Description

Background

Founded in 1992, San Francisco’s Other Minds (OM) is a leading national and international producer and presenter of New and Experimental music in all its manifestations. Now in its 30th year, OM’s signature event is its annual international festival of New Music in San Francisco. OM also presents other concerts throughout the year, PastForward: a series highlighting  retrospectives, including both neglected composers and important historical works, and The Nature of Music: a series featuring composers working at the intersection of contemporary art music and environmental advocacy.

OM maintains over 10,000 hours of New and Experimental Music on its website, otherminds.org including works from its OM Archives, Annual OM Festivals throughout its past twenty nine years, OM concert series, OM Radio programs, OM Podcasts, and the OM Record Label. The OM Archives are an online archive (archives.otherminds.org) hosting thousands of hours of radio programs originally broadcast on KPFA FM Berkeley, California, as well as other venues. The OM record label features historical works alongside new releases, and broadcasts of music and interviews are presented on Music from Other Minds, its weekly two-hour roundup of new releases of contemporary music on KALW FM in San Francisco, and the Other Minds Podcast.

OM currently operates on an annual budget of between $700,000 and $800,000 and has 13 dedicated members on its Board of Directors. OM’s corporate headquarters is located at 55 Taylor Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 while its administrative office is located in downtown Berkeley, in the David Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Suite 240, Berkeley, CA 94704.

Job Responsibilities

The Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for executing OM’s mission and purpose, while administering its staff and ensuring that it is financially sustainable through fundraising and grant awards and opportunities. The Executive Director is expected to provide leadership, strategic direction, and the management necessary to build upon OM’s 33 years of programming while continuing its financial stability and its priority of community engagement. The ED will establish clear metrics to evaluate OM’s programs and operations, and ensure that results are communicated effectively to OM’s Board of Directors, funders, and the broader community. The ED will bring a balance of artistic literacy, nonprofit management, financial acumen, and genuine enthusiasm for working in partnership with staff, Board, artists, local organizations, and donors.

The Executive Director will identify, solicit, and cultivate new sources of funding while sustaining OM’s annual and legacy planned gifts. The ED will additionally encourage and support the fundraising efforts of OM’s Board. The ED will create, build and sustain productive professional relationships with foundation, corporate, and government funding sources.

The Executive Director is responsible and accountable for all aspects of the organization’s management and operations. This includes: staffing, strategic planning, fundraising, budgeting and financial management, marketing and audience development, concert production, public relations, human resource management, and community relations. The ED will direct cash-flow management and resource allocation and in coordination with the bookkeeper, oversee financial operations, monthly and year-end reporting, and audit compliance.

The Executive Director will work in close partnership with OM’s Artistic Director (“AD”) who is charged with leading OM’s programming and artistic vision. The ED is responsible for all administrative, financial, and operational functions, while ensuring that staff and operations support the realization of OM’s artistic mission. Both the ED and the AD will closely collaborate on both strategic planning and OM’s public presentation on social media and other vehicles for outreach.

The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and is charged with supporting the work of the Board and its committee by ensuring that the Board has the information needed for deliberation and decision-making. Overall, the Executive Director is charged with supervising, evaluating, and providing management to OM’s small and dedicated staff through the fostering of communication as means of ensuring cohesion and teamwork.

Requirements

Candidate Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience within a performing arts, presenting, or community arts organization;
• Experience with fundraising across a range of sources, including individual donors, foundations, and public funding;
  Knowledge and passion for the field of contemporary and experimental music;
• Skilled with budgeting, financial planning, and operational oversight to support organizational long-term sustainability and informed and effective decision-making;
• Passion for serving as a publicly visible ambassador of contemporary and experimental music through the cultivation of strong relationships with mission-aligned organizations, foundations, academic institutions, and local businesses with the continued aim integrating OM into the cultural fabric of the community;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including active listening, inviting and integrating multiple and opposing perspectives and points of view, confidently presenting and communicating in public and performative settings, and nurturing a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing a mid-sized nonprofit, supervising staff, and supporting a collaborative staff culture;
• Track record of cultivating Board development and affirmatively engaging the Board in fundraising and other supporting activities;
• Experience serving as a representative and advocate for an organization and its mission area and contributing to broader conversations that shape arts funding and policy;
• Professional experience in organizational leadership in the performing arts; graduate training in arts administration, performing arts, or related fields.

We know that no candidate will meet every requirement listed and encourage candidates whose experience may not follow a traditional nonprofit or arts leadership trajectory to apply.

Other Minds is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, class, national origin, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family/marital status, religion, veteran status, or other protected classes. We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and people of all ages to apply.

Compensation

Starting salary range: $80,000–$120,000

This position is eligible for the Other Minds Health Plan, paid vacation, sick time, and access to a 401(k) retirement plan with employer contributions subject to vesting.

Please email a resume and cover letter addressed to the Other Minds Board of Directors to [email protected] with “Executive Director” in the subject line. In your cover letter, describe your experience in fundraising and your familiarity with the field of contemporary and experimental music. We will begin reviewing applications immediately and encourage candidates to apply early. Please submit your materials by September 15, 2026, for full consideration. Applications will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled.