Chief Development Officer

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Pittsburgh
Public Theater in the search for a Chief Development Officer.

Reporting to the Managing Director and partnering closely with the
Artistic Director, the Chief Development Officer will oversee all
fundraising activities for Pittsburgh Public Theater (The Public).
The Chief Development Officer will partner with with The Public’s
Managing Director and Artistic Director as well as the Board of
Trustees to develop and achieve ambitious fundraising goals that
meet and exceed The Public’s current contributed revenue targets
while building, leading, and inspiring a talented team of
development professionals. The Chief Development Officer will
understand the importance of values-based leadership and seek to
positively influence organizational culture while contributing to
The Public’s overall strategic goals. As it approaches its
50th anniversary season and launches a $15 million campaign in
support of capitalization, endowment, and special programming
initiatives, The Public seeks a Chief Development Officer who will
contribute to a work environment that supports and nourishes the
lives and experiences of all of those with whom Pittsburgh Public
Theater engages.

Pittsburgh Public Theater provides artistically diverse theatrical
experiences of the highest quality. The Public strives to serve,
challenge, stimulate, and entertain while operating in a fiscally
responsible manner. The Public shares its resources with the
community through education and engagement initiatives intended for
a wide range of people with the goal of expanding and diversifying
the audience while enriching the community.

Pittsburgh Public Theater was chartered in 1974 and opened in
September 1975 after a decade in which the city had become known
nationally as an unenthusiastic theater town. Once a major stop on
the pre-Broadway circuit, there was no longer a suitable venue for
road shows after the city lost the beautiful “Old” Nixon Theatre.
Even worse, a similar fate was anticipated for the “New” Nixon. The
Pittsburgh Playhouse, once the flagship of American community
theaters, had also closed, leaving only smaller community theaters,
colleges, and universities to keep the art form alive. The
broad-based efforts of many private and public individuals
throughout the community contributed to the successful launch of
Pittsburgh Public Theater. Commitments to ensure full funding of
the first season were made before its opening. A strong volunteer
organization was developed, community engagement programs were
created, and 7,100 subscriptions sold (twice as many subscribers as
the Theater Guild had in its heyday) before The Public opened in
1975.

Over the past 49 years, The Public has earned a well-deserved
reputation as a  producer of new work. In addition to the
world premiere of August Wilson’s King Hedley II, another
of his masterworks, Jitney, received its professional
premiere at Pittsburgh Public Theater. The pre-Broadway run of
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn’s By Jeeves was
staged at The Public before moving to New York’s Helen Hayes
Theatre. Some of the plays which received their world premieres on
The Public’s stage include Horton Foote’s The Habitation of
Dragons; Jonathon Bolt and Thomas Tierney’s Eleanor;
Michael Cristofer’s Amazing Grace; Mark Hampton and
Barbara J. Zitwer’s Paper Doll; Rob Zellers and Gene
Collier’s The Chief; Naomi Wallace’s Things of Dry
Hours; Mark Hampton and Michael Sharp’s The Secret Letters
of Jackie and Marilyn; and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s
brand-new musical, The Glorious Ones.

The Pittsburgh Public Theater continues to develop new ways to
support artists of the Pittsburgh region. Established during the
2020 COVID crisis as a way to engage and support regional writers,
the Pittsburgh Theater Playwrights Collective exists to elevate
playwrights with ties to the Pittsburgh region and increase the
visibility of Pittsburgh’s past legacy and future potential as a
home for extraordinary playwrights.

In 2023, Pittsburgh Film and Pittsburgh Public Theater announced an
exciting new partnership to attract, develop, and retain talent in
the film, theater, and entertainment production industries to
support the growing entertainment arts environment of Pittsburgh. A
first-of-its-kind initiative partnering theaters and the film
industry, CREATE PA: Pittsburgh Film & Theater Works! will
attract high quality talent and develop their skills for
behind-the-screen and behind-the-stage crew positions, including
Grips, Electric, Hair, Wardrobe, Carpentry, Set Decoration, and
Accounting. CREATE PA: Pittsburgh Film & Theater Works! will be
led by Morgan Overton. Overton, the former Inclusion, Diversity,
Equity, & Access Manager of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s
Office, will fulfill missions critical to the Pittsburgh Public
Theater and the Pittsburgh Film Office by coordinating and growing
job training partnerships with local unions, community
organizations, and media companies. The program will also mentor
film and theater students in the region to develop their skills and
experience through vibrant internship opportunities.

Pittsburgh Public Theater serves as a True Public Theater
by creating diverse theatrical experiences in a responsible way
that engage and elevate the entire region. In response to the
powerful call to action and generous insights offered by the Black,
Indigenous, and artists of color from its regional and national
communities, especially the artists who have organized to create We
See You White American Theatre and Black Theatre United, The Public
has taken action in its ongoing commitment to racial
justice. 

A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and
experience is preferred for this position as is at least five years
of leadership and fundraising experience at an organization of
similar, or larger, size and scope. Experience in a performing arts
environment is preferred. Pittsburgh Public Theater will consider
candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited
about this role and feel that you can contribute to The Public, but
your experience does not exactly align with every qualification
listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must
be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should
be responsive to the mission of Pittsburgh Public Theater as well
as the responsibilities and qualifications presented in the
prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $110,000
annually.

Pittsburgh Public Theater is committed to the inclusion of all
qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in
completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the
selection process, please contact Jeanette Rivera-Watts
at jeanetterw@aspenleadershipgroup.com.

To apply for this position, visit:
https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1403.