Position Summary

In preparation for the opening of the new Colburn Center in 2027, the Colburn School seeks a dynamic, operational, strategic, and collaborative General Manager (GM) for the newly created Performances & Events Division. This new division will be comprised of the Production Department and the expanded Events and Rentals Department, and includes production staff, technical crew, front of house personnel, and Events and Rentals staff. The GM will lead operations and business development across Colburn’s world class venues, optimizing the use of every space with outstanding performances and events that reflect our mission and support financial sustainability. The GM, along with the Performances & Events Division, will support the expansion of Colburn’s performance and event venues as a premier, secure, and welcoming environment for our students, professional artists, and our community.

The GM will ensure exceptional artist and patron experiences while balancing Colburn's educational mission with sustainable earned revenue through rentals, co-presentations, and special events. The GM will provide oversight for all campus events across venues including Zipper Hall (400+ seats), Thayer Hall (200 seats), and the new Colburn Center spaces opening in 2027: Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall (1000+ seats), Studio Theater (100 seats), garden spaces, and additional rehearsal and performance spaces throughout the campus. Event management includes student performances, Colburn presented guest artists, community events, public performances presented by external partners, as well as special events, rentals and conferences.

Reporting to both the CEO and CFOO, the GM will be a member of Colburn's Senior Leadership Team. With the new Colburn Center’s opening season beginning fall 2027, the GM will collaborate with Colburn's senior administrative and academic leadership to build a staff as well as policies and procedures to ensure a successful opening and subsequent seasons. Working with department heads and external clients, the GM will ensure that all events are professionally managed and aligned with institutional goals. The role focuses on providing infrastructure, staffing, and operational systems rather than curating the artistic programming, and requires a high level of organizational leadership, strong interdepartmental communication, and comprehensive venue management skills.

Key Responsibilities

Campuswide Event and Venue Oversight

• Provide strategic and operational oversight for all presented and rental events across all Colburn School venues, including performance halls, rehearsal spaces, and public areas, coordinating between Production, Events and Rentals, Artistic Operations, Facilities, Marketing, Philanthropy, Security, and Finance.
• Ensure effective venue utilization for programming, special events, student use, and external rentals.
• Oversee long-term venue planning, capital improvement projects, upgrades to event spaces to enhance functionality, accessibility, and patron experience, and collaborate with institution-wide Engineering team regarding ongoing repairs and maintenance efforts (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, pest control, security, cleaning, trash).
• Oversee the planning and operational delivery of all internal academic, educational, and institutional events in partnership with the Educational Division, ensuring alignment with academic schedules and program needs.
• Work collaboratively with school departments and outside partners to align space usage with institutional priorities and artistic vision.

Programming and Event Operations

• Oversee day-to-day operations and logistics for all presented events and series, including scheduling, contracting, budgeting, and production coordination.
• Serve as the principal liaison with internal and external partners, including visiting guest artists, student groups, faculty, and external clients.
• Ensure all events are executed at the highest production, hospitality and artistic standards.
• Manage calendars and production schedules in collaboration with organization-wide scheduling systems.
• Participate in curatorial discussions regarding feasibility, logistical implications, and ticket revenue potential of programmatic ideas.

Financial and Contractual Management

• Develop and manage annual budgets for the Performance and Events division in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with Finance on event forecasts and flash reports.
• Establish and update rental pricing models by venue.
• Drive external rentals and maximize calendar utilization to meet and exceed earned revenue targets.
• Work closely with Marketing on ticket revenue, rental revenue, and ancillary revenue goals, and monitor results.
• Negotiate and execute production contracts, and rental partnerships.
• Monitor cash flow, track expenses and revenue projections, and contribute to financial reports and audits.
• Seek cost-effective operational efficiencies without compromising artistic goals.
• Grow ancillary revenue streams (e.g. facility fees, box office services, concessions, merchandise, sponsorships, and parking).

Staff Leadership and Coordination

• Lead and mentor a team of department leaders and their staff in the Performance and Events Division, including production staff, technical crew, events and rentals staff, and front of house personnel.
• Establish clear performance benchmarks and professional development opportunities for direct reports.

