Senior Vice President: Planning & Capacity Building

Organization

Arts Consulting Group (ACG) is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, strategic planning & community engagement, facilities & program planning, and other capacity building services for the arts and culture industry. Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, ACG is a full-service firm that effectively works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, universities, government agencies, and for-profit entities that operate in the creative industries. The firm takes a contemporary approach to client challenges and opportunities focused on growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities. ACG senior team members have leadership experience in every type of artistic and cultural discipline and they seamlessly adapt to clients’ rapidly changing strategies, business models, and operating environments.

ACG’s commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Success (IDEAS) means that team members work closely with each client to understand the intersectionality of programs, audiences, educational activities, governance, and management with a clear focus on the communities these organizations seek to serve. Each client is unique and therefore these areas require careful discussion and consensus within the organization to ensure clarity at the launch of and throughout any consulting process. ACG also actively engages in ongoing collective internal growth and team improvement around IDEAS principles with formal training and research focused on broader societal understanding, learning, and growth.

The firm currently has locations in Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Raleigh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC. ACG employees and consultants are embedded in communities throughout North America to invigorate clients so that they can achieve the delicate balance between cultural impacts and business sustainability.

Position Summary

Reporting to ACG’s President, the Senior Vice President – Planning and Capacity Building (SVP-PCB) will focus on business development, delivery of client services, and team mentoring, training, and supervision. Serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the SVP-PCB will collaborate with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to maximize their respective impacts in the field and to achieve tangible outcomes for clients, colleagues, and the firm with IDEAS embedded throughout. The SVP-PCB will carefully monitor and plan PCB’s team resource utilization and mobilization, oversee proposal development, supervise project implementation, and advance PCB financial performance. This individual will be an active participant in national and international arts and culture sector conversations, conferences, and other professional settings.

The SVP-PCB oversees ACG practice leaders and other team members engaged in PCB with practice areas currently consisting of Strategic Planning & Community Engagement and Facilities & Program Planning. A range of additional services are based in these growing areas, which include cultural master planning, business and operating plans, strategic partnerships and nonprofit mergers, organizational and structural assessments, research and benchmarking studies, board development and governance advising, team building summits, executive coaching, board and staff succession planning, and a variety of additional services.

Roles and Responsibilities

The SVP-PCB will develop and act upon a strategy to establish greater visibility for ACG; pursue business development opportunities with the ELT; focus on entities that may be considering the range of services provided by PCB and other areas of the firm; gain access to formal “request for proposal” announcements; track client leads in firm’s customer relationship management system; build an appropriate team of ACG employees and independent contractors to serve clients with IDEAS as a core commitment; develop and review related proposals; attend conferences and public meetings to develop strong networks with clients and potential clients; maintain active knowledge of and publish periodic articles on best practices in the planning and capacity building services offered by ACG; participate in social media, brand visibility, and other areas, as needed; and cross-sell other ACG practice area services in coordination with the ELT and other Practice Leaders throughout the firm.

Client Cultivation and Business Development

• Build the brand, visibility, and presence of ACG binationally in the United States and Canada, as well as internationally as appropriate.
• Partner with the ELT to proactively develop authentic relationships that increase the firm’s ability to secure consulting projects, including proposal preparation, monitoring, and follow-up.
• Engage with cultural organizations, related service associations, universities, and government agencies to assure RFP receipt and other invitations for project proposals.
• Advise ACG’s ELT and practice leaders on changing trends and industry needs.
• Ensure ACG’s continued financial strength and long-term growth through mutually agreed upon revenue and budgetary goals for the benefit of the firm, its employees, and its clients.
• Prepare clear, concise, accurate, and comprehensive scopes of work, deliverables, budgets, and proposals with the PCB team, ACG’s Marketing and Communications Manager, and other team members as needed.
• Participate on panels in arts and culture industry conferences, attend significant cultural events, and otherwise demonstrate commitment and expertise of the firm and its industry.
• Promote clear operational and brand distinction for ACG by developing and following firm policies, style guidelines, and standard operating procedures.
• Report client successes and testimonials, as well as provide social media opportunities, which can effectively demonstrate ACG’s positive impacts and international presence.
• Write articles, blogs, and other materials that focus on the firm’s competencies and the industry’s needs.
• Embrace other client cultivation and business development roles and responsibilities, as needed.

Firm Capacity Building and Team Participation

• Monitor and deliver on key performance indicators, update consultant utilization projections, and ensure a balanced and fully engaged workforce in PCB, in collaboration with the Leadership Transitions, Revenue Enhancement, Research, and IDEAS areas of the firm.
• Create synergy within a geographically dispersed North American “one firm, one team” model through regular conference calls, meetings, and summits.
• Identify, cultivate, engage, and supervise diverse PCB team members, as well as other ACG employees and consultants as needed.
• Maintain an active roster of independent contractors in the arts and culture sector with the ELT who have interest and availability for various PCB projects on an ad hoc basis.
• Share expertise with other ACG employees and consultants, and provide guidance to ACG’s Research team, to build the firm’s intellectual capacity.
• Participate in ongoing education programs, training, meetings, and other aspects of maintaining the highest level of knowledge within the industry.
• Develop effective service integration between practice areas and locations in business development and communication.
• Engage in an adaptive strategy process and recommend performance measures that focus on achieving the mutually established vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the firm.
• Exemplify the mission, vision, and values of ACG.
• Embrace other firm capacity building and team participation roles and responsibilities, as needed.

