President and Chief Executive Officer

DataArts is a software-enabled service provider, operating an online platform business model. As owner of the platform, DataArts has control of the intellectual property, technology, and governance of the community. Grantmakers and other data collection partners, such as national service organizations (NSO), bring their grant applicants and member organizations into the system by requiring the Cultural Data Profile as part of a funding application process or by consolidating their member surveys with the CDP. Participating arts organizations, grantmakers, and NSO partners are our direct user community who use the system to input and report data and benefit from analytic tools, data visualizations, and educational resources that assist them in using the data in the daily work. Researchers, policy makers, and arts advocates are secondary users who gain access to an unparalleled data set that enables them to create new knowledge and insights for the field or make an evidence-based case for the value of the arts. 

In July 2016, DataArts launched a new cloud-based data collection and management platform, including a customizable Cultural Data Profile (CDP) and new analytic and educational resources to make participation by cultural nonprofits easier and more useful. The CDP is an annual survey that cultural nonprofits complete to report their financial, programmatic, and operational information for purposes of applying for grants or participating in national service organization field studies. More than 60,000 data profiles currently make up a longitudinal dataset, which powers data-informed management, philanthropy, and myriad research and advocacy initiatives.

DataArts sees a variety of opportunities in its future and by 2020 aims to:

• Offer an innovative and valued data management and business intelligence platform for the cultural sector that standardizes, creates efficiency, and coordinates across data initiatives.
• Increase field knowledge by offering access to high-quality national cultural data, providing and supporting analysis and insights, and connecting networks of data users.
• Empower and educate data-seeking cultural professionals with a rich array of examples, training, and resources and communicate the impact of data-informed practices for management, philanthropy, and advocacy.
• Be a self-sustaining, high-performance organization that is recognized for its value, customer service, quality products, and business acumen.

DataArts is governed by an informed and engaged 18-member board of directors, led by Chair Rich Mintz; its membership is national but with a predominance in the Northeast Corridor. The President & CEO leads a staff of 30 and oversees a senior management team consisting of Chief Operating Officer, Vice President & Director of Programs and Products, Chief Technology Officer, Director of Marketing & Communications, Director of Finance and Business Affairs, and Director of Resource Development and Strategic Partnerships. Total revenue for 2017 is projected at $4.2 million, comprised of 82% from contributed revenue and 18% from fees for services, and a strong balance sheet reflects total net assets of almost $5 million.

Position:

The President & CEO will work collaboratively with DataArts’ Board to envision and lead the implementation of its strategic action plan, comprehensive resource development, and delivery of high quality services to participants, subscribers, and those who support the arts and cultural sector. The successful candidate will demonstrate the desire and ability to fulfill DataArts’ mission, vision, and goals; entrepreneurially identify and develop revenue and market opportunities; and achieve product, service, and financial objectives. The President & CEO will partner with DataArts’ Board and staff to advance the organization in four broad areas: Strategic Entrepreneurship and Business Planning; Stakeholder Engagement and Revenue Generation; Board Governance and Stewardship; and Management and Operations.

Roles and Responsibilities:

DataArts’ President & CEO will provide vision and leadership to attract and motivate the highly professional staff, dedicated board, and loyal partners and participants required for its success.

Strategic Entrepreneurship and Business Planning:

▪ Embrace the recently adopted 2020 Strategic Action Plan with an eye towards continuous adaptation and customer-centered improvement.
▪ Develop and deepen strategic partnerships and business relationships that advance DataArts' mission and strengthen its financial position.
▪ Secure DataArts’ role as the primary source for high-quality, standardized data and resources for and about cultural organizations.
▪ Identify opportunities for new revenue-generating products, services, and markets that meet evolving field needs.
▪ Refine and evolve a comprehensive business plan for sustainability as the organization matures.
▪ Stay abreast of current trends in technology, data analytics, and data-informed management to anticipate future needs in the arts and cultural sector and in program delivery, grantmaking, and data management. Stakeholder Engagement and Revenue Generation
▪ Serve as DataArts’ primary spokesperson and brand ambassador, building its reputation and communicating its value and impact to key stakeholders and the public in order to create awareness, support, and increased participation.
▪ Actively cultivate strategic relationships with local, regional, state, and federal arts agencies and advocacy organizations to secure resources and generate goodwill for ongoing national growth.
▪ Implement a national fundraising strategy in concert the DataArts’ Board and management team.
▪ Increase, strengthen, and diversify earned revenue sources, identifying opportunities for new revenue streams.
▪ Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of existing and new high-level foundation and corporate partnerships and giving opportunities.

Board Governance and Stewardship:

▪ Collaborate with the Board to articulate, champion, and achieve DataArts’ vision.
▪ Help guide the recruitment of a strong, diverse, and balanced national Board of Directors.
▪ Create engaging agendas for Board meetings and generate committee service opportunities to educate and activate the Board to critical thinking and effective governance.
▪ Serve as the primary communications liaison, providing regular reports on progress towards goals, financial position, organizational challenges and plans to address them, trends in the arts and cultural sector, and other matters.
▪ Partner with the Board Chair in the above and serve as a voting, ex officio member of DataArts’ Board.

