Director of Artistic Administration

Reporting to the General Director & CEO, the Director of Artistic Administration oversees Austin Opera’s artistic staff and works closely with the executive leadership (General Director & CEO, Music Director, and Chief Advancement Officer) and the artistic and production teams to plan and execute season programming at the Butler Performance Center and Long Center. Ensuring the seamless operations of multiple, concurrent artistic programming streams, the Director of Artistic Administration is a key partner in fulfilling the company’s strategic goals to provide outstanding arts experiences that reflect the Austin community.

• Work with the executive leadership and artistic and production teams to devise season programming for all of the company’s venues and programming streams.
• Partner with the Director of Production to create season schedules for each artistic constituency (principal artists, orchestra, chorus, etc.) and see that each schedule is distributed in accordance with union regulations, making timely updates as needed.
• Develop budgets for all season items under purview, including principal artists, orchestra, chorus, and all related production expenses, as well as the general artistic operations budget. Provide timely budget updates and actuals to the executive leadership and Director of Business Operations.
• Work with the Artistic Administrator to ensure rights are secured for any applicable projects.

• Partner with the General Director, Music Director, and Artistic Administrator to create artistic personnel plans for each season and production, and ensure that each position is contracted in a timely manner.
• Principal Artists:
  Work with the Artistic Administrator to ensure a robust system to identify and engage principal artists:
  Ensure the maintenance of an active database of emerging and established talent identified through auditions, relationships with talent agents, and travel to other opera companies and festivals by members of the artistic team;
  Oversee contract negotiations and company adherence to all contract terms.
• Chorus:
  Ensure the artistic staff’s work to recruit, audition, and cast local talent to fulfill all chorus needs fulfills the company’s strategic goals.
• Orchestra:
  Work with the Music Director, Orchestra Committee, and Orchestra Manager, and artistic staff to schedule and host auditions as needed and in accordance with the CBA. Partner with the General Director & CEO on contract negotiations.
• Pianists:
  Ensure rehearsal pianists and coaches are secured as needed for all company programming.
• Directors:
  Partner with the executive leadership and artistic and production teams to select stage directors for each production.
• Work with the executive leadership and artistic and production teams on the selection of productions and creative teams for each production.
• Ensure the work of the Artistic Administrator and Director of Education to recruit, audition, and select Resident Stars and teaching artists for the company’s education and community offerings.
• Work with the Advancement department and Artistic Administrator to contract artists for company events.
• Ensure other artistic personnel such as dancers and supers are contracted as needed.

Artist Care:
Partner with the Artistic Administrator to ensure an outstanding artist experience, ensuring that artists have what they need to prepare for each engagement and succeed in a fast-paced rehearsal and performance environment. Ensure that all artist logistics are being managed in a cost-effective, timely manner, including artist travel, housing, and parking.

Communication:
Serve as a primary point of contact for all artistic personnel under purview, proactively managing the communication process in advance of and during engagements. Ensure that company handbooks for various artistic constituencies are updated and distributed regularly.

Rehearsals and Performances:
Work with the Artistic Administrator to ensure that everything is in place for rehearsals and performances and maintain a significant presence during the entirety of the artistic process to maintain a…