Executive Support Manager

Job Description

Job Description

With a mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community, Celebrity Series has become a mainstay of Boston’s cultural life by bringing a widening spectrum of performers to Boston’s major concert halls. Celebrity Series presents over 70 subscription series performances in 10 different venues, and over 150 community engagement activities annually. Celebrity Series’ audiences experience the world’s great orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists, and leading artists in contemporary dance, jazz, world, and folk music, and spoken word. Alongside the subscription series performances, Celebrity Series’ Arts for All! community engagement programs connect with a dynamic network of hundreds of community collaborators, reaching thousands of individuals annually.

Position: Executive Support Manager

Department: Administration
Immediate Supervisor: President and Executive Director

FSLA: Non-Exempt; Contract to Hire (December 1, 2025-July 31, 2026)

Summary of Position

Celebrity Series of Boston is currently hiring our fifth Chief Executive in the organization’s history to replace Executive Director Gary Dunning, who is retiring in June 2026 after 15 years at the helm. This transition marks an important and momentous moment in our organizational history that requires careful attention and coordination. As such, we are seeking a temporary contract position to support both the current Executive Director, Gary Dunning, and the incoming Executive Director (to be named in early 2026) in their respective transitions into/out of the organization while also keeping 2025/26 season activities on track, with a particular emphasis on supporting performance programming. This position is a temporary, 8-month W-2 contract hire with the possibility of becoming a permanent full-time role in summer 2026.

Responsibilities

Executive Support

• Supervise and maintain current/incoming Executives’ internal and external appointment calendars with a high level of detail. Extend meeting requests, make reservations, and arrange for local, national, and international travel as necessary.
• Act a point of contact between current/incoming Executives and board members, staff, and other key stakeholders; draft basic correspondence on their behalf.
• Support internal and external meeting preparation for current/incoming Executives, including scheduling, agenda development, document gathering/preparation and logistics as necessary. Assist with logging and organizing meeting notes and subsequent action items for both Executives.
• Be present for Board and Board Committee meetings and provide support to the Advancement team in meeting logistics as necessary.

Transition Support

• Support current Executive in coordinating activities of current interim programming team for 26/27 season planning; provide administrative support to meetings and coordinate information flow as necessary. Ensure deadlines are met, documentation is current, and that the team has administrative support as needed.
• Under the direction of current Executive, support onboarding activities for the incoming Executive, particularly the creation of reports and gathering of information. Support entire Senior Staff as necessary in proactively and reactively preparing and offering information about their respective departments.
• Work directly with organizations in which current Executive holds membership to keep membership current and transition to the incoming Executive.

Requirements

• Detail-oriented self-starter who can handle multiple simultaneous projects and who excels in a fast-paced environment. Proactive, effective communication and follow-through are essential to success.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite and learning new technologies, including Tessitura (Celebrity Series’ CRM database); willingness to use personal cell phone for Celebrity Series business.
• Curiosity and willingness to leverage AI technologies for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to adapt communication to constituency and in the style of each Executive.
• Superior internal and external customer service skills.
• Ability to achieve results when working collaboratively with a wide variety of people and ideas.
• Willingness to take on a variety of tasks and responsibilities and strives to exceed expectations.
• Ability to maintain diplomacy and remain poised, tactful, and supportive in stressful situations. Ability to maintain a high level of discretion, particularly when handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Commitment to advancing anti-racism efforts in the workplace and organizational Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion goals.
• 3-5 years of professional experience
• Ability to lift 10 lbs.

Benefits

As a long-term temporary position, this position is eligible for medical, dental and PTO benefits through the Celebrity Series.

Salary

$30-$35/hour

40 hrs/week

Work Environment

The Celebrity Series offices are located at 20 Park Plaza, Suite 220 in Boston’s Back Bay. The building is convenient to public transportation and fully accessible. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm. Work is often required off-site, yet within the Greater Boston area. This position allows for a limited opportunity for remote work.

The Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates demonstrating diversity of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Celebrity Series is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, artist and audience focus, and innovation.