Executive Director
Synchromy | Southern California (hybrid; must be locally based)
Part-Time (10–20 hrs/wk)
$18k–$23k/yr
Schedule is flexible, but some evening and weekend hours are required around events.
Reports to the Board of Directors

About Synchromy

Synchromy is a 501(c)(3)  non-profit organization serving composers and music-makers in Southern California and expanding access to contemporary classical music. We commission and perform works by local composers and multimedia artists, and we support their development through feedback and workshops. Our core initiatives include Composer Dream Projects, which reverses the classical commissioning model and puts the composer in charge; Urban Birds, a free, family-friendly outdoor festival that brings new audiences to contemporary music and art; and Opera Workshops, free public developmental performances where composers get audience feedback and high-quality documentation of their work.

The Role

We are seeking an Executive Director (ED) to lead Synchromy's governance, finances, and fundraising. The ED works closely with the Board of Directors, Production Manager, and Artistic Directors. In addition to public events and programming, the ED is responsible for ensuring that Synchromy's contracted marketing and grant-writing work is managed and delivered.  The ED has significant latitude to shape the role around their own strengths and to define how the organization runs. The ED is ultimately responsible for securing the resources that sustain the organization's programs, staff, and operations. The ED has the autonomy to decide what to execute personally and what to delegate to staff, volunteers, freelancers, or the Board. This role is ideal for a leader who is passionate about new music and prefers less-structured environments. 

Key Responsibilities

• Governance & Compliance

  • Facilitate Board operations, including recruitment, orientation, quarterly meetings, and officer management. 

  • Coordinate the artistic direction of the organization with the input regularly received from Artistic Directors.

  • Ensure the Board meets "give/get" commitments. 

  • Maintain full 501(c)(3) compliance, overseeing the timely filing of IRS Form 990, state charitable solicitation registration, corporate filings, bylaws, and annual insurance reviews.

• Financial Management

  • Oversee all financial operations, building the annual operating budget, event budgets, and project budgets for grant applications, and preparing budget-vs-actual reports for the Board. 

  • Oversee day-to-day bookkeeping in QuickBooks — income and expense recording, monthly reconciliations, accounts payable and receivable — and manage payroll and payroll tax filings, annual 1099s and W-2s, and organizational bank accounts.

  • Ensure timely payment of performer and vendor invoices.

• Development & Fundraising

  • Cultivate and steward individual donors, manage the recurring giving program, and solicit annual fund gifts by mail, email, and in person. 

  • Ensure all gifts are acknowledged within 48 hours. 

  • Set ticketing revenue strategy, plan fundraising and cultivation events, and manage the Board's fundraising responsibilities.
    

• Grants

  • Oversee Synchromy's grants program in partnership with contracted grant-writing support, which handles prospecting and applications. 

  • Submit funder reporting directly: writing narrative progress and final reports, compiling per-grant financial reports and supporting documentation, and, vitally, submitting everything by the deadline.
    

• Marketing & Communications

  • Ensure Synchromy's website, email, and social media stay current and active in collaboration with contracted marketing support. 

  • Maintain the press list. 

  • Build relationships with local arts media in collaboration with the Artistic Director(s) and Board.

• Events

  • Oversee the Production Manager's execution of Synchromy's concerts and programs. The ED's direct responsibilities include: 

    • drafting and executing performer contracts

    • paying performer and vendor invoices, 

    • archiving recordings, photos, and programs, and 

    • sending post-event thank-yous to artists and donors.
      

• Administration

  • Recruit, hire, and onboard non-artistic staff and contractors.

  • Recruit and support volunteers. 

  • Maintain organizational systems, including the master calendar, email accounts, and password manager, and the digital archive in Google Drive.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree

• Proven experience in nonprofit administration, financial management (budgeting, QuickBooks), and grant reporting

• Demonstrated success in donor cultivation and managing fundraising campaigns

• Strong understanding of 501(c)(3) compliance (Form 990, state filings)

• Proficiency with Google Suite and ability to design efficient workflows

• Ability to delegate and supervise effectively

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States 

Preferred

• Familiarity with or passion for contemporary classical music and living composers

• Experience managing remote teams or volunteer networks

How to Apply

Send a resume/CV and cover letter to SynchromyApplications@gmail.com. 

Synchromy is accepting applications through August 31, 2026.

Equal Opportunity

Synchromy offers employment and educational opportunities, including vocational education opportunities, without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, or handicap. We welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity.