Posted by Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
POSITION : Executive Director
LOCATION : POSITION DETAILS :
Full Time, Permanent
REPORTS TO : Board of Directors
DIRECT REPORTS :
Director of Finance & Administration, Managers of Business Representative Services, Communications Director, Executive Assistant
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) is the national association of 6,000 active performers, directors, choreographers, fight directors, intimacy directors, and stage managers who are engaged in professional live performance in theatre, dance, and opera. Equity supports the creative efforts of its members by seeking to improve their working conditions, protections, and opportunities.
The business of Equity is to :
- Negotiate and administer collective agreements and engagement policies on behalf of theatre, dance, and opera professionals;
- Provide benefit plans, information, and support; and
- Act as an advocate for its membership and the live performance sector.
Equity strives for fairness, integrity, and compassion in all its endeavours. It is a democratically structured organization run by artists for artists. It is entirely self-supporting, funded by artists working on its contracts, through a structure of member dues and fees, and non-member filing fees.
Equity has an annual budget of $3.8 million, with a National Office in Toronto, Ontario. There is a total staff complement of 25, with two staff working in Vancouver, BC, one in Montreal, QC, and one from Valley, NS. The national office oversees issues which affect the entire Equity membership, and co-ordinates interaction with national and international cultural, labour, and funding organizations.
The government of Equity is vested in a national Council of 23 members from across Canada, elected every three years and representing all geographic regions and major work disciplines within the membership. Council meets ten times per year and is responsible for guiding the organisation in all matters through its policy decisions.
Since 2005, Equity’s Council has worked with Policy Governance as the Association’s governance model. Council instructs the Executive Director through written policies which prescribe the “Organizational Results” to be achieved, and describes organizational situations and actions to be avoided (“Executive Director Limitations”), allowing the Executive Director to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.
THE POSITION
The Executive Director (ED) is the chief executive officer and senior administrator responsible for all Equity staff operations. This position presents the opportunity to lead a professional association of artists working in Canadian live performance who are united within a vital and evolving national arts community. The mandate of the ED is unusually wide-ranging, and the challenge is unique – to serve an organization whose members are both owners and clients.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to Council, the Executive Director is the recipient of all executive authority delegated by Council, and is held accountable for organizational performance.Determine and reflect regional concerns to the national office and maintain a highly visible presence among the membership across Canada.Develop and maintain a deep understanding of Equity’s Constitution, bylaws and governance policies.Keep abreast of any actions at the World Intellectual Property Organization or United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization which could impact live performance and related arts and culture.Approve and oversee all contracts for goods and services and commercial transactions, including commercial leases and staff purchases and expenses.Chair the RRSP Committee, which oversees the management of over $100 million dollars in member-owned assets.Manage Equity’s complex relationships with those members who are also producers, striving to achieve a balance that both respects Equity’s rules while also creating conditions to allow self-engagement.Collective Bargaining
Support the creative efforts of its members by seeking to improve their working conditions, protections, and opportunities through the negotiation and administration of various collective agreements.Equity currently negotiates and administers 4 ballet agreements, 3 opera agreements, 3 theatre agreements, and 3 federal agreements, each typically running on a three-year cycle. In addition, Equity produces and administers 8 smaller-scale engagement policies, with review and updating on a similar cycle.Negotiate periodic renewals of the collective agreement with the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE), Local 343, the labour representative for the majority of Equity’s staff.Develop and maintain a level of understanding of, and enforce as appropriate :Grievance and arbitration practices, and the collateral impact of human rights protectionsLabour standards, workplace regulations, employment practices, and case laws as they arise out of collective bargaining and policies as well as with respect to Equity’s own staffAll relevant privacy laws and pension benefits as they pertain to insurance and RRSP administrationGovernment Relations
Advocate and lobby on behalf of Equity at the federal and provincial levels (as possible) either alone or in collaboration with other industry partners.Maintain contacts in every province and in large urban areas to stay abreast of political developments regarding relevant issues – arts funding most particularly, but also legislative developments.Liaise with the many umbrella organizations in which Equity participates, including federal and international entities such as the Canada Council, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Coalition for Cultural Diversity, the International Federation of Actors.Maintain an effective relationship with engagers, in both negotiating and administering contracts.With engagers, promote the development of an innovative approach to creating new opportunities for Equity members.Be an effective and eloquent spokesperson for Equity in public / media situations, both orally and in writing (with support from the Communications Director).Management
Demonstrate to staff and to Council an ethic of service balanced with a sense of vision, creativity, and care for staff well-being, inspiring others to follow suit.Evaluate options and facilitate decision-making regarding updating Equity’s information technology systems, and oversee staff and consultants responsible for their implementation and operation.Maintain an awareness of when outside consultant expertise is required, and instruct and oversee the activities of such consultants, which may include lawyers, accountants, auditors, pension plan administrators, insurance brokers and, from time to time, others in areas such as public relations, survey firms, and Policy Governance.DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCIES & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Strong interpersonal skills
The Executive Director must have excellent listening skills and the ability to engage with people in a collaborative, consultative, and empathetic manner.
Political Savvy and Diplomacy
Ability to exercise tact, judgment, and a high degree of sensitivity and diplomacy.
Sound Judgment and Decisiveness
Ability to make decisions requiring a high degree of sensitivity and judgment.
Relationship-Building Skills
Must have the capacity and desire to address and manage the dynamics of a variety of key relationships while promoting the voice of the performing arts.
Perspective and a Sense of Humour
A good sense of humour will serve the new ED well, especially given the many demands and pressures of the role.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
A strong passion for the arts and culture, with a preferred understanding of theatre, dance, and / or opera.A former role that has required a significant level of negotiation or contract enforcement.Working knowledge of contract and / or labour law, labour relations, and collective bargaining.Experience in public advocacy and increasing an organization’s visibility.A history of operating within a comprehensive governance model / structure.Experience working with or on volunteer boards / councils.Experience working with a spectrum of internal and external stakeholders.Several years in broad-based senior management roles, with exposure to financial management, operations, human resources, and communications.Experience in a senior role running a full department within a larger organization.Strong communication skills, oral and written.Exposure to or familiarity with Policy Governance is preferred.Fluency in both official languages is an asset.Willingness to relocate to Toronto, and travel significantly in the performance of their duties.COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package including base salary (range between $180,000 to $190,000) and encompassing benefits, featuring a company-contributed pension plan, will be provided.
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our working culture and in our community. We welcome and encourage applications from qualified candidates of all cultures, ethnicities, gender and sexual identities and abilities.
We thank applicants for their interest; however, only those advancing in the process will be contacted.
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