Managing Director Jobs in Tennessee

Organization Description

New Ballet Ensemble & School is a Creative Youth Development organization committed to providing young people from all backgrounds with access to a professional standard of dance training, regardless of their ability to pay. Through conservatory instruction, public school partnerships, performances, mentoring, and community programs, New Ballet combines artistic excellence with youth development, cultural relevance, leadership, and opportunity.

New Ballet has been recognized nationally for its work, including receiving the 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The organization serves students through its Midtown studios, public school programs, community partnerships, and major productions.

Position Summary

The Managing Director serves as New Ballet’s administrative and external affairs manager, working in close partnership with Executive Director Matthew Best to translate strategic priorities into organizational action.

The Managing Director is responsible for making the organization run effectively behind the scenes. The position oversees development, communications, administrative systems, registration and data management, grant administration, organizational planning, and cross-department coordination.

The Managing Director also helps position the Executive Director to serve as New Ballet’s primary public ambassador, ensuring that he is well prepared to cultivate relationships with donors, government leaders, foundations, community partners, and the Board. This role provides strategic executive support—not traditional administrative assistance—by preparing background materials, coordinating follow-up, tracking commitments, and helping ensure that organizational opportunities and priorities move forward.

The Managing Director works closely with the Executive Director, Artistic Director, Dance Education Director,Youth Operations Coordinator, business office, Board, and other staff and contractors. The position reports to the Executive Director.

Key Areas of Responsibility1. Development and Fundraising

• Lead the planning and coordination of New Ballet’s annual development strategy in partnership with the Executive Director and Board.
• Manage annual fundraising activities, including individual giving, sponsorships, donor stewardship, campaigns, tours, and special events.
• Coordinate with program and finance staff to gather accurate information for proposals, budgets, evaluations, and funder reports.
• Maintain a reliable system for tracking donors, prospects, pledges, receivables, sponsorships, grant requirements, and stewardship activity.
• Prepare the Executive Director and Board members for donor meetings, cultivation activities, tours, and fundraising conversations.
• Support the Executive Director in cultivating major donors, foundations, corporations, and government partners.
• Work with the Board and Development Committee to strengthen Board participation in fundraising and donor engagement.
• Monitor contributed-revenue goals and provide regular development reports to the Executive Director and Board.
• Support development of the annual fundraising budget and track related revenue and expenses.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director on grant research, preparation, submission, reporting, compliance, and deadline management.

This section builds upon the current Development Manager responsibilities for annual giving, donor relations, sponsorships, events, Board fundraising, donor communications, and financial tracking.

2. Organizational Management and Administration

• Oversee the organization’s administrative systems, internal processes, and operational calendars.
• Ensure that organizational priorities, deadlines, commitments, and follow-up activities are clearly documented and completed.
• Coordinate communication and workflow across artistic, education, development, communications, and administrative functions.
• Oversee student registration systems, enrollment processes, student information, and database accuracy.
• Maintain the integrity and usefulness of organizational data systems, including donor, student, program, and evaluation records.
• Work with staff to establish consistent procedures for recordkeeping, reporting, scheduling, and information sharing.
• Support implementation of organizational policies and Board-approved procedures.
• Identify operational gaps and recommend systems that improve efficiency, accountability, and continuity.
• Coordinate organizational calendars, major deadlines, events, reporting schedules, and shared planning processes with the Program Team.
• Help ensure that institutional knowledge is documented and accessible.

3. Communications and Public Engagement

• Oversee the organization’s communications strategy and ensure consistency across audiences and platforms.
• Oversee website content, social media, email communications, print materials, press materials, donor communications, and institutional messaging alongside Artistic and Program teams.
• Develop and maintain an annual communications calendar aligned with programs, performances, fundraising, and community engagement.
• Coordinate the preparation of the Annual Report and other major organizational publications alongside the marketing contractor.
• Work with staff, contractors, artists, and external partners to gather stories, photographs, program information, and impact data.
• Ensure that New Ballet’s communications accurately reflect its mission, values, artistic excellence, community impact, and strategic priorities with the Executive Director.
• Support media relations and help prepare the Executive Director and other spokespersons for interviews, presentations, public appearances, and speaking engagements.
• Oversee communications related to performances, student activities, public programs, fundraising events, tours, and community partnerships.

4. Strategic Executive Support

• Serve as the Executive Director’s principal operational partner.
• Keep the Executive Director appropriately briefed on organizational priorities, deadlines, opportunities, risks, and unresolved matters.
• Prepare background materials, meeting notes, briefing documents, talking points, and follow-up plans for donor, government, foundation, Board, and community meetings.
• Track commitments made by the Executive Director and other senior leaders and ensure timely follow-through.
• Anticipate information and preparation needs related to public presentations, donor cultivation, Board engagement, government relations, and community representation.
• Help structure the Executive Director’s involvement to focus on strategic leadership, external relationships, public representation, and organizational advancement.
• Coordinate information flow between the Executive Director, Board, staff, business office, and external partners.
• Ensure that promising opportunities, relationships, and commitments do not fall through the cracks.
• Support preparation for Board and committee meetings, including reports, materials, action items, and follow-up.

