Executive Director

Executive Director

The Executive Director is the visionary leader of Frequent Flyers® Productions (FFP) [DBA Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance]. We are at a pivotal inflection point, emerging from recent industry challenges, ready to architect a bold new era of growth. We are seeking a dynamic, ambitious leader who thrives in a dynamic environment and is hungry to make their mark. You will not only stabilize and scale our financial and operational foundation but also spearhead our trajectory toward becoming the premier, award-winning aerial dance organization in the country.

As the leader of a small nonprofit, the Executive Director must combine strategic leadership with hands-on execution. The ED is accountable for the organization's overall performance but works through staff, contractors, and Board members to accomplish its goals. The ED personally leads strategy, financial oversight, fundraising, staff leadership, and key external relationships while empowering staff to lead day-to-day programs, administration, communications, and other organizational functions. FFP is at a crucial crossroads where there is opportunity and decades of experienced support on staff to shape the present while shaping the organization, strategy, and network that will enable the next 40 years of flight.

Working in partnership with the Board of Directors and staff, the Executive Director sets organizational priorities, leads fundraising and financial management, develops and supports staff, and represents FFP in the community. This is an opportunity for someone with non-profit experience to be an Executive Director who enjoys both shaping the future of an organization and being actively engaged in the work required to get there.

Founded in 1988 by Nancy Smith, Frequent Flyers® Productions is a pioneer of aerial dance-theatre that transforms gravity-defying technique into expressive modern dance. Based in Boulder, Colorado, the company has grown into a world-renowned non-profit hub featuring an elite performance company, an acclaimed aerial dance school, and the internationally celebrated Aerial Dance Festival. By continually expanding community outreach and pushing the artistic boundaries of vertical space, Frequent Flyers offers a visionary leader the opportunity to guide an iconic legacy into its next chapter of creative and community impact.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Organizational Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for FFP and translate the organization's mission and strategic plan into clear priorities and measurable results.
• Lead implementation and ongoing refinement of FFP's strategic plan in partnership with the Board and staff.
• Establish annual organizational priorities, goals, and measures of success.
• Make organizational decisions and ensure resources are aligned with strategic priorities.
• Monitor organizational performance and use financial, programmatic, fundraising, and operational data to inform decisions.
• Foster a healthy organizational culture grounded in trust, collaboration, accountability, equity, inclusion, transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Architect the organization's next chapter, transforming current operational challenges into launchpads for explosive growth.

2. Financial Oversight

• Ensure FFP has the financial resources, systems, and discipline necessary to fulfill its mission and remain sustainable over the long term.
• Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning in collaboration with staff and the board treasurer
• Maintain a clear understanding of the organization's financial position, including revenue, expenses, cash flow, reserves, and significant financial risks.
• Monitor actual financial performance against budget and respond proactively to significant variances.
• Evaluate programs, staffing, investments, and new opportunities in the context of both mission impact and financial sustainability.
• Ensure appropriate financial controls, reporting, insurance, compliance, risk management, and administrative systems are maintained.
• Work effectively with accounting, legal, insurance, and other professional resources.

3. Fundraising & Resource Development

• Lead the development of contributed and earned resources necessary to support FFP's mission and long-term sustainability.
• Establish fundraising strategy and priorities, and designating support for implementation.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward significant individual donors and key institutional funders.
• Build and maintain relationships with foundations, corporations, government agencies, and other funding partners.
• Engage and support Board members in fundraising and donor cultivation.
• Ensure grant strategy, campaigns, donor communications, proposals, and reporting are effective and coordinated.
• Identify opportunities to diversify and strengthen contributed and earned revenue consistent with FFP's mission.

4. People & Organizational Management

• Build and support a capable, collaborative staff with clear responsibilities, appropriate accountability, and the resources necessary to succeed, have fun, and grow personally.
• Hire, supervise, coach, and evaluate direct reports.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, goals, and decision-making authority.
• Develop the leadership capacity of directors and managers and empower them to manage their areas effectively.
• Foster cross-departmental communication and collaboration.
• Ensure equitable and effective functional HR oversight to include hiring, compensation, performance management, and personnel practices.
• Address personnel and organizational issues promptly and constructively.
• Ensure staff have appropriate opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Champion a revitalized, high-energy organizational culture grounded in trust, collaboration, and a shared passion for artistic and educational excellence

5. Program & Mission Oversight

• Ensure FFP's artistic, educational, and community programs collectively advance its mission, serve its communities, and operate within the organization's capacity.
• Provide strategic oversight of FFP's portfolio of programs while empowering directors and managers to manage day-to-day program delivery.
• Work with program leadership to evaluate program impact, participation, financial performance, accessibility, and strategic alignment.
• Support collaboration among artistic, educational, administrative, and development functions.
• Ensure organizational decisions reflect FFP's commitment to equity, accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Maintain sufficient knowledge of developments affecting aerial arts, performing arts, arts education, and nonprofit organizations to inform strategic decisions.

6. Board Partnership & Governance

• Develop a strong working partnership with the Board of Directors and provide the information, leadership, and organizational support necessary for effective governance.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Board and staff.
• Partner with the Board on strategy, financial sustainability, organizational performance, and long-term planning.
• Provide timely, accurate, and transparent reporting on finances, fundraising, programs, staffing, risks, and strategic priorities.
• Support Board recruitment, orientation, development, committee work, and engagement.
• Lead the strategic evolution of the Board of Directors, successfully transitioning a dedicated, hands-on board into a robust, fundraising-focused governance team.
• Ensure organizational activities comply with Board policies, bylaws, legal requirements, contracts, and applicable nonprofit regulations.

7. External Leadership & Community Relationships

• Serve as a visible and credible representative of FFP and develop relationships that strengthen the organization and advance its mission.
• Serve as the organization's primary spokesperson for public and media opportunities.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with community organizations, arts and educational institutions, government agencies, funders, and other partners.
• Represent FFP at community meetings, performances, donor events, professional gatherings, award ceremonies and other appropriate forums.
• Identify partnerships and opportunities that expand FFP's impact, visibility, resources, and community connections.
• Provide leadership on organizational messaging and significant public communications while working with staff and contractors on routine marketing and communications.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Previous experience serving as an Executive Director of a nonprofit organization.
• Non-profit leadership experience, including responsibility for organizational strategy, staff, finances, fundraising, and operations.
• Developing and managing nonprofit organizational budgets and financial forecasts.
• Fundraising success, including cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and developing relationships with institutional funders.
• Supervising, developing, and evaluating staff and building effective leadership teams.
• Working closely with a nonprofit Board of Directors and understanding the distinction between governance and management.
• Establish priorities, delegate effectively, and manage multiple organizational demands.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and public communication skills.
• Ability to lead an organization through change, challenge, or strategic initiatives.
• Ability and willingness to work a limited number of evenings and weekends for performances, events, fundraising activities, and other organizational needs.

Desire