Benefits: 3 weeks vacation, 5 paid personal days, compassion funds for caregivers, professional development opportunities, access to creative arts facilitation 

Conditions: The successful candidate must be either based in Toronto or be willing to travel to Toronto regularly for meetings and other events. 

About Nova Dance: 

Nova Dance, currently led by Founding Artistic Director Nova Bhattacharya, is a dynamic force in the Canadian performing arts scene. Our emotionally charged and virtuosic performances celebrate the diversity of movement and storytelling forms in Canada. Committed to fostering connections among cultures and communities through dance, we draw inspiration from our belief in the transformative power of art and equity. 

Our mission is to build a robust performing arts organisation which, as an artistic community, plays a crucial social role, celebrating the necessity for art and equity in our lives.  Fulfilling this mission depends on fostering a culture of equality and inclusion that encourages diverse perspectives and innovative thinking.  We centre kindness, compassion, and generosity.   

Nova Dance offers wide-ranging programming, from intimate solos to large-scale productions such as Svāhā!, featuring 22 dancers. Our current initiatives include Discover Dance, providing a glimpse into choreographers' creative processes, The Deep End Week, an annual professional development intensive, Reconnections a digital platform revolutionizing digital connections, movement, and joy; and The Spadina House Project, site activations inspired by the interconnectedness of diaspora and indigenous cultures affected by colonialism. Additionally, we are actively engaged in artist mentorship, advocacy and developing a new operational model for a dance company. 

Equitable and non-discriminatory policies and procedures are crucial to our organisational DNA, and we are committed to creating employment for those who have been historically excluded in the creative and cultural sector.  We are fostering an environment where artistic merit and identity are seen as together and whole. 

About the role: 

Founded in 2008 we’ve had a tremendous trajectory and now have the bones and structure in place for our first full-time General Manager. 

We are seeking an individual who is passionate about stepping into a career-defining role within Toronto’s performing arts ecology. This role demands someone passionate about the performing arts, who thrives in a creative and diverse environment. The ideal candidate possesses strong non-profit administration skills, an ability to bring a sense of order to our unpredictable world, and a belief in the arts' transformative potential. 

The breadth of exposure to different operational areas will support the ideal candidate in honing a broad skill set in arts management. They will have the opportunity to form strong relationships with a highly committed team, inspiring all staff to perform to the best of their ability. The successful candidate will be able to play an active role in raising the profile of Nova Dance locally, nationally and internationally. 

Responsibilities include: 

Administration 

• Together with the Artistic Director, oversee the fiscal planning of Nova Dance 
• Manage the operating budget of approximately $450K, and ensure project budgets stay on track  

• Act as a signing authority for Nova Dance and oversee banking procedures 
• Oversee the annual audit process  
• With the support of the external Auditor and Bookeeper, ensure financial compliance in all areas of tax and charitable returns, insurance policies, and all applicable financial reporting requirements 
• Together with the Artistic Director manage a highly collaborative team of 7 part-time dance artists engaged as dancers and administrative support in marketing, development, finance and production  
• Oversee Nova Dance project management, calendar, and data systems including Click-Up, Airtable, Dropbox, Hubdoc, Microsoft Outlook, and others. 

Project Management 

• Collaborate with the Artistic Director and Associate Artists to plan, produce, and implement programming 
• Manage touring and performances, negotiate contracts 
• Supporting partnerships and collaborations 
• Oversee marketing strategy and timelines, proof marketing materials 

• Delegate marketing tasks to team members including website updates, monthly newsletters, and social media content. 

Development 

• Support fundraising strategy with the Artistic Director and Board of Directors. 
• Manage revenue-generating opportunities and proposals. 
• Assist the Artistic Director in maintaining relationships with funders. 

• Manage Board meeting schedule and documentation, attending as required. 

People and Organizational Culture 

• Contribute to Nova Dance’s working ethos by embracing kindness, compassion and generosity 
• Uphold Nova Dance’s standard of communication to internal and external stakeholders, maintaining our commitment to transparency and embodying the utmost discretion as required 

Who we are looking for: 

We are seeking someone with at least 3 years of related professional experience and skills that align to this profile including: 

• Experience in non-profit administration or live events management  
• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting 
• Advanced knowledge of excel and database experience an asset 

• Human resources experience or transferable experience 
• Experience with revenue generation or transferable experience 
• Adaptable and proactive mindset, always ready to assist wherever necessary 
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills 
• Outstanding organizational skills, capable of managing multiple projects efficiently, ensuring they stay on schedule and within budget 

• Lived experience or informed knowledge of evolving equity and accessibility conversations, and practices within or external to the cultural sector is an asset 
• Experience reporting to and working with, a Board of Directors is an asset 
• A commitment to guiding teams using a collaborative approach 
• Proven ability to take initiative and delegate tasks 

How to Apply:  

We invite you to apply for the General Manager position at Nova Dance by crafting a letter that articulates your motivations for seeking this role. Please outline the reasons you believe you are well-suited for this position, emphasizing how your skills, experience, and worldview align with the requirements. Alongside your letter, kindly attach your resume or CV in PDF format. Additionally, include the contact information of two references who can speak to your relevant job experience. 

To apply, please fill out our application form where you can upload your cover letter (PDF) and Resume or CV (PDF) by Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 5:00 pm ET.  

We accept applications from all qualified candidates. Nova Dance strongly encourages and warmly invites submissions from individuals who identify as Indigenous/First Nations, Inuit & Metis, Black, Persons of Colour, mixed-race, global majority, Trans, non-binary, Queer, Disabled or at the intersections of these identities. 

We thank all applicants in advance, but we only have the capacity to contact those who have been selected for an interview.  

Interviews will be conducted either in person or online, based on the candidate’s availability.  Please let us know if you have any accessibility requests and we will make the necessary arrangements. 

 
For more detailed information on Nova Dance, please visit novadance.ca.   

For any questions, please contact us at alysh.