The Old Globe is seeking a Managing Director to co-lead the company as it looks ahead to the landmark celebration of its 100th anniversary over the coming decade. This new leader will arrive at a company committed to building upon the highest level of artistic excellence at the core of its mission as it seeks to grow resources to expand its impact as the most vibrant and active theatre producing organization in the United States. The Managing Director will collaborate with Barry Edelstein, The Old Globe’s Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director on a visionary approach to creating an environment that offers audiences, supporters, artists, and staff the chance to consistently experience the best-of-the-best, a world-class commitment to producing theatre that matters. Building upon The Old Globe’s considerable organizational stability, the Managing Director will serve as the strategic leader for implementing an expanded culture of philanthropy, a rich and enduring commitment to arts engagement, and an atmosphere of mentorship and goal-oriented momentum where the nation’s finest artists, artisans, and administrators are inspired by supportive and engaged leadership. With a mind for finance and resource development, an enthusiasm for front-facing ambassadorship of the organization, and an understanding of the unique specifics of producing top-caliber live productions, the Old Globe’s Managing Director will cohesively and collaboratively address opportunities and challenges of an already high-performing team through innovative,decisive, and inspiring leadership.
BACKGROUND
The Old Globe is a major force in regional theatre in the United States and presents a wide offering of works, from new plays, to classics, to large-scale musicals, to more intimately-scaled productions. As a past recipient of the prestigious Regional Tony Award, The Old Globe’s producing output is extraordinary and includes new works in many genres, Shakespeare’s canon showcased in its annual summer season, and plays and musics in development prior to commercial Broadway bound production. Located within San Diego’s historic Balboa Park, The Old Globe is currently celebrating its 90th anniversary, guided by a history of pioneering theatre making and inspired by a future where the company envisions an even more profound influence on the American theatre through its commitment to artistic excellence and transformative arts engagement that brings theater experiences to audiences beyond its home stages.
Mission
The mission of The Old Globe is to preserve, strengthen, and advance American theatre by: Creating theatrical experiences of the highest professional standards; Producing and presenting works of exceptional merit, designed to reach current and future audiences; Ensuring diversity and balance in programming; Providing an environment for the growth and education of theatre professionals, audiences, and the community at large.
Statement of Values
The Old Globe believes that theatre matters. Our commitment is to make it matter to more people, and we live that commitment through the following values:
Transformation. Theatre cultivates imagination and empathy, enriching our humanity and connecting us to each other by bringing us entertaining experiences, new ideas, and a wide range of stories told from many perspectives.
Inclusion. The communities of San Diego, in their diversity and their commonality, are welcome and reflected at the Globe. Access for all to our stages and programs expands when we engage audiences in many ways and in many places.
Excellence. Our dedication to creating exceptional work demands a high standard of achievement in everything we do, on and off the stage.
Stability. Our priority every day is to steward a vital, nurturing, and financially secure institution that will thrive for generations.
Impact. Our prominence nationally and locally brings with it a responsibility to listen, collaborate, and act with integrity in order to serve.
The Old Globe presents 16 productions annually: 15 on its Balboa Park campus, and its “Globe for All” community tour throughout San Diego County and in Tijuana. Together, these represent nearly 600 performances. The Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center comprises three venues: the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the 580-seat Old Globe Theatre, the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, and the 620-seat Lowell Davies Festival Theatre (an outdoor venue that is home to the summer Shakespeare Festival.
Barry Edelstein has served as the Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director since 2012, and his tenure has been marked by world-class productions of Shakespeare, contemporary plays, new work, classics, and musical. As a signature part of his artistic leadership, Edelstein moved The Old Globe into a deep commitment to arts engagement programming which has expanded the company’s reach throughout the communities of San Diego and into Tijuana, Mexico, and which has established this theatre as a national leader in community-based work. Today nearly 30,000 diverse, multigenerational patrons, most of whom do not enjoy regular access to the arts, are served both on The Old Globe’s campus in Balboa Park and in a variety of venues across San Diego County. The Old Globe’s Arts Engagement programs offer participation in professional performances and participatory art-making activities at no charge.
The Old Globe’s annual budget is currently almost $40 Million, and the organization benefits from the support of a nearly $60 Million endowment. As a foundational cultural institution based in Balboa Park, The Old Globe leases its offices, studios, and performance spaces from the City of San Diego. The company owns a separate production facility and a 22-unit apartment complex utilized for artist housing.The Old Globe maintains a full-time staff of over 120, and around 75 seasonal staff and artists. The company’s Board of Directors is composed of 44 community advocates from the greater San Diego area. The theater operates under LORT B+, B, and C contracts, and works with theatrical labor unions IATSE, AFM, USA, SDC, and AEA. More information on The Old Globe can be found at .
SAN DIEGO, CA
With a population of 1.2 million people within city bounds and 3.3 million people within its greater metropolitan region, San Diego’s population is the second largest within the state of California. Known for its temperate climate and majestic setting along the Pacific shores, San Diego plays an important role as a border town to Mexico, and influences of a large Spanish speaking population are seen throughout the city’s culture and civic personality. Within its waterfront setting, the local economy is shaped by the defense industry and the US armed forces, tech, bio-tech, international trade, and a heavy tourism sector. Besides The Old Globe, San Diego is home to world-class cultural institutions, attractions, and sports offerings such as the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Zoo, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego Opera, and the San Diego Padres. With great weather year round, San Diego is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with stunning hiking opportunities and an active beach life. For more information on San Diego and the surrounding region, visit .
THE FUTURE
Any organization can be rightfully proud to celebrate its 90th anniversary season as The Old Globe is in 2025, but the company is using the momentum of that landmark to fuel its ambitions into the next decade of plans and big ideas. The next Managing Director will be called upon to help lead the company into any even more exciting and vibrant future acknowledging that the company cannot rest on its laurels and will need to address such challenges as deeply investigating how to build earned and contributed revenue capacity, supporting a work force that produces the fullest annual season of theatre productions in the nation, and making long-range plans for facilities needs and possible capital investments. As the new Managing Director comes into the role, care will be taken to assess where opportunities exist and for a well-considered set of strategic activities to be shaped, socialized, and activated throughout the entire Old Globe community.
POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As co-leader of the institution with The Old Globe’s Artistic Director, the Managing Director reports directly to the Board of Directors and is charged with ensuring operations and resources are properly aligned to allow the company to fulfill its mission in extraordinary ways. Direct reports to the Managing Director are Director of Finance, General Manager, Director of Human Resources, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Director of Philanthropy; shared dual oversight of Senior Producer, Director of EDIA, and Assistant to the Artistic and Managing Directors. The primary responsibilities for the Managing Director fall around these top priorities:
Financial and Operational Oversight
As the top administrative leader for The Old Globe, the Managing Director is charged with ensuring the company’s finances and operations are strong and resilient. Working with all departments and staff leadership, the Managing Director will oversee a complex organizational structure that relies on accurate financial reporting and monitoring across the wide spectrum of functional needs for the organization. As a present and engaged manager, the Managing Director will set clear expectations and communicate them fully to The Old Globe’s full staff team, always offering appropriate insights into the company’s resource base. In active and engaged communication with The Old Globe’s Board of Directors, the Managing Director will take a collaborative approach with the governing body of The Old Globe around finances and operations so they can support decisions to keep the organization healthy and primed for new opportunities. The new Managing Director will be encouraged to collaborate with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors to review the overall organizational and operational structure of The Old Globe with an innovative lens of modernization, productivity, and collaboration that fits the candidate’s leadership and organizational philosophy.
Commitment to A Vibrant Philanthropic Culture
Centering a commitment to building a strong culture of philanthropy at every level of the organization will be a key priority for the Managing Director in an effort to strategically expand the breadth and depth of The Old Globe’s total resource base. Taking a role in major gift cultivation, stewarding donor relationships, and working with Board and Staff on new pathways to securing significant support for all The Old Globe’s programs will drive the energies for the Managing Director around fund development and long-range planning for an increasingly well-resourced organization.
