Managing Director | Profile Theatre (Portland)

Profile Theatre's production of Orange Sky , world premiere of a Profile Theatre commission bychristopher oscar peña, directed by Evren Odcikin. Photo Credit: David Kinder.

OPPORTUNITY
Profile Theatre, one of Portland’s most acclaimed cultural institutions, seeks a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and inclusive leader to serve as its Managing Director, co-leading the organization alongside the Artistic Director. One of only two theaters in the nation that highlights the work of contemporary playwrights in deep-dive, multi-year, multi-production collaborations, Profile is at a pivotal moment in its journey — building a sustainable future that honors its distinctive artistic voice and strong commitment to community. Compassionate and engaging leaders with strengths in organizational development will thrive at Profile; experience creating inclusive environments, and hands-on successes in fundraising, financial management, and board and staff development, will be particularly relevant. A newly-created role, this position reports directly to the Board of Directors and works in close collaboration with the Artistic Director.

BACKGROUND
Profile Theatre was founded in 1997 and initially focused on producing one writer’s work each year. Over time, they have come to showcase more than one writer each year, and they commit to multi-year relationships with writers that directly engage them in production work, artistic development, commissions, and community engagement initiatives. For the past 10 years, they have been dedicated solely to LGBTQ+, BIPOC, female-identifying, and Jewish writers. Based in Portland’s Pearl District, and performing in residence at a handful of the city’s arts venues, Profile is widely recognized for presenting work with a strong lens on social justice and for providing audiences with compelling conversations, context, and community engagement. Recent and upcoming Featured Playwrights include Kristoffer Diaz, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Lisa Kron, Mike Lew, Lynn Nottage, christopher oscar peña, Jen Silverman, Paula Vogel, and Lauren Yee. See here for more info.

Profile’s Mission is “to produce a season of first-class productions and community engagement activities centered around featured writers whose visions broaden our perspective on our world and deepen our collective compassion.”

Core Values:

Engage audiences to have a deep experience with a writer’s work by presenting productions of exemplary artistic merit and quality.

Create diverse and high-impact community engagement programming for adults and students.

Support artists both artistically and financially, putting our resources back into our local economy.

Engage with our community to deepen understanding of our world and foster compassion for each other.

Current Environment
Profile currently operates on an annual budget of around $850,000, which is projected to grow slightly with the arrival of the new Managing Director. This supports five full-time staff members, several part-time staff and contractors, and about 100 other theater professionals each year. The vast majority of Profile’s revenue is contributed (80%+); the balance of revenue is earned through ticket sales. This new Managing Director position is supported in part by a multi-year grant by a major regional funder as well as other dedicated support, to invest in Profile’s improved capacity and to help usher in an important next chapter for the Theatre.

Programming
Profile Theatre produces a season of theatrical productions and community engagement activities centered around the work of featured writers. Its unique model allows audiences and communities to dive deeply into a playwright’s vision and voice—fostering empathy, engagement, and equity. They intentionally curate two or three leading writers for two-year seasons, using the visions of multiple leading dramatists to explore key issues of our time. The Theatre’s long-standing commitment to inclusion is deeply embedded across programming and organizational culture.

Key programs include:

Mainstage Productions: Each year, Profile produces three full productions featuring new and existing work by its featured writers. Profile’s productions take place in partner theaters around Portland, including the Ellyn Bye Studio at the Armory, the Artists Repertory Theatre performance space, and others.

In Dialogue: Profile hosts readings, panel discussions, podcasts, and concert stagings that expand the conversation around the mainstage work each season, engaging audiences and the wider Portland community around issues that resonate with the season’s work.

Community Profile: This unique program uses the practice of writing to build authentic networks of resilience, strength and hope, and to amplify underrepresented voices. Each year, Profile serves a cohort drawn from a specific affinity group (community health workers, first generation Americans, etc.) and pairs participants with writers from across disciplines in monthly writing workshops.

Playwrights Residency: Profile commits to long-term partnerships with featured writers, hosting them for workshops, readings, and world premieres, and supporting commissions of artists such as christoper oscar peña and Mike Lew as well as community-invested pieces created with Ping Chong & Co. and Cornerstone Theater Company.

Leadership / Staff
Profile’s Board of Directors currently includes six members (with a desire to grow its ranks) who support the Theatre financially and as advocates and advisors. Josh Hecht has served as Profile’s Artistic Director since 2017, and has been an advocate for developing new programming and expanding the theater’s commitment to socially-engaged work. The small staff is strongly dedicated to Profile’s success and to upholding its mission and values, and is eager to work with a Managing Director that will provide strategic, day-to-day leadership.

Portland, Oregon
Profile is an important part of the diverse arts ecology of Portland, which includes other noted theaters and presenters (Portland Institute for Contemporary Arts (PICA), Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts), music across all disciplines, a lively visual arts scene, and a noted literary life. A home to diverse communities from around the world, Portland also features rich food, beverage, and “maker” cultures. There are abundant outdoor recreation opportunities and several highly-ranked colleges and universities (Portland State University, Reed College, Lewis and Clark College). Oregon’s largest city, Portland is home to approximately 630,000 people and it forms the heart of a greater metro region with approximately 2.5 million residents. Its five largest ethnic groups are White (Non-Hispanic) (65%), Hispanic or Latino (12%), Mixed Race/Multiracial (Non-Hispanic) (8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (7%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (6%). (Source: censusreporter.org ) Click here for more info.

ASSETS AND CHALLENGES
The Managing Director will join Profile at a moment when the organization looks to chart its next chapter of sustainability. Among many assets, the Managing Director’s work will be supported by the following:

A clarity of vision and values, and an organization-wide commitment to human-centered collaboration.

A unique artistic model that centers writers, and a track-record of artistically excellent work.

A strong dedication to equity and diversity and to serving a wide variety of Portland’s communities.

An evolving audience demographic that encompasses past loyal audiences with new attendees.

Along with managing these assets, the next Managing Director will be able to move the organization forward in concert with the Artistic Director, staff, and Board of Directors, in addressing challenges including:

Navigating significant shifts in the arts funding landscape in Portland and the field by critically interrogating the business model, identifying new sources of institutional revenue and new engagement strategies.

Engaging and growing the Board and increasing the major donor pool to ensure a wider base of support.

Mobilizing robust audiences and securing Profile’s prominence in the city’s arts scene.

Supporting the professional growth of the staff and managing human resources to avoid burnout.

Stabilizing internal operations and updating systems and processes for effectiveness.

POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Board of Directors, Profile’s Managing Director will serve as an equal co-leader with the Artistic Director. The Managing Director will be charged with optimizing operations, developing and stewarding resources, and fostering a sustainable organizational infrastructure. They will have had hands-on experience with collaborative decision-making, developing systems, and aligning resources with programming and values. With an emphasis on deep collaboration with the Artistic Director, the staff, and the Board of Directors, the primary roles and responsibilities of the Managing Director are these:

Strategic Engagement and Board Governance: Work closely with the Artistic Director and Board to develop organizational strategies, develop and engage the Board, and ensure clear roles for Board/staff.

Operations and Finance: Oversee budget strategies, business planning, financial operations, and risk management to foster sustainable growth.

Human Relations: Serve as HR lead, supervise administrative