Vice President of Development

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) seeks an experienced and entrepreneurial Vice President of Development to provide leadership, vision, and direction for all philanthropic activities. For nearly 60 years, SPAC has cultivated and fostered appreciation, understanding, and love of the performing arts for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. With an abundance of multidisciplinary arts initiatives and a robust educational program, SPAC ensures that people have the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of the arts. In its work on behalf of art, artists, and the community, SPAC helps to educate, reveal, inspire, and serve the beauty in the world that connects, respects, and elevates all human beings. 

Set in the awe-inspiring landscape of Saratoga Spa State Park, SPAC is a destination like no other. Known for world-renowned residencies featuring the New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Saratoga Jazz Festival, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, as well as popular concerts presented by Live Nation. SPAC now also offers year-round programming at Spa Little Theater and SPAC School of the Arts. 

Over the last seven years, SPAC has been on an exciting and ambitious trajectory under the transformational leadership of President and CEO, Elizabeth Sobol including expanded year-round programming with new initiatives designed to attract younger and more diverse audiences. Under her leadership, SPAC's education program has gone from serving 5,000 students to 50,000 individuals throughout the Capital Region and beyond, and in 2021, SPAC opened a new SPAC School of the Arts. She has even expanded the vision of SPAC's physical campus with several major capital improvements: a $10 million project to completely renovate the aging campus with new visitor facilities; a year-round community and education space; and a new Pavilion that serves as a community gathering space.   As part of Sobol's vision to transform the Saratoga Spa State Park into a year-round eco-cultural tourism destination, she has been leading a major capital initiative to renovate, repurpose, and reimagine historic buildings in the park into year-round gathering spaces for the arts, making the Capital Region an epicenter for eco-cultural tourism and an even greater economic driver for the region. 

Reporting to the President and CEO and serving as a key member of the senior management team, the Vice President of Development will define and implement a strategic vision for fundraising at SPAC that will contribute to the expansion of donors at all levels, including major gifts and corporate partnerships, and support the long-term sustainability of the organization. The Vice President (VP) will work closely with the Board of Trustees and its Development Committee to ensure that philanthropic goals are aligned with SPAC’s ambitious goals for the future. They will cultivate strong collaborative relationships across the organization and bring strong management skills. The VP will bring demonstrated success in a wide range of fundraising practices, a deep appreciation for the performing arts, and the mission and values of SPAC. The target salary for this role is $175,000-200,000 and will be commensurate with experience. 

Karen Avery is leading this search with Liz Braun.

Diversity at SPAC

We are strongly committed to diversity and continuing to increase workforce diversity at SPAC. It is a priority and one that is integral to our mission for an interconnected world. We value and are committed to a host of diverse populations and cultures not limited to just those protected under the law. SPAC is also committed to providing access and will provide reasonable accommodation considerations in its application process and on-going work environment to individuals with disabilities that request such accommodations.

Non-Discrimination Policy

SPAC will not discriminate in the recruitment or selection of employees, or in any other area of employment, on the basis of age, sex, race, national origin, religion, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and veteran status or any category protected under the law. In this regard, opportunities for advancement will be made available without bias. SPAC is also subject to state and federal laws, supports efforts to attract and retain fully qualified women and other minority group members for positions. SPAC will comply with all State and Federal laws and applicable orders pursuant to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). We encourage people from marginalized identities to apply.