Executive Director

Posted: Dec 9, 2025

Executive Director

Cantata Singers - Boston, MA

business_center Full-time

Salary: $75,000.00 - $95,000.00 Annually

Application Deadline: Jan 15, 2026

Administrative

Cantata Singers Executive Director Job Description

December 2025

Cantata Singers seeks a visionary leader who will—with creativity and administrative acumen—lead the organization through a time of growth, opportunity, and continued artistic excellence.

At Cantata Singers, our mission is to illuminate our shared humanity through choral music. Through music making and community building, Cantata Singers creates opportunities for people of all ages, cultures, and identities to engage with others in ways that uplift, inspire, and help them feel that their stories are being heard. Our programming honors the diverse perspectives and experiences that comprise our world, acknowledging that when we better understand our shared humanity, we develop deeper connections and amplify what unites us.

Job Responsibilities

As the organization’s chief administrative officer, the Executive Director is responsible for the overall management and oversight of Cantata Singers’ finances, development, artistic performances, and long-range planning. The Executive Director reports to the board of directors, works in creative partnership with the Music Director, and oversees a small staff and contract service providers.

FUNDRAISING : As the organization’s chief development officer, develop and oversee a fundraising strategy that brings in about $250,000 a year in contributed revenue. Includes cultivating and soliciting leadership gifts, grant-writing, special events, and supporting annual giving initiatives. Able to structure active engagement of the board of directors in the cultivation process, activating networks and ensuring the development of strong relationships between the organization and its donors.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT : Oversee a budget of approximately $500,000. Develop and monitor all budgets using the model of a three year program plan and budget. Facilitate the process of reconciling programmatic demands and creativity with budget and fundraising feasibility. Develop financial reports for the board of directors.

MARKETING : With the goal of continuing robust and diversified earned income, oversee all marketing efforts and brand development. The successful candidate will be creative in his/her approach to communicating Cantata Singers’ value proposition, and familiar with both the traditional and digital marketing arenas.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS : Represent Cantata Singers to its diverse constituents, including funders, donors, musicians, audience members, and the community at large. The successful candidate will thrive when cultivating new relationships among all the aforementioned constituencies, and will relish the opportunity to develop and sustain strategic partnerships that build the visibility and reputation of the ensemble.

ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING : Work with the board of directors to develop, and with the staff to execute on, strategic priorities in all key operational areas. Build on the strategic planning and operations foundation established over the past 5 years to help ensure the organization continues to thrive in a changing landscape. Engage and supervise staff and contractors to meet the operational needs of Cantata Singers.

Experience

• Has served in a leadership role in arts administration (a minimum of 5 years experience preferred), with a demonstrated track record building organizational capacity, cultivating new relationships and forging relationships in new communities.
• Experience cultivating donors and engaging the board in building and stewarding a donor pipeline.
• A passion for, and preferably direct experience with, classical choral and/or orchestral music. Familiarity with producing or presenting musical performances.
• A track record of creatively managing limited time and resources for maximum impact.
• A background either working with or serving on non-profit boards.
• Experience successfully managing the work of others within a virtual environment, with in-person attendance at concerts and selected events. Experience developing fruitful and collaborative working relationships with artists.
• Financially literate and able to both develop and keep to a budget; familiarity with nonprofit accounting practices a plus.

CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate is both a big picture thinker and someone who understands the concrete steps it takes to make an organization’s dreams a reality, from both an operational and financial perspective. He/she is an inspirational leader who possesses both curiosity and vision, and is a skilled communicator. We seek someone who values inclusivity and collaboration, manages effectively, and relishes working in a fast-paced, creative, dynamic environment.

SALARY

Anticipated to be in the range of $75,000 to $95,000 per year dependent on skills and experience.

Attachments

CS Exec Dir job desc FINAL.docx.pdf

How To Apply

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, resume including 3 personal references, and a 200-word statement of your interest in working specifically for Cantata Singers to [email protected]; please submit all materials in .pdf format. Please use the subject line “ CS ED Search;” for example, Taylor Smith would use “SMITH TAYLOR CS ED Search” for their email subject line. All submissions will be acknowledged. The priority deadline is January 15, 2026. All conversations and expressions of interest will be held in the strictest confidence; references will not be contacted without the candidate’s permission and prior knowledge. Questions about the search can also be directed to the [email protected] email.

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