External and Campus Wide Relations

• Develop relationships with community arts organizations, touring producers, corporate clients, and civic partners.
• Represent the Performances & Events Division in planning meetings and vendor negotiations.
• Support fundraising and donor cultivation efforts related to the Performances & Events Division.
• Foster a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and mutual respect among staff, students, faculty, and visiting artists.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with safety, labor laws, and institutional policies

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in arts administration, music, theatre, or related field required, advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years’ experience required in performing arts venue management, preferably in a concert hall, university, or conservatory environment.
• Multi-venue experience desired.
• Experience supervising technical, administrative, and production teams in live performance settings.
• Proven track record of maximizing venue utilization and generating earned revenue.

Skills and Attributes:

• Deep knowledge of performing arts.
• Strong project management, financial acumen, and contract negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Grace under pressure, tactful diplomacy, and a sense of humor.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to work with artists, students, and patrons.
• Proficiency in budgeting tools, production software, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of ticketing and CRM systems.

Essential Functions

Physical:

• Must be able to see, hear, feel, and use hands to type and grasp objects with fingers.
• Must be able to stand, sit, walk, climb stairs, lift, carry, and pull up to 40 pounds.
• Light to heavy repetitive use of hands, wrists and forearms while working on a computer.

Emotional:

• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships involving interactions and communications personally, by phone and in writing with a variety of individuals and/or groups of individuals from diverse backgrounds on a regular, on-going basis.
• Ability to concentrate on detailed tasks for extended periods of time and/or intermittently while attending to other responsibilities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure on multiple tasks concurrently while meeting established deadlines and changing priorities.

Working Conditions:

• Ability to work in various environments including theatre, office, and outdoor settings.
• Ability to work, move, and walk within dark conditions, especially in theatre environment.
• This is a full-time, on-site position, in Downtown Los Angeles.
• Must be available for evening and weekend performances.
• Fast-paced performing arts campus environment.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume through the Colburn School’s Careers portal at www.colburnschool.edu/careers. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

About the Colburn School

The Colburn School is a world-renowned performing arts institution located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Its mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education at all levels of development in music and dance, and to foster a vibrant community through a wide range of performances, events, and educational activities.

The Colburn School trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community.

The academic units of the school provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education:

Conservatory of Music - The diploma- and degree-granting Conservatory of Music is distinguished by a unique all-scholarship model, renowned faculty, and outstanding performance opportunities. It prepares the very highest level of collegiate musicians for professional careers.

The Music Academy is a highly selective training program for gifted young pre-collegiate musicians, designed to prepare students for conservatory study and performing careers at the highest levels of achievement. This residential program balances performance, musical instruction, and academics.

The Community School of Performing Arts welcomes students of all ages, from seven months old to adults. It offers over 120 classes each year in orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, voice, jazz, music theory, drama, and ensembles including orchestra, choir, and chamber music.

The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute develops performers of all levels, from the pre-professional ballet program in the Dance Academy to beginners starting in Youth Dance. Students of all levels receive training in ballet, tap, and modern genres as part of a comprehensive dance education.

Center for Innovation and Community Impact was created to empower the musical and dance leaders of tomorrow by nurturing students’ passion and ability to serve their communities, preparing them for sustainable careers, and embracing the development of new ideas. The Colburn School partners with 15 Los Angeles Unified School District schools, 13 of which receive Title I funding, to provide interactive and engaging concerts and instructional sessions to 5,000 students every year.

The Colburn School is currently constructing the Colburn Center, a transformational addition to our downtown Los Angeles campus, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry with acoustics by acclaimed Nagata Acoustics. This monumental project reflects a deep commitment to both the community and our students and will feature world-class performance venues and innovative learning spaces that foster collaboration and interdisciplinary partnerships throughout the region.

A once-in-a-lifetime expansion for Colburn, the Center will include a remarkable and accessible 1,077-seat concert hall, complete with a 70-musician orchestral pit and a modular sprung dance floor. It will also house the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Colburn’s renowned dance education program. The new dance center will feature a 100-seat dance studio theater, four spacious ballet and tap studios, administrative offices, and vibrant street-level and rooftop gardens with outdoor performance spaces.

Construction began in 2024, and upon completion in 2027, the Colburn Center will create the world’s largest concentration of Frank Gehry-designed buildings—joining the Walt Disney Concert Hall and mixed-use project The Grand in redefining the cultural landscape of downtown Los Angeles.