Executive Director

Salary: $95,000–$105,000 | Location: Berkeley, CA (Hybrid) | Target Start: May-June 2026

About AXIS Dance Company

Led by Artistic Director Nadia Adame, AXIS is one of the nation’s most acclaimed ensembles of disabled, non-disabled, d/Deaf and neurodiverse performers. AXIS was founded in 1987 and creates world-class productions that challenge perceptions and redefine dance and disability. The Bay Area, California-based company has toured over 100 cities in the US, Israel and Palestine, United Kingdom, Europe, United Arab Emirates, and Russia, and has received nine Isadora Duncan Dance Awards. AXIS commissions new work from a host of renowned international choreographers including Marc Brew, Arthur Pita, Robin Dekkers, Asun Noales, and Jennifer Archibald.

In tandem with a robust performance calendar, AXIS provides unparalleled integrated dance education and outreach programs. AXIS builds paths to dance education for disabled and non-disabled people of all ages, experiences, and spectrum of disabilities.

About the Role

AXIS Dance Company seeks an Executive Director to serve as the operational and strategic anchor of one of the nation's leading integrated disability dance companies. Reporting to the Board of Directors and working in co-leadership with the Artistic Director, the ED translates AXIS's artistic vision and mission into sustainable reality - balancing creative ambition with fiscal discipline, stewarding relationships with funders, government entities, and community partners as well as rolling up their sleeves on the day-to-day realities of a lean nonprofit.

The incoming ED steps into an organization in transition, with a real opportunity to build operational stability while protecting the artistic risk-taking that defines AXIS's work. The right candidate brings deep nonprofit management experience, a collaborative leadership style, fluency in the diverse lived experiences of employees and community partners, and a commitment to disability justice as central - not incidental - to this organization's identity and impact.

What You'll Own

The ED holds ultimate responsibility for the health and sustainability of AXIS as an organization - legally, financially and operationally. Everything in this role flows from one core charge: ensuring that AXIS's artistic ambition has a sound organizational home from which to operate.

Operational and financial leadership and strategy. The ED is the connective tissue between artistic vision and operational reality. This means translating the mission and Artistic Director's creative goals into multi-year budgets, staffing, partnerships, and timelines that are financially viable and sustainable - and knowing when to push back when they aren't. The ED also identifies and develops new revenue opportunities, cultivates strategic partnerships and ensures the organization's reputation is protected and advanced in the field.

Legal, financial and compliance oversight. The ED carries final legal and financial accountability for the organization, including oversight of tax compliance, restricted fund management, insurance, and risk.

People and culture. The ED handles all personnel contracts, manages admin staff and contractor relationships and serves as the HR representative on record. They set the workplace strategies, policies and best practices that allow everyone to co-create AXIS’ unique culture.

External relationships and field presence. The ED is AXIS's primary relationship holder with major funders, institutional partners and government entities. The ED co-represents the organization in the broader arts field with the Artistic Director.

What You'll Bring

We're looking for candidates with demonstrated experience in the following areas:

• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit management and organizational leadership
• Budget development and financial strategy, including restricted fund oversight, audit preparation and tax compliance
• Legal and compliance oversight, including familiarity with employment law and risk management
• Building and managing collaborative, cross-functional teams
• Community engagement and relationship-building, including with major funders, institutional partners, and government entities
• Strategic planning as a tool for organizational stability and long-term sustainability
• HR management, including personnel contracts, performance management, benefits administration, and onboarding and offboarding
• Intersectional equity knowledge - familiarity with systemic barriers facing historically marginalized communities, and facility with the language and frameworks needed to lead an organization whose staff, artists and community reflect that diversity

No prior experience in dance or disability arts is required. The incoming ED will learn the specific history and culture of the performing arts field, the particular shape of disability justice as it lives at AXIS, and the organization's internal accessibility practices on the job.

What Success Looks Like

In the first three months, the ED will complete a listening tour with all staff, dancers, board members, and key funders; review the organization's current financial position including restricted fund balances and cash flow projections; assume ownership of all active contracts and compliance deadlines; establish a regular 1:1 cadence with the Artistic Director and direct reports; and meet with the board chair to align on communication expectations and near-term priorities.

By six months, the ED will present a clear-eyed financial assessment to the board, build and maintain relationships with the organization's top 10 funders with no gaps caused by the leadership transition, stabilize core operational systems so they run reliably without depending on any single person, confirm programming and partnerships for the coming fiscal year, and identify at least one new or underleveraged revenue opportunity worth pursuing in the next 12–18 months.

By the end of the first year, the ED will present a board-approved budget for the following two fiscal years, complete the annual audit cycle without material findings, retain all current staff and dancers through the transition period, deliver at least one successful grant cycle end-to-end, articulate a 2–3 year organizational vision to the board, and establish AXIS's presence in at least one national arts service organization or network.

Working Environment

• This is a hybrid position with onsite presence required at least 3 days per week, including AXIS's studios and offices in Berkeley, CA, Bay Area performance and event venues and select touring sites.
• The office is 0.8 miles from North Berkeley BART, near local bus lines, and free parking is available in an adjacent lot. Occasional carpool driving to Bay Area events and performances is desirable, and some travel to touring sites may be strategically advantageous.
• As an integrated disability dance company, non-physically-disabled staff may occasionally assist consenting disabled colleagues with access needs, lifting, or carrying. This role is not required to perform these tasks unless physically able to do so, with the consent of those needing support.
• AXIS trusts staff to meet personal and professional needs on a flexible schedule, with exceptions for scheduled performances, rehearsals, and events that require physical presence.

• Health benefits:Healthcare premium paid at 100% for Kaiser HMO Silver, option to enroll in alternate plan, excess % paid pre-tax by employee; optional vision and dental premiums paid by employee
• Flexible schedules: many staff have responsibilities during typical “office hours”, whether that be school dropoff or pickup, doctor’s appointments, etc. We trust individuals to get their personal and professional needs met on a flexible schedule, with exceptions for scheduled performances, rehearsals and events that require physical presence.
• 10 days PTO, with an additional 5 days off during the holidays when company is in "shut down" (between Dec 25th and New Years Day)
• All AXIS employees have the option to voluntarily contribute towards the CA state 401K, CalSavers

Professional proficiency with English: reading, writing, speaking and listening.