WE ARE HIRING
Executive Director
ABOUT SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Savannah Music Festival is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting exceptional live music that entertains, educates, inspires, and unites communities.
Savannah Music Festival (SMF) is recognized as one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world. Now in its 36th season, the internationally acclaimed organization brings renowned artists from around the world to perform in Savannah’s oak-lined Historic District. The organization operates year-round to plan and produce the annual multi-day, multi-venue music festival, off-season concerts, broadcast programs, and free music education programming focused on local youth.
The festival is Georgia’s largest musical arts event, presenting a diverse selection of classical, jazz, American, and international roots music. The 17-day festival, typically presented in late March/early April, features more than 80 performances including commissioned works, original productions, cross-genre collaborations, and free artistic lectures and Q&As. Performances are staged at venues throughout Savannah, particularly within the city’s Historic Landmark District, including historic sites and cultural institutions, local houses of worship, and traditional state-of-the-art performance spaces.
SMF’s local education programs, Musical Explorers and SMF Jazz Academy, serve the Savannah community, reaching students and teachers at more than 50 public, private, and home schools in urban and rural settings across the region.
Developed in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, Musical Explorers is a comprehensive program reaching nearly 11,000 K-2 students and more than 300 teachers, which connects elementary students to diverse musical communities – whether they are learning in person or online. The free program builds basic music skills as students learn songs from different cultures and reflect on their own communities. Exciting semester-ending concerts allow students to meet the professional musicians who have guided them on their musical journeys.
SMF Jazz Academy is a year-long, after-school jazz program that aims to empower the whole student by instilling lifelong skills of academic, social, and musical achievement. SMF Jazz Academy is completely free to all Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) students in grades five through 12 and open to all music levels. Unique in Savannah and the region, the Academy is designed to fill a gap in local music education programs.
SMF records festival performances for distribution on Savannah Music Festival LIVE, a nationally broadcast public radio series that has been licensed by over 100 stations, including WNYC/WQXR and others through PRX (Public Radio Exchange), as well as all 19 Georgia public broadcasting stations. SMF also contributes concert recordings to American Public Media and NPR Music.
With its performance and education programming, SMF serves more than 40,000 music enthusiasts annually. In 2024, SMF attracted patrons from 49 states. While 60 percent of festival patrons who attend are from Savannah and the surrounding area, 40 percent of festival patrons visit the festival from out of town. SMF contributes approximately $10.05 million in direct spending to the Savannah economy, with $7.65 million in visitor spending and an estimated $852,344 in state and local sales and bed tax revenue.
SMF is part of a rich and diverse cultural community which includes the Savannah Philharmonic, Savannah VOICE Festival, Savannah Jazz Festival, American Traditions Competition, Telfair Museums, Savannah Book Festival, Savannah College of Art and Design, among many other museums, galleries, and organizations.
SMF is governed by a 30-member Board of Directors, with a full-time staff of fourteen; during a typical festival season, the organization expands to include about 80 contracted staff and hundreds of volunteers. SMF’s anticipated budget for fiscal year 2025 is $4.2 million.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION
The Executive Director provides leadership, vision, and financial stability for SMF, and serves as the festival’s chief administrative officer. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible and accountable for SMF’s strategic direction, operations, and general management, including the development, finance, planning, and human resources functions, leading to the organization’s future growth and long-range sustainability. The Executive Director maintains an environment that fosters creativity and allows artists to do their best work. Additionally, this person gives priority to enhancing SMF’s brand, marketing, and audience engagement strategies, while balancing its artistic, educational, and programmatic ambitions.
The Executive Director takes a lead role in fundraising and actively pursues philanthropic support from individuals, businesses and corporations, local and national foundations, and government agencies, and ensures excellent stewardship of all gifts. Additionally, this person is the primary spokesperson and visible representative of SMF throughout the community and an active and full participant in the life of Savannah and the Lowcountry.
The Executive Director fosters a creative and collaborative culture internally, leads, motivates, and supports SMF staff, Board of Directors, and volunteers in a manner that is inclusive and respectful while simultaneously developing realistic and achievable goals and objectives.
PRIORITIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director embraces the Savannah Music Festival’s legacy and culture, and has the following priorities:
- Lead SMF in its triennial review and implementation of its strategic planning; refine organizational goals and objectives consistent with its mission and values; balance earned and contributed revenue; ensure that organizational policies, scheduling, systems, controls, and procedures are in place, adhered to, and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.
- Direct and provide leadership to SMF’s fundraising efforts and the development team; cultivate new and existing donors while seeking new prospects to ensure a robust and diversified funding base; develop and maintain relationships with foundations, corporations, government funding agencies, and other philanthropic supporters.
- Oversee the effective use of human, financial, and technological resources; guide financial planning, including budget development, monitoring, and reporting; review and manage contracts, audit and investments, and other financial management areas as needed; ensure that SMF’s technological infrastructure meets the needs of its internal and external constituents.
- Oversee SMF’s marketing and brand; enhance its visibility; purposefully broaden and diversify the festival’s audience base through intentional and targeted outreach, education, and programming; raise awareness through traditional and digital platforms; strengthen institutional messaging, pricing analysis, and profitability.
- Gain the support of SMF’s engaged Board; communicate and establish strong working relationships and find ways to encourage the Board’s best efforts; keep Board members well informed and up to date on the festival’s operations and fiscal standing; support Board members in their efforts to be proactive in fundraising activities.
- Help lead and encourage SMF’s ongoing work around diversity and access; support the ongoing dialogue and need for meaningful action plans; actively participate in and encourage behaviors among staff members that exemplify respect.
- Develop collaborative working relationships with key members of the local civic, business, and cultural communities in Savannah and the region.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Savannah Music Festival is an equal-opportunity employer. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
TO APPLY
Please submit a resume and cover letter or questions to:
