Executive Director

Executive Director

The Wexford Festival Opera (WFO) is a prestigious annual event in Wexford, Ireland, celebrated for its dedication to presenting rare and lesser-known operatic works. Founded in 1951, the Festival has grown into one of Europe's leading classical music events. Over the years, WFO has introduced audiences to many unjustly neglected operas, enhancing its reputation in the opera world. The Festival is celebrated for its unique programming, high artistic standards, and significant role in the local community through its Community Engagement and Participation Programme.

The Board of Wexford Festival Trust is seeking to appoint an experienced, dynamic, and resilient Executive Director. This role offers a unique opportunity to provide inspirational leadership and direction to Wexford Festival Opera, ensuring the ongoing financial and operational stability of the company’s activities. The Executive Director will work in tandem with the Artistic Director to deliver the company’s strategic objectives and maintain an organisational culture that values the highest standards in both artistic vision and management practice.

The Role

• Leadership: Lead, motivate, and manage the WFO team, fostering a positive environment where the vision and work of WFO can flourish.
• Governance: Ensure compliance with all legal obligations and requirements, including GDPR, and maintain the Risk Register.
• Financial Management: Oversee all financial management, ensuring the financial integrity of WFO by maximising income, controlling costs, and identifying financial efficiencies.
• Income Generation: Drive consistent and sustainable income generation from multiple sources, securing major funding opportunities.
• Marketing and Communications: Work with the Head of Marketing to develop and implement a marketing strategy that informs WFO’s activity in collaboration with the Artistic Director.
• Strategic Relationships: Maintain and develop effective relationships with key stakeholders, cultural organisations, artistic partners, donors, sponsors, and funders.
• Community Engagement: Lead the development of the community engagement and participation programme, ensuring a strong presence throughout the year.

The Person

Essential Criteria

• Experience as a senior manager in a similar-sized organisation with a proven track record of effectively managing and developing staff.
• Strategic and business planning ability, strong financial and commercial acumen, entrepreneurial flair, and excellent communication skills.
• Experience of successfully overseeing complex projects, significant budgets, and having had full P&L responsibility.
• Experience in developing strategy and business planning to support a vision.
• The ability to balance creative risk with sound financial management.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills (both written and verbal) with the ability to advocate for and represent Wexford Festival Opera externally to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Well-developed networking and advocacy skills, with the ability to broker and maintain trust-based relationships with a wide variety of people and organisations.
• Excellent people management and motivational skills and the ability to effectively manage and develop staff.
• Track record of successfully managing significant organisational review and change.
• Experience of setting marketing strategy to inform and lead all aspects of the organisation.
• Track record of identifying and securing new sources of funding and successfully growing
• Income from multiple sources, including earned donations, grants and sponsorship.
• Experience in initiating, managing and sustaining productive, long-term relationships with a diverse range of organisations and individuals.
• An understanding of governance and risk management and their importance in the smooth and effective working of a cultural institution.

Desired Criteria:

• Experience of working with and reporting to a Board of Trustees.
• Knowledge of arts funding systems and other funding opportunities.
• A network of appropriate contacts and networks within the arts and cultural sectors.
• Experience of working with volunteers.

Odgers Berndtson Ireland have been exclusively retained by Wexford Festival Opera to manage the appointment process. Candidates for this role will be sourced through both an advertised and executive search process.

For further information and details of how to apply, please see www.odgers.com/wexfordfestivalopera

Closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon Monday 31st March. 

Wexford Festival Opera is an equal opportunities employer and are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of Gender, Civil Status, Family Status, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Age, Disability, Race, Membership of the Traveller Community or any other characteristic protected by the Equality Acts