Seattle JazzED Executive Director

Seattle JazzED seeks a visionary Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth and impact.

Seattle JazzED believes that any student who wants to play music should get to play. Building on the legacy and values of jazz, Seattle JazzED increases access to the music room, celebrates student expression, and builds lasting connections rooted in community.

As Seattle JazzED’s next Executive Director, you will drive strategic initiatives to enhance and solidify relationships with external stakeholders, further develop the organization’s staff, programs, and systems, and ensure long-term financial viability and sustainable growth. You will implement a needs assessment and oversee the creation of a long-term home for Seattle JazzED, utilizing the momentum, funds, and goodwill created by the organization’s capital campaign over the last five years. We are particularly seeking candidates who:

• Are visionary and strategic leaders with experience helping organizations increase their impact.
• Bring a deep commitment to youth development and education.
• Have experience with fundraising and resource development strategy, including experience making direct asks from major donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Have experience building and supporting inclusive and effective staff teams.
• Understand board governance, volunteer engagement, and nonprofit finance and operations.
• Have fluency and experience leading and operationalizing racial equity initiatives and efforts.

Read the full announcement here.

Applications submitted by Thursday, October 3 will be given full consideration. Interviews are anticipated in early October.

Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced nonprofit leader to make a lasting impact on youth through music. If you are a believer in youth development through music and community, and are ready to guide a dynamic organization to new heights, we encourage you to apply!

Organizational Overview 

Our Promise

• Excellence in Education: Students can expect an excellent music education with a comprehensive curriculum taught by dedicated, professional instructors.
• An Open Door: Students can get the tools they need to learn and grow at Seattle JazzED. Sliding scale tuition and a free loaner instrument are always available.
• A Musical Home: Students work, learn, and grow together building a musical community reflecting the gender, racial, and economic diversity of the greater Seattle area.
• Commitment to the Whole Person: Jazz music teaches a lot more than the notes on the page! Students learn focus and teamwork, and gain confidence from taking creative risks.

Organizational Snapshot

Seattle JazzED employs 8 full-time staff and contracts with 45 music instructors. It has a diverse and active 14-member Board of Directors. With an annual operating budget of $1.3 million, it directly serves over 1,300 students annually from schools all over the Seattle area.

In 2019, Seattle JazzED launched a capital campaign that garnered $8 million in pledges from local foundations, the State of Washington, the City of Seattle, and individual donors. A portion of the pledges are held as restricted cash reserves that can be used to find a new physical location. We hope to eventually move into a space where they don't just serve music students—they serve their families, their communities, their city. 

For more information about Seattle JazzED, visit our website 

Commitment to Equity 

Seattle JazzED believes that achievement of their core mission - to empower students with exceptional music education -- requires an organization-wide commitment to dismantle systemic racism, sexism, and economic inequality by keeping issues of equity centered in their work. They strive to understand, support, and reflect the communities that they serve.

Seattle JazzED is dedicated to cultivating a culture of equity and inclusion, both within the organization and in its work with the community. This commitment is reflected in their sliding scale tuition model and in the diversity of their board and staff, with 50% of board members and 88% of staff members being people of color.

Seattle JazzED is committed to teaching students as they come to the organization. The organization continuously engages in professional development to better serve students. 

Position Opportunities and Essential Duties of Position

Seattle JazzED is poised for a bright future as they aim to increase their capacity to make music education widely available in the Puget Sound region. Seattle JazzED seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization in this next phase. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and manages three direct reports: the Deputy Director, the Development and Communications Director, and the Education Director. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in driving JazzED's vision and strategy, ensuring the organization's continued success in music education, partnership development, and community engagement.

The new ED will spend their time on these key responsibilities:

• Serve as a key spokesperson for Seattle JazzED, building and maintaining relationships with partners, community leaders, and stakeholders.
• Provide visionary leadership to guide Seattle JazzED's future direction, building upon the organization's successes and identifying opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Lead organizational capacity-building, and continued investment in program development and infrastructure.
• Lead the Seattle JazzED team and oversee all aspects of running an effective and efficient nonprofit organization.
• Collaborate with staff and the board in fundraising efforts by developing and implementing a diversified resource development and fundraising strategy.
• Collaborate with board, staff, and community partners to assess Seattle JazzED's current and future needs, ensuring the organization makes the best decisions for its physical location and long-term growth.

The Team

The Seattle JazzED team has a friendly and informal professional work culture, where people work collaboratively in a kind and supportive environment. They are a learning organization where things move and change quickly; they value both hard work and having fun. They are:

• Committed to youth development and education. They believe that helping youth build skills and competencies increases their potential for successful, healthy development
• Passionate about the arts. They are a team of artists and educators who value creating safe spaces for kids to express their creativity
• Community-centric. Their programs come from being aware of what’s going on in the field and the community
• Ready to pitch in and help: As a small team, they understand that everyone must do their part to be successful

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will bring an unwavering commitment and passion for youth development and education. Key qualifications:

• Be an effective people manager who communicates with “kind candor,” listens and leads with curiosity and humility to support a healthy, diverse, and effective team. The successful candidate will be highly skilled at building trusting relationships with staff and providing professional development support and mentoring so staff are able to do their best work.
• Bring an excellent organizational leadership skill set, with a record of leading staff and board through growth and change. The successful candidate will have experience with revenue planning, including anticipating future funding needs for growth and identifying aligned revenue sources to support those needs.
• Possess confidence and skill in external relations and fundraising, with the aptitude for nonprofit fundraising, especially with major gifts and capital campaigns, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage diverse stakeholders. The successful candidate will be comfortable making in-person asks for financial support.
• Bring solid nonprofit operations and financial management acumen, including managing organizational budgets, overseeing financial systems, and guiding human resources and board relations effectively.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into the organizational culture and practices, and a dedication to building relationships and access for underrepresented groups. Proven record of centering the experience of the underrepresented communities we serve is a must.
• Understand and have work or lived experience in youth development.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time salaried position requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends. The expected salary range is between $120,000 and $140,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

Seattle JazzED offers generous medical and dental benefits, a flexible work schedule with hybrid options, a professional development budget, and an ORCA card for transportation. JazzED offers 20 days of vacation time per year, with an additional 5 days starting at 5 years of service. The organization also observes 12 paid holidays, and is closed for one week in mid-June and between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. At 10 years, employees qualify for a 30-day sabbatical. 

Seattle JazzED is located in Seattle, Washington, in the South Lake Union neighborhood. 

How to Apply

Online applications only, please no email or paper submissions. You will be asked to upload a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe what excites you about this position and how your skills and background pair well with Seattle JazzED’s mission and goals as described in this announcement.

Applications received by Thursday, October 3 will be given full consideration; early applications are strongly encouraged! All applications will be acknowledged via an email receipt. Consideration will be given to applications as soon as they are received; phone and in-person interviewing is anticipated to begin in mid-October.

José Leonor is available for questions or to schedule a time to discuss this opportunity. His contact information is in the full announcement. 

Posting Date: September 5, 2024