Opportunities

Job Posting: West Edge Opera’s Marketing and Communications Director

West Edge Opera looks at the art form through a new lens: we present early and contemporary works and re-imagine opera tradition to engage and entertain a diverse audience.

About West Edge Opera

Now in its 44th season, West Edge Opera has presented over a hundred complete operas. Repertoire includes new and unusual works as well as favorite and lesser- known works by well-known composers.

Formerly known as Berkeley Opera, the company was founded in 1979 by baritone Richard Goodman. As the company grew under General Director Mark Streshinsky and Music Director Jonathan Khuner, the company was renamed West Edge Opera in 2014. Since then, West Edge Opera has presented world, American, and west coast opera premieres, and commissioned new operas and several new translations and adaptations of classic works.

West Edge Opera’s major production is its annual summer festival taking place over 3 weeks in August at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center located on Lake Merritt. Three Opera are presented in repertory. Each opera has three performances for a total of nine performances.

West Edge Opera also develops and supports new opera. We recently presented the world premiere of Bulrusher by Nathaniel Stookey and Eisa Davis, after developing it in partnership with Cincinnati Opera.

2025 will see West Edge’s 2nd world premiere: Dolores, from Nicolás Lell Benavides and Marella Martin Koch, developed in partnership with San Diego Opera, Opera Southwest, and BroadStage in Santa Monica. West Opera’s most recent commission, Alyssa Weinberg and Stephanie Fleischmann’s Claude & Marcel will premiere in 2027.

For more information about West Edge Opera and its programming, visit westedgeopera.org.

The Role

The Marketing & Communications Director will join WEO’s team at a critical moment in its history, bringing a passion for our mission and for sharing our impact among a variety of stakeholders and audiences.

What Will You Do?

The Marketing and Communications Director will develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and communications plan to build on and maintain momentum from WEO’s recent growth. Working hand in hand with West Edge Opera staff and Board committees, you will increase the organization’s visibility to support the company’s earned and contributed income goals.

The Marketing and Communications Director will report directly to WEO’s General Director.

Areas of Responsibility

Strategic Planning

· Create a holistic, integrated, multi-year marketing and communications plan that maps out strategies for promoting, animating and celebrating WEO’s performances, partnerships and events

· Attract, convert, and retain target audiences to cement WEO’s reputation as a significant and innovative SF Bay Area Opera company known for presenting operas by and about all kinds of people.

· Identify as necessary WEO’s variety of stakeholders such as ticket buyers, artists, community partners, donors and public officials.

· Assess, (re)develop and map out utilization of online and offline platforms and materials - visual and written - to promote WEO’s mission and work, and increase ticket sales with a keen eye on brand identity, voice and consistency, including such vehicles as:

o Website

o Social media channels

o Newsletters

o Flyers/posters/brochures

o Advertisements

o Promotional videos

o Annual reports

o Building signage and screens

· Develop and manage annual marketing and communications budget; work with finance and development to determine which projects and line items lend to dedicated fundraising appeals. Budget amount to be determined.

Public/Press Relations and External Affairs

· Work to create media-worthy opportunities, respond to incoming press inquiries and develop long-term relationships with relevant reporters and editors.

· Collaborate with partners and board members as appropriate.

· Plan and facilitate routine postings to calendar pages of local news and arts/culture publications.

· Develop awards advocacy strategy.

· Work to utilize opportunities such as op-ed pages to amplify WEO’s role as a prominent advocate for arts and culture.

Events

· Work with development staff to support and grow already existing annual events to engage new attendees while sustaining attendees that are already engaged.

· Work with development staff to create and promote new events that engage new spaces, new partners, and new audiences.

Systems and Collaboration

· Survey, track, measure, analyze, and report on marketing campaign performance and develop recommendations for continued improvement.

· Ensure the optimization of automation, integration, data collection and the streamlined evaluation and reporting of marketing efforts.

· Synchronize email management platform MailChimp and CRM Little Green Light (WEO’s donor database).

· Manage the box office ticketing platform (Tix.com): Set-up, sales, reporting and the day-to-day point of sale experience for ticket buyers. Manage box office staff.

· Work closely with the Development staff and committee to integrate marketing and communications strategy with fundraising efforts.

· Create systems to support all marketing and communications projects and operations.

· Direct design and branding for the organization, guiding the Graphic Designer to create images and materials that successfully engage WEO’s target audiences.

· Draft and edit communications materials (including press releases), to ensure that a consistent and compelling voice and narrative is used to uplift WEO’s impact

· Manage press relations and contacts. Assemble press packets for WEO events.

· Create an annual calendar for marketing and communications campaigns/cycles.

What Does Success Look Like?

Success in this position over the first two years would include the following goals:

· Increase public awareness of WEO resulting in:

o Increase festival ticket revenue of 40% from $190k to $265k

o Increase attendance towards a goal of 500 seats sold per performance across nine performances, from the current average of 250-300 per performance. (The current venue, Oakland Scottish Rite Center, can accommodate 750.)

§ Grow new audiences by 15% annually, including using comps strategically.

§ Convert 10-20% of new audiences to returning, paying audiences.

· Increase WEO brand visibility and popular awareness at the local, regional, and national levels contributing to increases in contributed income.

o Increase patrons’ understanding of WEO’s reliance on contributed income to fund WEO festivals.

Who Are We Looking For?

This position requires someone who can both set the WEO vision and long-term approach to marketing and communications and also employ tactical, practical benchmarks to achieve goals. Preferred background and skills include:

· Knowledge of and experience in the national performing and urban arts landscape.

· Work skills such as:

o Working collaboratively as part of a multi-skilled team

o A self-starter, able to be productive while working remotely and unsupervised.

o Multi-tasking skills with an approach that values attention to detail.

· Managing a comprehensive strategic communication, media relations and marketing program to advance an organization's mission and goals.

· Media outreach and/or public relations campaigns.

· Experience planning, writing, editing, and producing newsletters, press releases, annual reports, and other print materials.

· Experience managing digital elements of campaigns and initiatives, including website content, social media, email management, and online advocacy and organizing tools.

· Strong aesthetic sense and savvy with graphic design, photo and video editing.

· Technical proficiency across various platforms, including the following or their equivalents: Microsoft Office, Google Drive, DropBox, Wix, MailChimp,Tix and Facebook, Instagram (and their related analytics).

· Demonstrated ability to create digital and graphic content, manage and analyze campaign data and SEO.

Desired Start Date: December 15, 2024