Managing Director/Executive Director

Who

Who are you?

You are the face of

Utrecht City Theater (SSBU). Possesses excellent communication skills

skills and a collaborative and empathetic leadership style. In close

In consultation with the management team, you will ensure a good balance between the substantive

interests, sound business practices, and external representation. As a key figure, you know how to guide organizations in

to engage with the theater and translate relevant trends and developments into

opportunities for the organization.

Utrecht is a diverse

a city in the heart of the Netherlands with a diverse cultural mix and a relatively young population. There is

a theater school, a university, and pioneering artists who

work at both the international and local levels. This provides an ideal

a foundation for thinking outside the box in terms of artistic content and creating unique

embark on new adventures. As managing director, you play a key role in supporting

the innovative nature of the Utrecht scene. In connection with that

With a base in Utrecht, you can work at the national and international levels. You are a cultural bridge-builder who fosters collaborations

spans both the performing arts and other fields and is able to create opportunities for the theater

create and capitalize on.

Who are

us?

We are one of the largest

theaters across the Netherlands and curate programs for a diverse and enthusiastic

Audiences in Utrecht and far beyond. The program includes: theater, musical theater, cabaret, and dance,

supplemented by opera, musicals, circus, and variety shows, ranging from traditional to

experimental. We also look beyond our borders and showcase important international

work. We support young creators and are strongly committed to

talent development.

The Utrecht City Theater works closely with the

The Dutch performing arts sector and its companies; in particular, we collaborate with the Utrecht-based

companies and festivals such as SPRING, Tweetakt, and

the Netherlands Film Festival. We also produce our own

a Christmas production for the whole family and is a regular co-producer for

on-site productions. In addition, the theater has its own restaurant,

Zindering and the Mevr. Dudok Day Café. We believe it’s important

We want everyone to feel welcome in our theater, which is why we’re experimenting

with new strategies to attract younger and more diverse audiences and partners

to achieve and maintain.

The organization

The SSBU employs 150 staff members and a pool of

Freelancers are divided into five different departments. Being hospitable to everyone is part of

the very fabric of the organization, and we’re proud of that. With the entire

As an organization, we work every day toward the moment when players, the audience, and

partners experience the theater together.

What

What are you going to do?

As our general

As a director/executive, you initiate, shape, and lead the strategic

direction and goals. Your primary responsibility is to ensure a future-proof

the theater’s artistic direction. You will also have access to modern

leadership qualities that involve instilling confidence and having the courage to innovate

be the focus. You will ensure that

a safe, open, and inclusive organization, with plenty of room and attention for

the development of talent among both employees and players. You inspire

and encourages.

In consultation with the department heads

you strike a balance between artistic and business ambitions and results. This allows you to maintain good relationships with internal and external stakeholders, such as the works council,

City of Utrecht, HKU, Utrecht-based creators, and Founders & Partners of the

theater.

Finally, you will directly supervise and work closely with

the five-member management team and reports to the Supervisory Board.

Person

You are a connector who:

• has extensive knowledge of and experience in the cultural

  sector, both artistic and business;

• has a relevant network in the cultural

  sector;

• is accustomed to working in a context with

  various stakeholders and interests;

• has experience wearing the

  overall responsibility for the (strategic) development and control cycle

  of an organization;

• is a good listener, decisive, and sharp

  and possesses political and administrative acumen;

• the SSBU as a figurehead, enthusiastic and persuasive

  represents and positions—both offline and online;

• is committed to diversity and inclusion,

  in all its aspects;

• coaches when possible and directs when necessary

  must;

• is able to express themselves clearly both verbally and in writing;
• has an open and approachable personality and

  is skilled at building and maintaining relationships;

• has a love for the city of Utrecht.

What

What do we expect from you?

You are a substantive, inspiring leader and a cultural entrepreneur who:

• is capable of producing substantive, innovative, and

  develop a clear vision for the future of the theater, ambitious and

  set realistic goals and work toward them;

• anticipates cultural trends and

  social and/or political developments and has a vision for how to address them

  to relate to today's cultural organizations;

• makes a significant contribution to the

  development of organizational objectives in relation to current trends

  in the city;

• together with the management team, performance and

  works in a results-oriented manner based on a clear policy and monitoring cycle and

  involves all employees;

• fosters an organizational culture in which

  employees and external stakeholders work well together and

  feel invited to contribute ideas on vision and strategy development and the

  its implementation;

• works proactively with other cultural

  organizations and companies in Utrecht and beyond.

This is a full-time contract with

compensation in accordance with the guidelines for the compensation of private company directors

theaters and concert halls.The appointment is initially for one year.

If the collaboration is successful, the contract will be converted to an indefinite-term contract after one year

time. We look forward to hearing from candidates (m/f/x) who see themselves in this role

in the profile.

Inclusive

organization

SSBU is an inclusive organization. It makes us

It doesn’t matter where you were born, who you love, or what you believe in, though we are curious to see how you can bring a fresh perspective to the table. Above all, we are interested in your knowledge, skills, and talents—and what you can do with them to

can mean for our organization.

Comments

Applications with a resume must be submitted by September 5 at the latest

should be emailed to: saskiadrenth@changekitchen.nl

Questions can be submitted through the same

email address.