Q Theatre opens next year – a milestone for Auckland after 10 years in development.

We have an opportunity for a leader to make their mark on Auckland’s performing arts - someone that has a head for business, a love for community building and the local national and international connections to create inspiring programming.

You will be able to develop and deliver a programme that reflects Q’s brand values and cements Q’s role as a vital hub for the Performing Arts. In the period leading up to Q’s opening, you will work with our small and highly committed team to expand staffing, develop business systems and extend engagement with customers and stakeholders. Once open, you will maintain and grow our business so that Q connects artists and audiences and is a leader in the development of NZ’s professional performing arts sector.

Q enjoys a high level of support from a diverse range of backers and you will be working in a dynamic, flexible organization that values creativity and excellence. This is an opportunity to be at the heart of one of the most exciting developments in Auckland’s performing arts for many years.

If this is you, please express your interest in a way that shows why you are the right person for this role. Please include your CV and other material to support your expression of interest.

We have some flexibility to how we might structure things and we are inviting people to talk with us about the role and how they might fit, in an informal and confidential way. We will prepare our shortlist of candidates for interview from the expressions of interest received.

Additional information to help with your expression of interest is available here.

About Us

Q opens its doors on Queen Street in late 2011.

The money to complete the building has been secured. There is a modest amount of capital still required and a team led by a professional fundraiser is actively seeking this. Q has secured four years of support from Auckland Council towards our operating costs and enjoys positive relationships with a number of funders.

Q currently has a small staff which we are preparing to expand in the period leading up to opening. The Director will lead this recruitment process.

Q has a range of stakeholders:

• Industry | Performers, writers, industry organizations, producers, festivals, arts managers, technicians, industry training organizations

• Funders | Local government, Creative New Zealand, Community Trusts, Lotteries

• Private Sector | Sponsors, private donors

• Audience | People, especially New Zealanders, of all ages with a passion for live performance

• Tangata Whenua

Our approach

We have identified the core functions of our business and we are now looking for someone to develop the business structure that will deliver this. We want to hear how you would propose structuring things and running the business to deliver our strategic plan.

We have a broad structure in mind and would like to hear how you might adapt to this. We will adjust the structure to suit the competencies of the person we recruit and we would like to hear what your strengths and areas of development are. We would also like to hear how you would build a team to complement these.

Some things are key to us:

• We want a leadership team developed

• We want a co-operative, matrix approach that encourages co-operation across the business rather than building silos

• We want a collaborative approach to working with board, volunteers and pro bono professionals

We are looking for someone:

• Able to build and to empower teams to deliver great results

• Capable of leading a diverse team that includes volunteers and pro bono professionals

• Understanding a matrix approach to business structures or demonstrating a willingness to learn and an ability to operate in this way

• Understanding how to work in partnership with other organisations to deliver shared goals

• Offering strong strategic and business planning skills

• Possessing good financial literacy and management

• Understanding the importance of business systems and able to lead a team to develop and maintain these

• Able to work with diverse stakeholder groups

• Able to work collaboratively with a governance board

• Able to work with a team to attract support from private sources (donors, sponsors)

• Able to advocate to local, central government as well as to the private sector (including ability to secure funding)

• Able to build long term relationships with customers and key partners -other venues, producers, festivals, promoters (locally, nationally and internationally), artists, industry organizations, performing arts companies.

• Having excellent written and verbal communication skills able to applied to a wide range of audiences (staff, board, stakeholders, funders, clients, private sector)

• Having excellent negotiating skills (especially with artists, promoters, funders)

• Understanding of the opportunities and issues in the Performing Arts

• Understanding and knowledge of a range of contemporary Performing Arts forms

• Understanding and knowledge of how to engage diverse audiences and communities

• Willing to learn and develop