Director of Advancement

Job Title Director of Advancement

Classification Full-time, Exempt

Reports To General Director & CEO

Start Date Summer 2025

About Kentucky Opera

Kentucky Opera is a vital component of the cultural health of our region, contributing to a compassionate, open minded, and vibrant community. We spark discovery, joy, and connection among varied and diverse communities throughout the Commonwealth with the shared experience of opera. Kentucky Opera produces its season in two venues: The Brown Theatre and The Kentucky Opera Center for Cultural Health. Youth and Community programs are central to the company’s mission and purpose.

Scope & Principal Accountabilities

The Director of Advancement plays a critical role in the growth of Kentucky Opera. This position is responsible for strategic oversight of the external-facing functions of the company — including Marketing, Development, Communications and Patron Services departments — in achieving the revenue goals of the organization. Serving as a key partner on the Senior Leadership team, the Director of Advancement works to create and oversee multi-year campaign initiatives that generate the necessary revenue to move the organization forward in its impact and sustainability. In addition, the Director of Advancement works to create long term strategies for expanding the company’s audience base, while continuing to broaden the brand and reputation of the organization across the Commonwealth and throughout the opera industry. This position promotes deep collaboration between departments to engage people with the artform and to create greater impact in the community.

Essential Functions

Marketing, Sales, and Fundraising (80%)

¨ Lead and mentor a professional marketing and development team to build financial support, build strategic communications, and provide quality patron services In partnership with the General Director CEO and board, set and achieve revenue goals, create and implement strategies and tactics to regularly report progress, while balancing short- and long-term financial goals of the organization. Revenue sources include individual and institutional gifts for annual and capital campaigns, individual planned gifts for endowment campaigns, and subscription and single ticket sales for each opera season.

¨ In partnership with all staff and board, create and implement a comprehensive approach to audience development and donor, community, and volunteer engagement, consistent with our values and goals, codifying the goals, strategies, and tactics in an annual work plan to support the operating and capital needs of Kentucky Opera

¨ Establish and maintain best practices and professional standards, policies and procedures in alignment with the Opera’s priorities

¨ Lead strategic subscription and single ticket pricing to ensure capacity is optimized and ticket sales goals are achieved

¨ Serve as a principal ambassador and fundraiser for Kentucky Opera and personally identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors and prospects in accordance with performance goals while adhering to the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethical Standards

¨ Ensure brand cohesion and appropriate constituent/stakeholder messaging in external materials and events

¨ Recommend and lead new branding efforts, as appropriate, for the advancement of the organization

¨ Act as liaison with all departments to facilitate the effective marketing of all company key initiatives,ensuring that patrons receive key messaging at the correct time

¨ Establish effective recruiting, onboarding, professional development, performance management and retention practices for advancement staff members

¨ Adhere to company, federal, state and local business requirements, and compel compliance

Values-aligned Leadership (20%)

¨ Serve as thought leader in partnering with other company leadership to align the opera’s programming and partnerships to its mission and vision, demonstrated by measurable positive impact for everyone we serve

¨ Identify and package organizational priorities as fundraising priorities to support multi-year grants and funding requests

¨ Advise the General Director & CEO on matters relating to Kentucky Opera’s growth and sustainability strategies

¨ Develop multi-year growth and sustainability plans, including campaigns, to ensure the long-term fiscal health of the organization in collaboration withand the engagement of the General Director CEO and Board of Trustees

¨ Facilitate the successful stewardship of the General Director CEO portfolio of donors through timely and strategic requests for support

¨ Serve as planning liaison to the advancement committee of the Board

This position is a good fit for someone who

• Courageously builds cultural competency in self and in direct reports, eager to work towards Kentucky Opera’s stated objective to be a community-centered institution, centering the company’s mission and values in all they do

• Successfully achieving revenue goals for non-profit institutions preferably in the visual or performing arts, demonstrating the ability to create and implement multi-year ticket sales and fundraising campaigns

• Is comfortable talking about money. Understands the complexity of financial planning and fiscal management, including grants management and restricted funds release management

• Exercises good judgment; demonstrating an understanding of ethics related to revenue generation activities and community-centered practice; and uses discretion when building internal and external relationships

• Possesses exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with senior leadership, prospects, donors, and board members and other volunteers in a wide range of roles in small and large groups; demonstrate patience with a wide variety of personality types and build effective long-term relationships

• Expresses clearly and beautifully verbally and in writing

• Supervises and develops employees including organizing, prioritizing and scheduling work assignments; evaluating performance; and mentoring and coaching employees to achieve maximum productivity

• Leads by example, consistently showing initiative, diligence and follow through

• Enjoys their work as a team player, while balancing work independently and as a self-starter in a collaborative environment

• Possesses computer literacy and broad-experience with Microsoft Office, Tessitura, and other fundraising and marketing technologies and integrated database systems.

• Is knowledgeable about community-centered best practices in the field

• Effectively manages multiple complex projects while meeting multiple deadlines

• Fosters a cooperative work environment

• Models integrity, openness, and trust

• Displays strong leadership in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

• Thrives when leading through change

• Is passionate about and committed to the performing arts and their importance in our world

• Exudes a positive attitude

Kentucky Opera is willing to teach

• Intricacies of opera as a collaborative artform

• Industry-specific procedures around artmaking, staffing, and scheduling

• Kentucky Opera policies and procedures

• Kentucky Opera’s CRM database policies and procedures

special requirements

Ability to work many nights and weekends. This position requires a great deal of local travel not accessible by public transportation, requiring use of a personal vehicle. Additionally, this position requires the ability to lift 40 lbs. or more on an occasional basis – with or without assistance.

COMPENSATION

Salary is $75,000 - $90,000 commensurate with experience plus benefits. Kentucky Opera offers a generous benefit package, including medical insurance, as well as paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave. Compare cost of living in the vibrant city of Louisville. Kentucky Opera is an equal opportunity employer that values a varied and diverse staff who bring a variety of perspectives to the company.

TO APPLY:

Please send cover letter and resume to Lisa Bury, Principal of Lisa Bury Consulting LLC, at LisaBuryConsulting@gmail.com no later than April 15, 2025.