Director of Live Programs

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

THE BROAD

The Broad was established to make contemporary art accessible to the widest possible audience. Founded in 2015 on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, the museum offers free general admission and presents an active program of special exhibitions and innovative live events, all within a landmark building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Welcoming around 900,000 visitors per year, The Broad is a bustling public space and serves as home to the Broad collection, one of the world’s leading collections of postwar and contemporary art, which continues to grow as new artists and artworks are added. The museum is also the headquarters of The Broad Art Foundation’s worldwide lending library, which has been loaning collection works to museums around the world since 1984. An expansion of the museum will open before the 2028 summer Olympics in Los Angeles, creating even greater public access. 

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Broad is seeking an experienced and ambitious Director of Live Programs (DLP) to define, develop, and produce accessible and rigorous live programming that transforms how audiences encounter contemporary art, opening fresh and imaginative channels through which to understand the Broad collection and its exhibitions.

Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) with a dotted line to the Founding Director, the DLP will activate The Broad through programming that is fresh, unexpected, and wide-ranging – unafraid of disrupting typical hierarchies around popular and experimental, and evolving in response to the cultural moment and the museum’s mission to attract a wide audience.

The DLP will lead The Broad's live programming in meaningful dialogue with the museum's special exhibitions and growing collection, through performance, music, comedy, dance, film, literature, community-engaged and socially driven projects, and other live formats. 

This work will create innovative entry points to contemporary art for visitors of all backgrounds, building on The Broad’s profile as an authentic and thoughtful leader in museum-based performance and as a site of experimentation, dialogue, and shared experience. The role joins the team at a pivotal time, as the museum prepares to launch a transformational expansion.

To achieve this, the DLP will oversee execution at the highest production quality with resourcefulness and creative problem-solving, meeting ambitious strategic revenue and mission targets, balancing operational realities, and working closely with internal and external event producers, consultants, and contractors and vendors.

The ideal candidate is deeply embedded in culture, bringing firsthand knowledge of what is emerging on the ground in LA and beyond to their vision for programming. They have a well-developed point of view, with the flexibility to adapt it in service of the institution’s mission.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and steward the overall vision for The Broad's live programming as the museum prepares to open its expansion in 2028. Ensure that live programming is in meaningful dialogue with the museum's special exhibitions and collection as well as responsive to the cultural moment and the evolving interests of the museum's diverse audience.
• Maintain a clear and ambitious curatorial point of view that positions The Broad as a leader in the field, doing work that is fresh, unexpected, and constantly seeking to set The Broad apart.
• Balance popular accessibility and experimental ambition across the programming slate, identifying opportunities to create entry points to contemporary art for audiences who don't consider themselves museumgoers.
• Stay deeply embedded in the cultural landscape, attending performances, events, and exhibitions; building and maintaining relationships with artists, curators, and producers in Los Angeles and beyond; reading widely and tracking emerging trends across performance, music, live media, comedy, and adjacent fields.
• Prioritize access for disabled artists and audiences from the earliest stages of program development, treating accessibility as a creative and curatorial consideration rather than a solely logistical one. Work proactively with artists, production staff, and disability community members to design programs that are fulfilling for every attendee.
• Bring in guest curators and outside perspectives from Los Angeles and beyond to expand the range of voices and relationships the program draws on, always with authenticity, integrity, and a clear connection to the collection.
• Oversee the execution of all live programs at the highest production quality, ensuring that artistic vision and production standards are mutually reinforcing and achievable within resource constraints.
• Lead the creative and production vision for all public-facing events, including exhibition openings and expansion events; set the experiential standard for what each event looks and feels like. 
• For institutional events such as exhibition openings and celebrations related to the museum’s expansion, serve as the creative and artistic lead, conceiving of the performance or experiential dimension that makes each event memorable. 
• Manage at least one direct report, providing mentorship, clear direction, and support for their professional development.
• Develop and maintain an annual programming budget that accounts for all talent, production, and related costs, with the flexibility to adapt as museum priorities and exhibition programming evolve.
• Manage budgets with rigor and resourcefulness, identifying creative solutions that preserve artistic ambition and meet ticket revenue targets.
• Work collaboratively with Curatorial, Marketing, Communications, and Visitor Experience teams to ensure that programming is integrated into the museum’s broader institutional priorities, calendar, and audience engagement strategy.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS 

The ideal candidate brings a compelling curatorial vision, deep knowledge of live, interdisciplinary performance, and proven ability to produce ambitious programming. Candidates who thrive in collaborative environments and who seek out fresh approaches to reach broad and diverse audiences are highly desirable. 