Management and Operations:

▪ Lead a high-performing senior management team and staff with an emphasis on customer service, product development and delivery, strategic thinking, financial management, business building, and field impact.
▪ Guide the development and delivery of a sophisticated data collection and reporting technology platform and in-demand services that are integral to cultural nonprofit management and public and private grantmaking activities nationwide.
▪ Develop staff competencies to pursue work that advances the equity, diversity, and inclusivity of DataArts as an employer and service provider.
▪ Work closely with the Director of Finance to prepare the annual budget, implement rigorous accountability standards, track performance, and operate the organization to break even or surplus annual performance.
▪ Lead DataArts' business in a manner that models the highest principles and best practices of financial management, including implementing capitalization and other strategies focused on sustainability.
▪ Practice data-driven decision-making and organizational learning approaches.
▪ Ensure that DataArts has policies that promote organizational effectiveness and are compliant with appropriate both financial controls and with the letter and spirit of all applicable laws.

TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS:

The President & CEO will be a highly adaptive strategic thinker and dynamic leader with an optimistic outlook regarding the future of the arts and cultural sector. This next leader will embody an entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to seize opportunities that will further DataArts and guide it into maturity, supported by a dedicated and knowledgeable staff and Board, a trusted and well-known brand, and state of the art technology and services. With a drive for forward momentum, the President & CEO will inspire stakeholder participation by leveraging data-driven insights for the benefit of multiple audiences. As a visible and credible leader with a sense of urgency for the opportunities and challenges facing the arts and cultural sector, the President & CEO will be a skilled ambassador and team player who can develop and manage productive relationships at all levels, both internally and externally. Motivated by knowledge and intellectual growth, the President & CEO will be a results-oriented, seasoned professional driven to optimize return on investment of time, energy, and resources. The President & CEO must be flexible and collaborative to effectively face challenges, juggle multiple priorities, harness a range of resources, develop and assess business opportunities, and mobilize disparate stakeholders in this cooperative venture. A collegial, supportive, and empathetic work style with a well-developed sense of humor is needed. The President & CEO must enjoy working with all manner of creative practitioners both internal and external to the organization.

Other key competencies of the position include:

▪ Leadership and Resiliency – The tenacity to organize and motivate others to establish and accomplish goals while creating a sense of order, direction, and active participation among a group of stakeholders with complementary, and sometimes conflicting, needs.
▪ Self-Management and Personal Accountability – The capacity to prioritize key strategic activities while completing operating tasks that meet mutually agreed upon goals.
▪ Problem Solving and Decision Making – The ability to anticipate, diagnose, analyze, and resolve problems in a proactive manner, and smoothly change course as technology and the cultural sector evolve.

Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of increasing responsibility in senior management roles with a proven track record of business results is required. Experience in business model development and leveraging data to advance business goals is extremely important. Insight, gained through experience, into the management information needs of arts or grants managers and operational knowledge of data-oriented or software-as-a-service (SaaS) product development, delivery and marketing is highly desirable. A commitment to championing data collection, data-driven decision-making, research, and analysis in advocacy for the arts and cultural sector is essential. Exemplary written and oral communication skills, including polished public speaking ability, is required. Based in Philadelphia with the ability to travel regularly, the selected candidate must be eligible to work in the United States and able to pass criminal, reference, and credit background checks, as well as meet educational verification requirements.

Community:

Philadelphia commemorates its past and revels in the present and future as a funky, modern metropolis on a cultural upswing. The city’s population of more than 1.6 million enjoys world-class entertainment and cultural offerings, restaurants, educational institutions, healthcare, employment opportunities, and other benefits of a major metropolitan area. Over the past decade, the city’s central core has become increasingly attractive as a 24-hour live-work city for a new generation. The Old City, the historic neighborhood on the east side of Center City, has become a hub of technology companies and other innovative and entrepreneurial ventures.

Philadelphia celebrates and recognizes the importance of the arts and culture. The Philadelphia Cultural Alliance leads, strengthens, and gives voice to more than 400-member organizations that generate over $3.3 billion in economic impact for the region. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rodin Museum, Barnes Foundation, African American Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, and many more galleries and visual arts organizations energize the dynamic nature of this historic city. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Pennsylvania Ballet, Opera Philadelphia, Academy of Music, Arden Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, Freedom Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, and hundreds of community-based and culturally diverse organizations serve the local and global audience.

The area's many universities and colleges make Philadelphia a top international study destination, as the city has evolved into an educational and economic hub. The University of Pennsylvania is a large presence, along with other higher education institutions such as Temple and Drexel Universities and the Curtis Institute of Music. Greater Philadelphia is home to some of the best medical facilities in the United States, including Pennsylvania Hospital, founded in 1751 as the nation’s first hospital with the first medical school dedicated exclusively to pediatric medicine.
Sources: visitphilly.com; moveto.com; greatamericancountry.com; www.phila.gov; philaculture.org

Compensation and Benefits: 

DataArts offers a very competitive salary commensurate with experience and benefits that include medical, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability insurances; paid time off; matching 401(k)-retirement plan; flexible spending accounts; commuter benefits; domestic partner coverage; and the quality of life that the historic and innovative city of Philadelphia offers.

Applications and Inquiries 

Please submit a letter and resume (electronic submissions preferred) with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments related to the specific areas outlined above to:

Dr. Bruce D. Thibodeau, President
292 Newbury Street, Suite 315
Boston, MA 02115-2801
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201
Email [email protected]

DataArts is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity in its workforce and in the arts and cultural community that it serves.

Click here to apply.