General Manager

Position Summary

Reporting to the Managing Director, the General Manager serves as a key member of the senior leadership team, overseeing artist and creative administration for an excellent company experience, collaborating with multiple departments to achieve this goal. Supervising the Company Manager, this position oversees artist and creative contracting (both union and non-union), manages all company union relationships, and leads/supports the implementation of collective bargaining agreements. This position is also the primary administrative contact for LORT (the League of Resident Theatres), creates schedules and budgets for each season, and oversees the Company Manager in planning and implementing the housing, travel, and hospitality needs for the company.

The General Manager works with the Director of Finance and Administration to ensure smooth benefits and payroll for artists, and coordinates with both the Directors of Finance and Administration and Production on facilities and operational needs. A cornerstone of this position is leading with hospitality to create a culture of warmth and connection, that strengthens collaboration and supports our organizational mission. The successful candidate will be a community-centric , welcoming, and collaborative leader and relationship-builder, committed to administrative and operational excellence, and with a passion for supporting mission-driven work.

About People's Light

Founded in 1974, People’s Light is a nationally recognized and award-winning LORT D theatre company located in Malvern, Pa. (Chester County), just outside Philadelphia. It is known for producing classics, contemporary plays and musicals, including an annual signature holiday “panto,” and commissioning and producing new work: over one-third of its productions in its 50-year history have been world or regional premieres. These include MUD ROW by Dominique Morisseau; PERSONALITY: THE LLOYD PRICE MUSICAL by B. Jeffrey Madoff with Lloyd Price, and LIGHTS OUT: NAT “KING” COLE by Colman Domingo and Patricia McGregor.

In addition, People's Light offers a robust array of education and community programs, including the New Voices Ensemble, a multi-decade program serving young people from the City of Chester; and New Play Frontiers, a long-term initiative to develop and produce new plays that explore the American identity through stories of deep meaning to the diversity of populations rooted in Chester County.

People's Light has always called Chester County “home.” In 1979, the theatre moved to its current Malvern location, which includes two black box theatres with 330 and 140 seats respectively; offices; scenic shops; rehearsal halls; classrooms; a restored 18th-century farmhouse that includes housing for guest artists; the Fern & Fable restaurant; and The Farmhouse banquet and catering facility that can be rented for special events, and which is owned and operated as a for-profit entity.

People’s Light has an annual operating budget of $7.7M and annually employs 40 full-time staff, with an additional 60 part-time artists and staff members, many of whom live within 15 miles of campus. Each season it welcomes almost 200 guest artists from Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., and beyond. With a resident company of artists and serving 80,000 patrons, guests, students, and community members each year, People’s Light is a community beacon and cultural hub that champions innovation, inclusion, and the transformative power of the arts.

Primary Responsibilities

General Management and Company Administration

Supported by the Company Manager:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for unions (AEA, SDC, USA) and LORT, interpreting collective bargaining agreements, providing counsel on their implementation, and ensuring company-wide compliance
• Anticipate and submit all required reports, paperwork, and forms associated with union procedures, communicating with unions to resolve inquiries or discrepancies
• Responsible for negotiating and administering all union member agreements, as well as non-union artist agreements
• Create and maintain updated templates and standards for company contracting
• Responsible for establishing protocols and legal compliance in employment of juveniles
• Secure licenses from publishers and draft author, artist, and creative agreements
• Collaborate with Producing Artistic Director and Managing Director on negotiating and administering all production transfer, touring, and other such agreements, including negotiating performance rights for productions prior to season being announced
• Participate in the annual season budgeting process, working with the Producing Artistic Director, Managing Director, and Senior Leadership Council to develop the season calendar, allocate resources, and identify points of congestion within the programming plan
• Also, as part of the season planning process, create and manage budgets including, but not limited to:
• Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and non-union Actor & Stage Manager budgets
• Guest Artist budget (in close consultation with the Director of Production)
• Support the Artistic Department on the creation and management of its budget
• Royalties budget
• Travel and Housing budget
• IDEA budget
• Provide all budget managers with information as needed to support their departmental budget processes
• Oversee scheduling of housing needs for guest artists collaborating with the Artistic department as appropriate
• Liaise with the Director of Finance and Administration and/or Facilities staff on cleanliness and maintenance of Farmhouse apartments
• Anticipate and identify future season contract criteria for budgeting (e.g., determining AEA ratios, budgeting banked non-union performers, floating non-pros, SDC-covered productions, etc.)
• Support the Director of Finance and Administration in securing the bank Letter of Credit, and then lead the bonding of the season with Actors’ Equity and SDC, and calculate and coordinate timely payment of royalties
• Present Standards of Conduct/Anti-Racist workplace/Structure for Reporting Harm to all guest artists (first day of rehearsal)
• Prepare and execute all season-closing procedures
• Respond to LORT, TCG, and other surveys as requested by the Managing Director, collaborating with the Director of Finance and Administration and/or other colleagues as needed

In addition, working closely with the Director of Finance and Administration and the Fractional Director of Human Resources:

• Create, review and approve additional check requests associated with payments due to artists on contract
• Collaborate on payroll and Accounts Payable as requested, and coordinate payments to artists’ agents (week after closing)
• Support co-leadership of People’s Light facilities by the Directors of Production and Finance & Administration
• Collaborate with the Safety Committee and support or lead, as requested, Emergency Preparedness and other trainings

Leadership and Strategy

• Serve as a member of the senior leadership team, contributing to meetings and organization-wide strategy and planning as led by the Producing Artistic Director and Managing Director
• Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and submit departmental reports, as requested
• As a member of the Senior Leadership Council, attend openings, company events, and other fundraisers, supporting stakeholder relations and donor development as requested

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in arts management, theatre, or a related field preferred, or equivalent experience
• At least 3–5 years of experience in nonprofit or arts management, with experience in company or general management at a nonprofit theatre preferred
• Proficiency in nonprofit accounting, budget management, and reporting a plus
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to lead and collaborate with staff and volunteers, and a record of managing complex operations
• Experience in contract negotiation and knowledge of theatrical productions, presentations, and co-productions and tours a plus
• Experience in strategic planning and policy implementation
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends
• A demonstrated passion for the performing arts and alignment with the mission of People’s Light

Compensation and Benefits

The General Manager position is a full-time exempt position with a starting salary between $69,000 and $72,000 annually, with flexibility for exceptional candidates based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package including generous vacation policy and WFH flexibility.