Assistant to the Executive Director

POSITION: Assistant to the Executive Director

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-Time, Non-Exempt (with full benefits package)

REPORTS TO: Executive Director

WORKS CLOSELY WITH: Board Liaison and team of directors

POSITION SUMMARY

The Joyce Theater Foundation, the country’s leading dance presenting organization, seeks an Assistant to the Executive Director. The Assistant to the Executive Director provides high-level administrative support to the Executive Director (E.D.) and plays a critical role in ensuring the efficient operation of the Executive Office. This position supports a wide range of functions, including calendar management, correspondence, project coordination, and stakeholder communication. The Assistant to the Executive Director also serves as a liaison between the Executive Director and internal departments, external partners, and key stakeholders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Executive Support:

• Provide comprehensive administrative assistance to the Executive Director across all areas of theater management.
• Manage and maintain the E.D.'s calendar, including scheduling internal and external meetings, events, and appointments.
• Ensure timely review and signature of all letters and contracts by the Executive Director.
• Print and prepare the E.D.’s daily calendar.
• Review all incoming mail directed to the E.D.

Correspondence & Communication:

• Draft and edit emails, letters, and official correspondence on behalf of the E.D.
• Prepare “meeting agendas” (a note-taking template) for each internal and external meeting.
• Handle RSVP responses on behalf of E.D. and assist E.D. with travel arrangements
• Answer and route phone calls and messages as necessary.
• Draft weekly internal communications, including Weekly Staff Notes and Weekly Board Updates, ensuring the timely inclusion of supporting materials such as newspaper articles.

Meeting & Event Coordination:

• Create agendas and circulate materials for Monthly Staff Meetings and Biweekly Directors Meetings.
• Assist in planning internal events, including the annual Holiday Party and End-of-Season Party, coordinating with the Office Manager as needed.
• Purchase gifts, flowers, and food for staff, VIPs, and visiting artists, as directed by the E.D.
• Post weekly show information outside the E.D.'s office.

Project Management:

• Support special projects for the Executive Director, including research, speechwriting, nominations, and follow-up tasks.
• Coordinate meetings related to The Joyce’s new rehearsal space project at the New York Center for Creativity and Dance (NYCC&D), liaising with board members, architects, construction teams, and other stakeholders.
• Maintain organized records of NEXT STEPS materials and closely track all project-related documents in coordination with the Development department.
• Monitor follow-up actions resulting from NYCC&D meetings.

Interdepartmental Support:

• Compile and disseminate timely updates from the E.D. to staff.
• Support other departments in scheduling meetings with external stakeholders as needed.
• Archive press coverage related to The Joyce Theater with assistance from the receptionist and maintain visual documentation on display in the office.

Ticketing Responsibilities:

• Coordinate ticket requests for the Executive Director during all presentation engagements (EAPs).
• Collaborate with the Development department to secure house seats and tickets for VIPs, donors, and funders as directed.
• Support Development with ticket needs outside of Opening Nights (Development oversees all Opening Night ticketing).
• Work closely with the Assistant to the Programming Director on ticket processing (non-opening nights):
  • For presentation engagements and rental engagements, coordinate efforts to fulfill ticket needs for staff and VIP guests.

REQUIREMENTS

• Exceptional organizational and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with accuracy and discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace.
• Experience supporting a senior executive, preferably in a nonprofit or arts-related organization.
• Strong attention to detail, confidentiality, and professionalism.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and dance and what you hope to bring to this role.

About The Joyce Theater Foundation

The Joyce Theater Foundation ("The Joyce," Executive Director, Linda Shelton), a nonprofit organization, has proudly served the dance community for over three decades. Under the direction of founders Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, Ballet Tech Foundation acquired and The Joyce renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea. Opening as The Joyce Theater in 1982, it was named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsther’s clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to build the theater. Ownership was secured by The Joyce in 2015. The theater is one of the only theaters built by dancers for dance and has provided an intimate and elegant home for more than 400 U.S.-based and international dance companies. The Joyce has also expanded its reach beyond its Chelsea home through off-site presentations at venues ranging in scope from Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, to Brooklyn’s Invisible Dog Art Center, and to outdoor programming in spaces, such as Hudson River Park. To further support the creation of new work, The Joyce maintains longstanding commissioning and residency programs. Local students and teachers (1st–12th grade) benefit from its school program, and family and adult audiences get closer to dance with access to artists. The Joyce’s annual season of about 48 weeks of dance now includes over 300 performances for audiences in excess of 100,000 patrons. Visit Joyce.org for more information.

Joyce Theater Foundation employees share a rich work experience with colleagues who embrace the institution’s mission of programming and promoting a wide spectrum of dance. An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, The Joyce Theater is committed to an inclusive work environment.