Executive Director

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Final date to receive applications:
January 15, 2026

Job Title:

Executive Director

Hours:

Full time salaried position, 40 hours/week

Location:

Holyoke, MA

Anticipated

Start Date:

March 2, 2026

Enchanted Circle, a 50 year strong non‑profit in Holyoke, MA, seeks an Executive Director with a strong commitment to arts and education in Western Massachusetts. The next Executive Director will build and sustain strong partnerships, listen deeply to community voices, and champion collaborations across the region and beyond. They will work to bridge the arts, education, and social emotional wellbeing with families, schools and communities in Holyoke and Hampden County.

Historically, the Executive Director has overseen both artistic and strategic functions. We are now seeking a leader with exceptional strategic, operational, and organizational development skills to build a strong foundation for the future. This executive will be knowledgeable about the administration of an arts education organization, and adept at creating strategic partnerships and collaborations that enrich our collective arts community.

In the first year, the new Executive Director will focus on fundraising and budgeting, hiring 1-2 additional staff, and partnering with consultants, board and community stakeholders to develop a new strategic plan. They will also collaborate with a future curriculum or program director to shape new programs, assemble artistic and educational teams, and plan for the re‑launch of organizational programming.

Enchanted Circle is a 501(c)3 Arts Integration organization bridging the arts, education, and social‑emotional wellbeing. Based in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Enchanted Circle was founded as Enchanted Circle Theater in 1976, and has been a regional leader in the field of arts integration, using the arts as a dynamic teaching tool in the classroom, on the stage, and in community. Culturally responsive arts integration offers all learners a holistic and creative approach to education, one that is accessible and equitable, which connects us to ourselves, to one another and to our world.

These values guide our partnerships with schools, community organizations, human service agencies, and local leaders throughout Massachusetts.

Professional Development:
For more than three decades, Enchanted Circle has trained PreK-12 educators and youth service professionals to integrate the arts across curricula. Our workshops offer both theoretical and practical applications to enhance academic learning, social emotional wellbeing, and collaborative teams.

Community Collaborations:
Enchanted Circle partners with community organizations to co‑create arts‑integrated projects that respond to local needs and emphasize literacy, history, the environment, and/or social justice. These projects range from original performances, intergenerational art‑making days, teen arts labs, and community murals.

School Partnerships:
Teaching Artists work directly in the classroom with students and teachers, integrating the arts into content areas like math, science, social studies, literature and language arts. Classroom‑based residencies range from short‑term to year‑long partnerships, and focus on promoting creative and critical thinking.

Creative Youth Development:
Our creative youth development programs build artistic skills, leadership, trust, empathy, and community connection through culturally relevant programming.

Digital Resources:
Our digital storytelling library hosts hands‑on arts integration resources and the Social Justice Movers & Shakers Online free platform for teachers and students.

In the first 1‑2 years, the executive director will be primarily focused on strategic and systems development responsibilities, with a heavy percentage of effort on the following:

• Reestablish the organization’s presence across Holyoke, Springfield, and the region through active community engagement with families, educators, artists, donors, former and new partners, and civic leaders.
• Lead external communications, storytelling, public relations, and organizational…