Job Description

Job Description

Job Description:\n\n EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OPPORTUNITY PLEASE APPLY BY August 1, 2025 Studio East Training for the Performing Arts Nurturing confident, compassionate, responsible young people through training in the art and craft of theatre. Studio East is founded on the belief that the performing arts can make a difference in the lives of our children. Children who learn and practice the discipline, dedication, and teamwork required by the craft of theater develop skills that will be valuable assets throughout their lives, no matter what career they choose to pursue. Who We Are Studio East began as one teen program in 1992, and is now a prominent children’s theater training program in the Seattle area. Studio East offers a comprehensive program of drama classes, theater arts summer camps, and Mainstage productions for children aged 4 through 19. The organization also offers SchoolStage (a 6-week, after-school residency program) and outreach classes. Studio East produces StoryBook Theater, an adult professional touring troupe with performances across the Puget Sound Region, that often becomes a child’s first experience with live theater. Altogether, Studio East currently serves over 70,000 people annually. Studio East is a youth-focused theater organization committed to collaboratively developing life skills through theater experiences. We empower young people to grow into confident, compassionate, and resilient individuals by fostering accountability, leadership, curiosity, and community. Through high-quality education, performance opportunities, and our touring company, we use the transformative power of theater to inspire and continually engage learners of all ages. Studio East envisions a community where young people grow through the power of theater. Our programs cultivate responsibility, empathy, creativity, and leadership by encouraging honesty, curiosity, and purposeful collaboration. We foster an inclusive, supportive environment that values timeliness, open-mindedness, and respectful communication, equipping students with the life skills to succeed on stage and in life. Our touring company introduces young children to live musical theater that is infused with positive life lessons. We believe theater is a transformative, cultural force that develops valuable skills children can use throughout their lives, regardless of their eventual chosen vocation. We define inclusivity with two words: welcome home. The entire Studio East organization strives to create and support an environment that embraces individuals from any background, culture, identity, orientation, or ability, and strives to foster a sense of real belonging. Our hearts, minds, and doors are open to ALL. We lead from the heart and educate from the head. We believe in every young person’s ability to embrace the highest-quality and socially-relevant theater, believing they can find inside themselves the desire to make a meaningful contribution and achieve their personal best. What We Do Drama Classes and Summer Camps Studio East offers performing arts education programming for students ages 4-19 through classes, camps, and workshops at our building in Kirkland, and at schools throughout the Eastside community! At Studio East, we believe theater has the power to build confidence, creativity, and community. Our education programs offer young performers of all experience levels the opportunity to develop their skills, express themselves, and discover the magic of live performance. From engaging classes and workshops to exciting productions and summer camps, we provide a supportive environment where students can grow on and off the stage. Mainstage Productions At Studio East, our Mainstage Productions bring young performers center stage, giving them the opportunity to shine in high-quality, fully produced shows. These productions are more than just performances—they’re transformative learning experiences where students develop confidence, teamwork, and storytelling skills under the guidance of professional directors and designers. These include a special production rehearsed through the year specifically for homeschooled students. From beloved musicals to compelling plays, our Mainstage performances showcase the dedication and creativity of our students, delivering inspiring performances for audiences of all ages. SchoolStage and School Programming For over 30 years, Studio East has provided high-quality theater classes, workshops, and productions to local schools. Our experienced teaching artists offer drama programming for pre-K through 12th grade, fostering confidence, self-esteem, and team-building skills. School programming options include in-school residencies, after-school enrichment classes, and SchoolStage, a six-week after-school residency program that partners with PTSAs to co-produce the school’s play. Storybook Theatre StoryBook Theater productions are upbeat and fun 55-minute musicals, written especially for young people ages 3-10, but fun for grown-ups, too. Every story includes audience participation and conveys a positive life lesson for children. StoryBook shows are never scary and always have a happy ending. Each season, we travel our shows around the Puget Sound Area and tour our shows at schools, zoos, museums, and different theatres. We also invite schools to bring their students to a StoryBook Theater show and experience the magic of live theater! StoryBook Theater offers weekday matinees for groups of 10 or more. Performance Space: Studio East currently operates out of a 17,530 square foot facility located at 10718 NE 68th Street, Kirkland, Washington. The building is a converted grocery store that features a proscenium theater with 99 seats, a full lobby with a box office, several offices and studios, a classroom, a dressing room, and various backstage storage and shop areas. This facility currently supports all of Studio East’s on-site activities and assumes that many staff members operate in a hybrid fashion, sharing spaces between programming or departments as needed. Studio East moved into this space and renovated it in 2024 to serve as a transitional location before relocating to a more permanent site in the years ahead. Studio East has begun defining the needs for a new home and laying the groundwork for establishing relationships and securing funding to realize that future. Our Acknowledgement Studio East acknowledges that we reside on the traditional lands of the first inhabitants of Seattle: The Coast Salish People, which includes, but is not limited to, the Duwamish, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and Tulalip Tribes. We extend our respects to the Coast Salish Peoples, their Elders – past, present, and emerging – for their wisdom, and we acknowledge their everlasting connection to the land, waters, and culture. What We Are Looking for in Our New Executive Director Studio East’s next Executive Director will have the ability to combine business savvy with heartfelt community relations, inspiring all those involved with Studio East—including the staff, board, and the children and families in our area—to grow together and achieve great things. Above all else, our next Executive Director will be a collaborative leader who is energized by the opportunity to shape our next chapter. This individual will possess a combination of forward vision and strong fundraising abilities, with the ability to build a robust human infrastructure at Studio