Reporting to the Artistic Executive Director, the Managing Director will provide executive-level leadership for the Society’s operations, ensuring that the organization has the people, systems, structures, and resources necessary to successfully deliver its mission with integrity, discipline, and long-term sustainability.
The Managing Director will lead the Society’s administrative and operational activities, where the Artistic Executive Director will focus on artistic vision, long-term growth, community impact, advocacy, and strategic direction. The Managing Director will take strategic priorities and turn them into actionable annual plans with measurable outcomes while strengthening cross-departmental alignment and execution. Together, they will foster a safe, inclusive, and effective workplace culture. 
The Managing Director will spend much of their time overseeing multiple departments and day-to-day operations. The position will meaningfully lead or contribute to financial oversight, risk management, budgeting, grant writing and reporting, major fundraising campaigns, capital planning, and other areas while closely working with the Artistic Executive Director, Finance Officer, Manager of Technical Operations, and department heads.
A central priority of the Managing Director is to strengthen organizational resilience. This position will improve continuity by formalizing systems and processes, clarify staff roles and responsibilities, update and maintain policies and procedures, and reduce the reliance on single-person dependencies in critical administrative and operational areas. This vital work will support stronger internal capacity during periods of growth, staff transition, peak activity, special projects, and change.
The Managing Director will also play an important role in advancing the Society’s public, civic, and community presence. In collaboration with the Artistic Executive Director, the role will engage with the Board of Directors, funders, government representatives, civic partners, donors, community stakeholders, and sector colleagues to support the Society’s position as a leading cultural institution on Vancouver Island.
The successful candidate will be a seasoned arts and cultural sector leader with extensive experience in arts administration, finance, human resources, grant writing, revenue development, and people and project management. They will exercise sound judgment, credibility, and practice accountability when leading people, designing systems, and stewarding relationships within a complex institution.
The Port Theatre team works in a highly collaborative hands-on environment. Leadership is expected to embrace several key philosophies including a demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, diversity, and community engagement; leading by example; serving your community; and leaning into challenges and difficult decisions. The candidate is a gifted communicator with strong interpersonal skills, works effectively under pressure, can manage multiple urgent and sometimes competing priorities, and values relationship building. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable looking at the bigger picture and getting into the fine details. They will bring calm, clarity, maturity, flexibility, and structure while helping create greater continuity and resilience.
This candidate should be comfortable engaging externally with stakeholders, partners, and community members as part of the organization’s vision to see Vancouver Island as a home to thriving communities. Contributing to the regional, national, and international arts community should be a natural calling.