Project Leadership and Support

• Lead, guide, and supervise ACG employees and independent contractors on specific Planning & Capacity Building client projects.
• Deliver superior and objective personalized services to clients.
• Support and lead project teams across all practice areas at ACG, as needed.
• Focus on the effective and efficient use of time and resources in meeting “on time, on budget, on scope” project goals and associated client and firm deliverables.
• Develop and implement firm methodologies, policies, procedures, and project reporting guidelines and assist in their refinement.
• Demonstrate strong capacity to work and lead remotely with advanced internet, e-mail, and overall computer proficiency for efficient electronic communications and presentations.
• Embrace other project leadership and support roles and responsibilities, as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The successful SVP-PCB is an entrepreneurial and resilient self-starter with a commitment to lifelong learning, intellectual growth, and sociocultural impact. This individual must be collaborative and have the capacity to achieve demonstrable results in and for the creative industries. The SVP-PCB learns from the past, lives in the present, and looks to the future simultaneously as a global thinker with pragmatic and objective methodologies that deliver superior results. This individual enjoys seeking out new project opportunities and exhibits initiative while having the ability to prioritize tasks and achieve desired outcomes. It is not enough to be a strong conceptual thinker and creative generator of ideas. The SVP-PCB must be able to move from dialogue to decision making and develop practical strategies that inspire others towards hands-on implementation of client goals.

The SVP-PCB embodies the highest ethical standards in their mentorship of ACG’s clients, team members, and all those who support the field. This individual is not driven by their own ego but is motivated by the values that revolve around creating a more vibrant and sustainable arts and culture sector with a “one firm, one team” model. The SVP-PCB understands that the synergy created by an international firm serving the entire arts and culture industry far outweighs what can be achieved as a single consultant or loose affiliation of consultants in a single cultural discipline, functional area of expertise, or geographic region.

The SVP-PCB is demonstrably committed to IDEAS and values knowledge and intellectual growth while having a clear focus on the importance of the effective return on investment of time, financial, technological, and human resources in achieving both client and firm goals. An objective listener with superior interpersonal, verbal, and written presentation skills combined with a keen ability to develop people and organizations, the SVP-PCB is a flexible team player who enjoys working in collaboration with their international colleagues. With a passion for the discovery of truth and knowledge in developing the best practices as visionary experts in the field, the SVP-PCB embraces a learning and teaching approach, prioritizes building impactful intellectual and social capacity, and values the diplomacy and tact required to move people and projects forward. With a deep understanding and motivation for effectively and efficiently achieving results, the SVP-PCB has an unwavering commitment to growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities.

Other key competencies include:

• Customer Focus – The capacity to actively listen and appreciate multiple perspectives; develop and nurture positive relationships with people across racial, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds; and demonstrate sensitivity in facing complex challenges and contemporary issues.  
• Goal Orientation and Self-Starting – The ingenuity to analyze all aspects of a situation; establish and achieve specific, measurable, attainable, reviewable, and time-sensitive goals; and make consistently sound, timely, and well-communicated recommendations.
• Time, Priority, and Project Management – The dexterity to understand existing and evolving business models while prioritizing opportunities and responding to changing economic circumstances with specific and attainable plans.
• Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork – The ability to inspire and build trust, lead with confidence, act with integrity and authenticity, respect team members’ perspectives, and make equitable decisions.
• Professional and Personal Accountability – The confidence to self-evaluate, recognize and learn from mistakes, accept responsibility for actions and decisions, and overcome setbacks that may occur.  

Qualifications

A master’s degree or equivalent experience is required and a minimum of 10-12 years’ experience in senior management roles and/or consulting experience in the arts and culture field, creative industries, or similar sectors. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and superior organizational capabilities are required. A demonstrable track record in planning and capacity building, IDEAS, and in other areas related to the governance, leadership, and management of arts and culture entities. Multiple accomplishments in complex environments and multifaceted computer literacy, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Office365) are essential. Additional certifications, educational accomplishments, and bilingual (English/French or English/Spanish) fluency are appreciated. The work environment is expected to be hybrid in nature, and the SVP-PCB must travel for the firm and client activities, including in-person meetings, conferences, and other events. A base location near a major metropolitan airport in the United States or Canada is required.

Compensation and Benefits

ACG offers full-time employment and a competitive compensation package with an estimated salary range of $130,000 to $160,000, plus discretionary bonus plan opportunities based on individual, PCB team, and overall firm performance. Benefits include subsidized medical, dental, vision, and life insurances; unlimited paid time off; and 401(k) or RRSP employer match, among others. Dynamic relationships, a fluid work environment, fascinating client experiences, and a synergistic team are emblematic of ACG.

Other benefits include:

• Recognition and strategic positioning internationally as a leader in quality and professional services to the arts and culture sector.
• Leverage professional expertise with that of ACG colleagues and the firm’s extensive client list.
• Camaraderie as part of a team of senior colleagues with shared values who are respected throughout the industry.
• Efficiency in sharing information with other ACG leaders and support in the areas of proposal development, legal issues/contracts, client prospecting, consulting assistance, business strategy, and infrastructure.
• Access to a rapidly growing pool of arts and culture management consultants with expertise in all functional areas, artistic disciplines, and geographic areas.
• Flexibility in developing teams of employees and consultants to serve on dynamic projects.
• Membership benefits in arts and culture service associations to which the firm belongs.
• Link to international strategic partners in donor research, human resource, market analysis, and other invaluable tools.
• Share in the financial, professional, intellectual, and emotional rewards of a growing an "artrepreneurial" firm whose impact leaves a lasting legacy on the arts and culture field.  

Applications and Inquiries

Please submit a confidential letter and resume with demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred) by clicking here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this unique opportunity, please contact:

Dr. Bruce D. Thibodeau, President

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115

Tel       (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201

Email    SVP-PCB@ArtsConsulting.com

Arts Consulting Group, Inc. and Arts Consulting Group Canada, Ltd. welcome all qualified applicants and highly value inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, which are embedded in the uniqueness of the vibrant creative industries.