5. Financial and Business Coordination

• Work with the Executive Director, business office, and accounting partners to support accurate budgeting, reporting, grant tracking, and financial administration.
• Coordinate preparation of budget information related to development, communications, registration, programs, and special events.
• Monitor grant restrictions, reporting requirements, reimbursement schedules, and funding deadlines.
• Assist staff in understanding and following approved financial and administrative procedures.
• Support high-level business coordination while recognizing that the Executive Director remains the principal contact for legal matters, insurance, major human resources matters, facilities, and significant contracts.
• Help ensure that information required by accountants, auditors, insurers, legal counsel, and other professional advisors is organized and submitted on time.

6. Registration, Data, and Program Operations

• Provide oversight of registration, student information, enrollment records, surveys, evaluations, and program data.
• Ensure that student, family, donor, and program databases are accurate, current, and used consistently.
• Coordinate with the Artistic Director and Arts Education Coordinator on program calendars, communications, enrollment, public school partnerships, productions, and student-facing logistics.
• Oversee systems for parent and family communication related to registration, schedules, events, volunteer opportunities, and program requirements.
• Support reporting and data collection required by funders, partners, and the Board.
• Coordinate organizational support for major productions, family events, tours, community programs, and special initiatives.
• Help organize and support volunteer engagement, including parent volunteers and event volunteers.

These responsibilities incorporate the systems, registration, records, communication, evaluation, volunteer, and program-support functions currently contained in the Youth Program Coordinator position.

7. Staff and Cross-Department Coordination

• Convene and coordinate regular cross-department planning and information-sharing.
• Work closely with the Artistic Director and Dance Education Director without assuming responsibility for day-to-day artistic or instructional decisions.
• Clarify responsibilities, timelines, and deliverables across departments.
• Help staff anticipate upcoming needs and prepare materials with sufficient lead time.
• Support a culture of accountability, collaboration, communication, and mutual respect.
• Coordinate the work of communications, development, administrative, registration, and other relevant contractors or support personnel.
• Participate in onboarding, staff orientation, policy implementation, and organizational training.
• Support the Executive Director with selected human resources coordination while referring high-level personnel matters to the Executive Director and appropriate professional advisors.

Role Boundaries

The Managing Director is not the organization’s Artistic Director and does not direct daily artistic, curricular, or instructional decisions.

The Managing Director works closely with the Artistic Director and Dance Education Director to ensure that artistic and educational priorities are supported by effective systems, communications, fundraising, registration, scheduling, and administration.

The Executive Director retains responsibility for overall executive leadership, Board partnership, public representation, major external relationships, and high-level matters involving legal counsel, insurance, human resources, facilities, and significant contracts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or a combination of education and substantial relevant professional experience.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit or education management, development, communications, operations, arts administration, education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple organizational functions and translating strategy into implementation.
• Strong nonprofit fundraising experience, including annual giving, grants, donor stewardship, sponsorships, events, and Board engagement.
• Excellent writing, editing, oral communication, and presentation-preparation skills.
• Strong organizational judgment and the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, relationships, and confidential matters.
• Demonstrated ability to create and improve administrative systems, databases, workflows, and reporting processes.
• Experience working with financial information, budgets, grant restrictions, receivables, and professional accounting partners.
• Ability to prepare senior leaders for external meetings, presentations, fundraising conversations, and public appearances.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with artists, educators, administrators, families, donors, Board members, public officials, and community partners.
• Commitment to New Ballet’s mission, values, artistic standards, and service to young people from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, donor databases, registration systems, and related administrative technology.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend events, performances, meetings, and community activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an arts, education, youth development, or community-based organization.
• Experience supervising staff, contractors, or cross-functional teams.
• Experience with donor-management platforms such as Salesforce or a comparable system.
• Experience producing annual reports, institutional publications, digital communications, and fundraising materials.
• Experience supporting an Executive Director, CEO, or other senior leader in an operational or strategic capacity.
• Familiarity with Board governance and nonprofit committee structures.
• Experience managing organizational change or leadership transition.

Personal Characteristics

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly organized, proactive, and dependable.
• Strategic while also attentive to detail.
• Comfortable working behind the scenes while helping others succeed publicly.
• Able to anticipate needs and move work forward without waiting for detailed direction.
• Diplomatic, collaborative, and capable of exercising sound judgment.
• An excellent communicator who understands both message and audience.
• Calm under pressure and able to manage competing priorities.
• Mission-driven, optimistic, accountable, and committed to follow-through.
• Comfortable working in a creative environment where artistic excellence and organizational discipline are equally important.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position. Salary will be commensurate with experience and organizational budget. New Ballet offers a competitive benefits package, including up to 80% health insurance premiums, voluntary dental and vision coverage, paid leave, holidays, and professional development.

Equal Opportunity Statement

New Ballet Ensemble & School is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, protected genetic information, pregnancy, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit-based factor.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person