Associate Director of BSO Business Partners
Apply NowCompany: Boston Symphony Orchestra
Location: Boston, MA 02115
Description:
Summary/Objective
SUMMARY OF POSITION
The Associate Director, BSO Business Partners is an outwardly facing role responsible for leading and growing the BSO Business Partners program, which serves as a premier corporate membership initiative within the organization. This role is instrumental in cultivating relationships with corporate donors, securing financial support, and substantially contributing to a broad corporate prospect pipeline for both Business Partners and Corporate Sponsors. The Associate Director will oversee the prospecting, acquisition, retention, and engagement strategies for the Business Partner program, while ensuring corporate prospects that have a higher giving capacity are identified and targeted to meet broader Corporate Sponsor revenue goals. In addition, this role will oversee the department trade partner relationships, and other sponsor relationships as assigned.
This position requires a dynamic and strategic leader with strong business development skills, a passion for corporate relationship management, and an understanding of the role corporate support plays in arts organizations. The Associate Director will work closely with the Director of Corporate Partners, other members of the Development team, and various internal departments to foster a vibrant and engaged corporate community.
ABOUT THE BSO
The Boston Symphony Orchestra engages millions of people each year in the remarkable diversity and wonder of orchestral music and maintains homes at its iconic venues, Boston's Symphony Hall and Tanglewood in Western Massachusetts. From the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the Charles River Esplanade to free community concerts throughout Greater Boston, an annual BSO Youth and Family series at Symphony Hall, humanities programs at the Tanglewood Learning Institute, and tour performances in concert halls around the world, the BSO remains committed to innovation, creativity, artistry, cultural relevance, education, civic engagement, and making orchestral music accessible to audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of familiarity. At home, abroad, and through recordings, television, and radio broadcasts, a deep and inclusive commissioning legacy, and a history of cultivating emerging artists, the BSO reinforces its status as one of the world's most accomplished and versatile ensembles, attracting world-renowned guest artists, composers, and conductors.
On the eve of its 150th anniversary, the BSO is ready for change, and to open the next chapter in its history. The development department will be essential to fueling and supporting this transformation.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Associate Director of BSO Business Partners is an individual contributor reporting to the Director of Corporate Partners.
Job Description
Program Leadership, Sales, and Growth
Operations
Qualification Requirements
Required Education and Experience
FROM THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Since its founding in 1881, the BSO has centered innovation in its practices. One of the great orchestras of the world, devoted to advancing the classical music artform, it was also the first to integrate popular entertainments into its program offerings, with the creation of the Pops. Long a home for many of the most progressive musicians of our times, it has helped launch countless artists' careers and commissioned an unparalleled body of music. With the establishment of Tanglewood, its iconic summer home, it has embedded musical training, mentorship, and humanistic explorations into its programming with artists representing the full breadth of genres. It is, quite simply, an organization which has pointed the way forward since its very first days.
Today, the BSO is rededicating itself to that foundational notion that excellence in its work can and will continue to inspire, comfort, and challenge audiences in meaningful ways.
The BSO is on the precipice of change, and the development department will be essential to fueling and supporting this transformation. The Director of BSO Business Partners will be a key member of the Corporate Partners team, driving new corporate support to the Business Partners and develop strong prospects for corporate support across the BSO. I joined the BSO as Chief Development Officer as of September 1, 2024, after having a long-standing relationship with the Symphony as a consultant and a patron. I am most excited about the potential for how the BSO can better serve the communities of Boston through impactful, accessible, and high-quality programming; better serve the artform through imaginative generative work; and better serve musicians locally, nationally, and globally, by amplifying their voices. As we lead up to the BSO's 150th anniversary in 2031, the institution must meet this moment. The transformative ideas and investments that will support this arc of ambition will require transformational fundraising. I look forward to welcoming a strategic philanthropy partner into the team.
The Associate Director of BSO Business Partners will join an organization that has an extraordinarily loyal, committed, and generous corporate giving base. At the same time, given the ambitions of this next chapter, there is an imperative to expand corporate membership in the Business Partners program and to engage a new, broader generation of corporate prospects and leaders to support other BSO initiatives. We welcome candidates who are excited about the challenges, as well as the opportunity to create a foothold for the BSO's next century, and to build an industry-leading, contemporary culture of philanthropy across the BSO.
-Lauren Budding, Chief Development Officer
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S COMMITMENT TO
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Over the past three years, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has been actively engaged in deepening its equity, diversity, and inclusion focus and the culmination of this engagement will be articulated in an external-facing statement in tandem with the incorporation of these principals into the BSO's strategic planning process. The BSO's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is evolving from an organic process of creating spaces for diverse artistic expression, to a deliberate approach that seeks to dismantle the barriers to accessing world-class music, and to normalizing artistic expressions within broad historical, economic, social, and cultural contexts.
The BSO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
SUMMARY OF POSITION
The Associate Director, BSO Business Partners is an outwardly facing role responsible for leading and growing the BSO Business Partners program, which serves as a premier corporate membership initiative within the organization. This role is instrumental in cultivating relationships with corporate donors, securing financial support, and substantially contributing to a broad corporate prospect pipeline for both Business Partners and Corporate Sponsors. The Associate Director will oversee the prospecting, acquisition, retention, and engagement strategies for the Business Partner program, while ensuring corporate prospects that have a higher giving capacity are identified and targeted to meet broader Corporate Sponsor revenue goals. In addition, this role will oversee the department trade partner relationships, and other sponsor relationships as assigned.
This position requires a dynamic and strategic leader with strong business development skills, a passion for corporate relationship management, and an understanding of the role corporate support plays in arts organizations. The Associate Director will work closely with the Director of Corporate Partners, other members of the Development team, and various internal departments to foster a vibrant and engaged corporate community.
ABOUT THE BSO
The Boston Symphony Orchestra engages millions of people each year in the remarkable diversity and wonder of orchestral music and maintains homes at its iconic venues, Boston's Symphony Hall and Tanglewood in Western Massachusetts. From the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the Charles River Esplanade to free community concerts throughout Greater Boston, an annual BSO Youth and Family series at Symphony Hall, humanities programs at the Tanglewood Learning Institute, and tour performances in concert halls around the world, the BSO remains committed to innovation, creativity, artistry, cultural relevance, education, civic engagement, and making orchestral music accessible to audiences of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of familiarity. At home, abroad, and through recordings, television, and radio broadcasts, a deep and inclusive commissioning legacy, and a history of cultivating emerging artists, the BSO reinforces its status as one of the world's most accomplished and versatile ensembles, attracting world-renowned guest artists, composers, and conductors.
On the eve of its 150th anniversary, the BSO is ready for change, and to open the next chapter in its history. The development department will be essential to fueling and supporting this transformation.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The Associate Director of BSO Business Partners is an individual contributor reporting to the Director of Corporate Partners.
Job Description
Program Leadership, Sales, and Growth
- Develop and manage a strategic sales plan for the Business Partners and In-Kind Trade programs to achieve and exceed annual revenue goals.
- Build and maintain a comprehensive corporate prospect list that identifies sponsorship history, business priorities and alignment with the BSO, and capacity. With the Director, develop a strategy and outreach plan for prospects to maximize support for BSO programs.
- Enhance visibility for the Business Partners program by actively networking at external events to meet new corporate prospects and through targeted campaigns and digital outreach.
- Provide quantitative and qualitative analysis of pipeline activity and movement to drive strategic planning, including modeling and donor journey analytics.
- Serve as the primary liaison for BSO Business Partners, ensuring consistent communication, engagement, and fulfillment of benefits.
Operations
- Organize annual partner networking event. Integrate partners into other live and virtual recognition events organized by other Development colleagues.
- Oversee trade partners program and additional corporate partners as assigned, including sales and delivery of contractual obligations including benefits and internal/external reporting.