• 8+ years of progressive experience developing and producing live programming in a museum, performing arts, festival, or comparable cultural context, with a track record of work that is artistically ambitious and builds audiences through strategic partnerships and curation.
• Demonstrated curatorial point of view on the intersection of live performance and visual art, and on the role live programming plays in shaping culture and building audiences.
• Extensive knowledge of and active engagement with the performance, music, comedy, and live arts landscape in Los Angeles and nationally; attends live events frequently and maintains a firsthand practice of tracking what is emerging. 
• Fluency across disciplines beyond live performance, such as dance, film, literature, and social practice, and a practice of bringing those fields into dialogue with visual art.
• Strong curatorial instincts with the ability to balance integrity to the collection and artistic quality with programs that can draw a broad and diverse audience.
• Experience working with and bringing in guest curators, artists, and collaborators with a range of perspectives and practices.
• A track record of meeting ambitious mission and revenue goals. 
• Proven ability to manage complex production budgets with rigor, flexibility, and resourcefulness.
• Demonstrated ability to execute ambitious programming within budget and operational constraints while maintaining a high level of production quality.
• Experience managing staff and working collaboratively across teams in a fast-moving institutional environment.
• Experience leading complex live productions or public-facing programs involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and evolving timelines, and operational coordination.
• Demonstrated visual art literacy and depth of knowledge in contemporary art, with the ability to engage with the collection and with curatorial colleagues as a peer.
• Ability to shape and adapt curatorial vision in collaboration with internal stakeholders while maintaining a clear sense of artistic purpose and institutional mission.
• Strong communicator and relationship builder, with the trust and credibility to work effectively with artists, institutional partners, and colleagues across teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating programming that welcomes audiences who are new to contemporary art, in alignment with The Broad’s mission to reach the widest possible audience.
• Support and demonstrate the museum’s culture of developing a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment for staff, contract staff, vendors, and visitors.
• Approach work with integrity and honesty.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 25 pounds. A full range of body motion is required on the job to include frequent sitting, bending, stooping, crouching, lifting, carrying, walking, and standing.

The Broad is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and welcomes conversations about access needs related to this role.

PAY RANGE

$170,000 - $190,000 annually, based on applicant’s education, experience, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

BENEFITS

• Medical, Dental, and Vision.
• Employer paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and basic life insurance.
• 401(k) up to 4% match, with immediate vesting.
• Additional generous 5% retirement contribution to eligible employees.
• Accrued vacation, sick, volunteer days, and a floating holiday.
• Free parking or free LA Metro pass or bike/walk stipend.
• Discount at The Shop at The Broad, and at local eateries.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Employment is contingent upon a satisfactory background and reference checks. 

TO APPLY

Please submit your resume and letter of interest. We will only contact candidates selected for further consideration. No phone inquiries please. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Broad is an equal opportunity employer, and we aspire to reflect the diversity of Los Angeles in both our staff and our visitors. It is the practice of The Broad to offer equal opportunity consistent with applicable federal and state law in all aspects of employment. All employment decisions will be made in compliance with applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, medical condition (as defined by California law and including Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), actual or perceived), genetic information, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, having filed a discrimination complaint or any other status protected by applicable law. The Broad believes that by actively building a diverse workforce we can innovate, inspire, and engage with the widest possible audience. 

Reasonable accommodation will be made for qualified candidates with disabilities in accordance with the ADA and the ADAAA. 

Statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the job.

Statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the job.