As a thought partner to The Old Globe’s Artistic Director, the Managing Director will share the responsibility of fostering an organizational culture that promotes meaningful and ambitious plans to increase the company’s relevance as a leader in the national theatre landscape and as a bedrock cultural institution in the greater San Diego community. The Old Globe’s leadership structure depends on the Artistic Director and Managing Director building and maintaining a strong working relationship, built on trust, healthy debate, and a balanced approach to managing the needs of the institution. The Managing Director will take a key role in inspiring The Old Globe’s Board, donors, and audiences to support the company in ways both big and small.
Mentorship and Advocacy
By nurturing a culture where individuals are set up for success and teams are oriented towards collective goals, the Managing Director will be a motivating leader in ensuring that The Old Globe is a workplace where the best in field theatre makers, administrators, and educators are provided with the tools and resources to enhance their skills and focus on making the company the best version of what a producing organization can be. The Managing Director will work with the full Old Globe team to set expectations and bring interdepartmental work into deeper cohesion and cross function support. Supporting company growth will translate into curating a professional environment where individuals can feel they are on a constant skills-enhancement journey, where the power of a team approach is fully realized, and where the workplace is happy, productive, and exciting. The Managing Director will play an important role as a model and mentor for ongoing professional development.
Deepening Community Building and Ambassadorship
Building strong coalitions and promoting The Old Globe’s cultural relevancy will be a compelling part of the Managing Director’s external focus. As a key player in the San Diego arts and culture community, the Managing Director will hold relationships with civic leaders and influencers and take a leading role in discussions with the administration of Balboa Park and San Diego’s city government. As the key connector with The Old Globe’s Board of Directors, the Managing Director will help that important group of civic leaders tap deeper into their own networks for the benefit of the organization.
The Old Globe also seeks the following characteristics, traits, and skills in their next Managing Director:
Innovative, empowering, efficient, and inspirational leadership theory and action across all aspects of The Old Globe’s operational landscape.
Strong internal and external communication abilities and skill.
Demonstrated skill, enthusiasm, and capacity for fundraising and public communication of broad institutional initiatives.
Understanding of working with and negotiating with labor unions.
Demonstrated financial planning and analysis skills sufficient to lead and provide accountability for a strong financial team.
A talent for both formal and informal communication, knowing an audience and how to relate to them appropriately.
An approachable and inviting personality.
Personal commitments to the values that shape The Old Globe’s Social Justice Road Map, Mission, and Statement of Values.
An obvious and joy-filled love of theatre and the performing arts.
A great understanding of producing theatre and live events, leading to innovative, strategic, and helpful solutions to both the overarching and also the day-to-day challenges that arise over a producing season as large as the Old Globe’s.
Capacity to work with regional government and philanthropic groups to advance the interests of The Old Globe.
Ability to work with the Marketing team to help develop new innovative marketing strategies to attract a new younger and diverse audience to the Globe.
Lead effort to revise our Strategic Plan to not just reflect the fiscal goals but develop goals that will help focus on the overall success of the Globe.
Work with the Philanthropy Team to develop strategies and plans for increasing contributed income.
COMPENSATION AND START DATE
The annual salary range for the Managing Director role at The Old Globe starts at $420,000, will be commensurate with the candidate’s specific experience, role, and expertise, and includes a full benefit package similar to other organizations of its size. The Old Globe hopes to make its decision by the early spring of 2026 with the chosen candidate starting shortly thereafter. The Old Globe is committed to fostering a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in all areas of our operation, therefore we strongly encourage applications from populations underrepresented in the theatre field. Multilingual candidates are also strongly encouraged to apply.
The Old Globe has engaged Management Consultants for the Arts to facilitate this search; Jonathan West is leading the search.
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following items for consideration:
- Cover letter (no more than 1 ½ pages);
- Four professional references;
- Salary expectation.
All documents should have the candidate’s name as part of the file name.
Once all materials have been submitted online, the applicant will receive a confirmation of their submission via the email address provided in the application. For clarification on any of this information, please contact Christy Wall at .
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