Seattle JazzED believes that any student who wants to play music should get to play. Building on the legacy and values of jazz, Seattle JazzED increases access to the music room, celebrates student expression, and builds lasting connections rooted in community.
Seattle JazzED employs 8 full-time staff and contracts with 45 music instructors. It has a diverse and active 14-member Board of Directors. With an annual operating budget of $1.3 million, it directly serves over 1,300 students annually from schools all over the Seattle area.
In 2019, Seattle JazzED launched a capital campaign that garnered $8 million in pledges from local foundations, the State of Washington, the City of Seattle, and individual donors. A portion of the pledges are held as restricted cash reserves that can be used to find a new physical location. We hope to eventually move into a space where they don't just serve music students—they serve their families, their communities, their city.
Seattle, WA
United States
Apply online at the URL provided.
Applications received by Thursday, October 3 will be given full consideration; early applications are strongly encouraged!
All applications will be acknowledged via an email receipt. Consideration will be given to applications as soon as they are received; phone and in-person interviewing is anticipated to begin in mid-October.
Seattle JazzED is poised for a bright future as they aim to increase their capacity to make music education widely available in the Puget Sound region. Seattle JazzED seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization in this next phase. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and manages three direct reports: the Deputy Director, the Development and Communications Director, and the Education Director. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in driving JazzED's vision and strategy, ensuring the organization's continued success in music education, partnership development, and community engagement.
The new ED will spend their time on these key responsibilities:
- Serve as a key spokesperson for Seattle JazzED, building and maintaining relationships with partners, community leaders, and stakeholders.
- Provide visionary leadership to guide Seattle JazzED's future direction, building upon the organization's successes and identifying opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Lead organizational capacity-building, and continued investment in program development and infrastructure.
- Lead the Seattle JazzED team and oversee all aspects of running an effective and efficient nonprofit organization.
- Collaborate with staff and the board in fundraising efforts by developing and implementing a diversified resource development and fundraising strategy.
- Collaborate with board, staff, and community partners to assess Seattle JazzED's current and future needs, ensuring the organization makes the best decisions for its physical location and long-term growth.
The ideal candidate will bring an unwavering commitment and passion for youth development and education. Key qualifications:
- Be an effective people manager who communicates with “kind candor,” listens and leads with curiosity and humility to support a healthy, diverse, and effective team. The successful candidate will be highly skilled at building trusting relationships with staff and providing professional development support and mentoring so staff are able to do their best work.
- Bring an excellent organizational leadership skill set, with a record of leading staff and board through growth and change. The successful candidate will have experience with revenue planning, including anticipating future funding needs for growth and identifying aligned revenue sources to support those needs.
- Possess confidence and skill in external relations and fundraising, with the aptitude for nonprofit fundraising, especially with major gifts and capital campaigns, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage diverse stakeholders. The successful candidate will be comfortable making in-person asks for financial support.
- Bring solid nonprofit operations and financial management acumen, including managing organizational budgets, overseeing financial systems, and guiding human resources and board relations effectively.
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into the organizational culture and practices, and a dedication to building relationships and access for underrepresented groups. Proven record of centering the experience of the underrepresented communities we serve is a must.
- Understand and have work or lived experience in youth development.