- Manage BSO Business Partners Council, a leadership group of members who meet throughout the year with a goal of supporting and growing the BSO Business Partners.
- Create compelling value propositions and marketing materials (brochure, results/reports, advertisements, social campaigns) to highlight the benefits of the Business Partners to raise the profile of the program, and to generate interest and sales.
Qualification Requirements
- Minimum seven (7) years of experience in corporate partnerships, business development, fundraising, or related fields.
- Proven track record in growing sales to corporate community in the Boston region. Previous sales experience for a membership organization is a plus.
- Strong leadership and relationship management skills, with the ability to engage and steward corporate executives.
- Strong experience in traditional and emerging prospect identification and management processes.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience developing compelling proposals and presentations.
- Strong communicator and an exceptional listener with effective interpersonal skills and an ability to build collaborative, trusting and respectful relationships.
- Possessing a high level of initiative and a sense of urgency, the ideal candidate will demonstrate adaptability, resourcefulness, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Knowledge of classical music is a plus.
- Ability to think strategically and creatively to identify new business partnership opportunities.
- Strong computer skills including MS Word, Excel, and relational databases. Experience with Tessitura or a similar CRM database is a plus.
- Willingness to work evenings, weekends, holidays and attend concerts and events.
- Commitment to working with people from diverse backgrounds and a commitment to cultural competency.
Required Education and Experience
FROM THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Since its founding in 1881, the BSO has centered innovation in its practices. One of the great orchestras of the world, devoted to advancing the classical music artform, it was also the first to integrate popular entertainments into its program offerings, with the creation of the Pops. Long a home for many of the most progressive musicians of our times, it has helped launch countless artists' careers and commissioned an unparalleled body of music. With the establishment of Tanglewood, its iconic summer home, it has embedded musical training, mentorship, and humanistic explorations into its programming with artists representing the full breadth of genres. It is, quite simply, an organization which has pointed the way forward since its very first days.
Today, the BSO is rededicating itself to that foundational notion that excellence in its work can and will continue to inspire, comfort, and challenge audiences in meaningful ways.
The BSO is on the precipice of change, and the development department will be essential to fueling and supporting this transformation. The Director of BSO Business Partners will be a key member of the Corporate Partners team, driving new corporate support to the Business Partners and develop strong prospects for corporate support across the BSO. I joined the BSO as Chief Development Officer as of September 1, 2024, after having a long-standing relationship with the Symphony as a consultant and a patron. I am most excited about the potential for how the BSO can better serve the communities of Boston through impactful, accessible, and high-quality programming; better serve the artform through imaginative generative work; and better serve musicians locally, nationally, and globally, by amplifying their voices. As we lead up to the BSO's 150th anniversary in 2031, the institution must meet this moment. The transformative ideas and investments that will support this arc of ambition will require transformational fundraising. I look forward to welcoming a strategic philanthropy partner into the team.
The Associate Director of BSO Business Partners will join an organization that has an extraordinarily loyal, committed, and generous corporate giving base. At the same time, given the ambitions of this next chapter, there is an imperative to expand corporate membership in the Business Partners program and to engage a new, broader generation of corporate prospects and leaders to support other BSO initiatives. We welcome candidates who are excited about the challenges, as well as the opportunity to create a foothold for the BSO's next century, and to build an industry-leading, contemporary culture of philanthropy across the BSO.
-Lauren Budding, Chief Development Officer
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S COMMITMENT TO
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Over the past three years, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has been actively engaged in deepening its equity, diversity, and inclusion focus and the culmination of this engagement will be articulated in an external-facing statement in tandem with the incorporation of these principals into the BSO's strategic planning process. The BSO's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is evolving from an organic process of creating spaces for diverse artistic expression, to a deliberate approach that seeks to dismantle the barriers to accessing world-class music, and to normalizing artistic expressions within broad historical, economic, social, and cultural contexts.
The BSO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.