East that unifies staff, community, and board members under a shared mission. Human Expectations and Personal Values Our team is excited to bring into Studio East an Executive Director who is a kind yet decisive professional—someone who knows when to listen and when to act—with a genuine passion for guiding Studio East toward a vibrant, sustainable future. The Executive Director we desire will embody a leadership style rooted in empathy, clarity, and professionalism. Strong interpersonal skills and conflict management skills are essential, enabling them to navigate differing perspectives with compassion while maintaining firm, thoughtful decision-making. This leader will listen actively and engage with staff, board, and the community through a lens of support for others, fostering an environment where all voices are heard and valued. They will be a dynamic, inspiring leader with a proven ability to build and nurture trust and human connection. They will excel at bringing together diverse groups, uniting them around a shared vision, and leveraging individual talents to achieve meaningful outcomes. As a compelling ambassador for Studio East, they will communicate clearly and passionately with Studio East’s broad range of stakeholders—staff, board, artists, patrons, partners, and families alike. Transparency and open communication will be foundational to their leadership style. They will understand that trust is built through honesty—even in the face of setbacks—and that maintaining clarity fosters collaboration and swift resolution. This is especially important in uncertain and changing times. Recognizing that many of our staff and board are early in their professional journeys, the Executive Director will bring clarity and structure to the Studio’s processes and governance. Establishing clear professional boundaries and expectations for communication will be critical to creating a culture where everyone can thrive and succeed. We value a leader who respects the work already accomplished by Studio East’s current team, entering with humility and a willingness to learn from our collective experience. Approachability, openness, and inclusivity are essential, as is the ability to inspire, motivate, and empower others to grow professionally. Our ideal leader strikes a balance between openness and decisiveness—someone who thoughtfully considers ideas and input, yet is confident in making final decisions that serve the best interests of Studio East, even when those choices may not please everyone. They are comfortable engaging with emotional dynamics, working collaboratively to resolve challenges with creativity and flexibility. This individual leads with kindness and strength, fostering a safe and supportive environment where both youth and staff feel encouraged to be themselves. They are community-centered, collaborative, and strategic, delegating effectively while maintaining active involvement in building partnerships, particularly in fundraising and facility development. Ideally, this person will know how to build deep roots in the local community and will have a background in arts and education, sharing our commitment to nurturing creativity, collaboration, and growth. What Executive Leadership Means to Us We have taken the time to consider what we need from an Executive leader, as a human, in terms of specific skills, and in terms of providing authentic leadership for our community. More than any particular skill, we need our Executive Director to have a robust and specific understanding of leadership for our team. Some of the ways we would love to see this show up in the day-to-day include:Clarity on Decision Making. Studio East needs specificity on where ‘the buck stops’ in different areas, and how things move forward when there is conflict between team leaders on the staff or board. Change Management on Short and Long Timelines. Leadership requires the knowledge, authority, and presence to handle crises effectively, and to plan for larger shifts collaboratively. Holding the Humanity of the Team. Leadership entails a responsibility to understand the people at Studio East, to possess the capacity to identify and address their needs and challenges, and to help them grow and expand in their engagement with the Studio East community. Modeling Healthy Culture. Culture is Repeated Actions, and modeling by those who hold power is highly impactful. The daily actions of those seen as executive leaders shape the overall sentiment of the organization. Staff members commented extensively on the importance of leadership modeling behaviors and actions for team members to emulate, which promotes a healthy and thriving organizational culture. Operational Strategy. Executive leadership involves looking at the big picture and coordinating how different functional areas (Board, Education, Production, Operations, and Development) work together to build upon each other. Board Partnership. Staff leadership entails having the ability, knowledge, and enthusiasm to partner with and support both the Board and the staff. Accountability for Accountability. We need to establish clear expectations and ensure that all team members' commitments are well-defined, that follow-up is maintained, and that adjustments are made as needed. This includes creating and embracing accountability behaviors for the executive leaders, directors, and the board as well. Regional and National Representation. Our leadership needs to be able to represent Studio East effectively in various forums beyond Kirkland, as appropriate. Where our Executive Director will have Exceptional Practical Skills The Studio East team brings a range of capabilities to the table. Still, there are specific tasks and responsibilities that our Executive Director needs to be able to handle personally, bringing particular strengths and skills to these areas. Currently, the staff is led by an interim team that includes two permanent directors: Kaysy Ostrum, Director of Education and Outreach, and Alex Robinson, Director of Artistic and Production. With those two parts of the organization well-supported, we have identified the need for Director-level leadership in areas such as strategy, operations, finance, and fundraising. We have discussed several approaches to this, and have settled on the following which informs our search for a new Executive leader. We envision a new Executive Director for Studio East who has exceptional skills in development and fundraising, and who can be brilliantly effective at serving as the public face of the Studio with confidence and warmth. This version of our Executive Director would personally lead the fundraising and external relations at Studio East, and would be comfortable engaging socially and professionally in fundraising settings, connecting authentically with donors and supporters to secure vital resources.To work with the new Executive Director, we expect to also hire a new Director of Finance and Operations, who would serve as the internal foundation for Studio East’s day-to-day operations, financial functions, and internal systems and strategies. This takes some pressure off the Executive Director to lead in those functions, and will allow them to focus on fundraising, relationships, and serving as the executive leader as their primary roles. Where our Executive Director will Engage with Others on the Team Our team at Studio East has many skills and capabilities to bring to bear, so we don’t ne

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