qualifications and requirements are not intended to exclude any candidates but rather give candidates an idea of what skills and abilities would help them excel in this position. You don’t have to meet all requirements and qualifications to apply if you believe you have the skill, experience, and passion to do this job. We offer a flexible work environment. TOJ doesn’t have specific office hours. However, there are times you will need to be on site to fulfill your work duties. As a result, TOJ is looking for a candidate who is based in or around the Seattle area. Experience with technical theater, Google Suite, Mailchimp, customer relationship management, bookkeeping, budgeting, change management, and either supervision and/or team building is helpful but not required. TOJ currently doesn’t have a COVID vaccination policy. All current staff are fully vaccinated.

Other details

It’s a time of reinvention at Theatre Off Jackson – with exciting changes to how we support artists, and to our board and staff in the works. Previously our model was primarily a co-producing model where companies apply on a bi-annual basis to stage their works at our space, selected via a curatorial committee. In 2023, we added a Resident Company model that provides dedicated resources and space to three of Seattle’s most awesome companies (Noveltease Theatre, Pork Filled Productions, and Reboot Theatre).

In addition, our board of directors is embarking on a transition from a working board to a fundraising-focused board, and our fearless founding Executive Director is retiring after 18 years at the helm. We are looking for an Executive Director that can lead us into this new world.