Job Description

SUPERVISES: Production Team (Director of Artistic Administration, Director of Education & Community Engagement, Director of Orchestra Personnel, Production Manager, Stage Manager, orchestra librarians, staff conductors, chorus leadership, full-time production support staff, & a host of contractors & vendors)

Position Overview

The Chief Production Officer (CPO) is a strategic leader responsible for the operational execution of all KCS performances, experiences, & events in a variety of venues. Reporting to President & CEO Danny Beckley & serving as a key member of his Executive Leadership Team, the CPO collaborates closely with peers— CFO Sara Lohe, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer Julius Lai, & Chief Development Officer Eva James Toia—to deliver extraordinary musical experiences that engage, inspire, & grow audiences.

The ideal candidate for Chief Production Officer has the artistic ingenuity of a theatrical producer, the organizational expertise of an orchestra manager, the business savvy & innovative resourcefulness of an inventor-entrepreneur, the persuasive talents of an experienced negotiator, & the courage & emotional intelligence of a strong leader.

Key Responsibilities

Production Leadership

• Oversee end-to-end production management, ensuring flawless execution of concerts & events within established budgets.
• Lead a team of over a dozen in-house specialists in production management, stage management, orchestra personnel, music library, artistic administration, conducting staff, education, and community engagement. Supervise the oversight of the KCS Chorus, an auditioned volunteer chorus with professional leadership.
• Direct planning of concerts, rehearsals, & orchestra services, & non-orchestral services including oversight of Mobile Music Box activities led by the Director of Education & Community Engagement.
• Work closely with the President, Music Director, Artistic Advisor, & Director of Artistic Administration to shape the offerings of the orchestra in accordance with strategic leadership in experience &market strategy led by the Chief Marketing & Experience Officer.
• Integrate external specialists, including audio engineers, lighting designers, & other technical experts, to elevate production quality & audience experience.
• Negotiate competitive contracts with vendors & contractors, continually pursuing the best terms & service possible for KCS.
• Ensure successful execution of all Symphony services & events, serving occasionally on concert duty rotation. Attend most performances, oversee logistics for touring & run-out programs, & build positive relationships with presenters.
• Provide oversight of relationships, contracts, & key connection with partners, including the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Lyric Opera of KC, the Kansas City Ballet, the City of KC, & others.
• Oversee occasional orchestra touring leveraging contracted specialists with whom the orchestra has strong & capable relationships.
• Participate in the planning & execution of special events, including limited fundraising events.

O rchestra Management

• Serve as the primary executive responsible for orchestra operations, managing musician relations, CBA compliance, & oversight of orchestra personnel management.
• Foster a collaborative, respectful environment between musicians & management, proactively addressing issues & promoting open communication.
• Lead CBA negotiations with musicians & related union entities, stewarding organizational interests while ensuring optimal working conditions.
• Oversee electronic media activities & compliance with national media agreements. Negotiate as needed with the Musicians’ Committee & the national AFM leveraging KCS membership & leadership in the Electronic Media Association.
• Supervise the music library, ensuring proper licensing & permissions with publishers, composers, guest artists, & conductors, leveraging KCS membership & leadership in the OMLA.
• Develop systems for effective communication & project management, coordinate concert duty schedules, & oversee procurement & development of run-out & fee concerts.

Experience Strategy

• Collaborate closely with the CMEO to craft innovative experience strategies designed to resonate deeply with audiences.
• Translate high-level creative concepts into actionable, executable plans.
• Advocate constantly & passionately to musicians, guest artists, production personnel, venues & vendors for the creation of audience-centric experiences that drive meaningful engagement & audience retention.

External Collaboration

• Oversee the engagement & management of high-level external artistic collaborators (guest artists, conductors, choreographers, directors, set designers), fostering creative partnerships.
• Oversee relationships & interface with venue management, notably the KCPA, aligning on scheduling, technical specifications, & audience experience requirements.

Strategic Leadership & Resource Oversight

• Represent & advocate for the vision & strategy set forth by the President with the Executive Leadership Team.
• Develop & manage departmental budgets meticulously, providing clear forecasts & ensuring financial sustainability.
• Contribute actively to executive-level strategic discussions, influencing the operational readiness & effectiveness of the Symphony.
• Oversee the development, management, & communication of schedules & operating plans related to orchestra services, venue utilization, & related operational areas.

Other duties as assigned.

Key Performance Indicators

The success of this role will be assessed on the efficient, effective, & cost-optimized performance of the production team in the execution of concerts, rehearsals, & events &operational support of the same. Specifically, this includes:

• Timely & effective communications: Ensure that parties know what they need to know, when they need to know it, so that people across the organization feel respected, informed & aligned in their work.
• Cost control: Deliver on budget & continually seek ways to improve impact per dollar spent, containing costs, through a combination of creativity, relationship building, & negotiation.
• Effectiveness of financial planning and monitoring: Develop accurate annual & project budgets & monthly forecasts that neither understate nor overstate actual production needs.
• Optimal orchestra resource management: Leverage the talents & roles of musicians, production/event staff a& contractors, guest artists, venues & vendors for the optimal benefit of KCS & its audiences in accordance with the vision set forth by the President & Music Director. Balancing good relations with labor unions (principally musicians & stagehands, represented by AFM & IATSE) while also maximizing effectiveness of delivery in service to organizational strategy.
• Effectiveness of artist support: Provide the best working conditions possible to support musicians & guest artists in rehearsal, performance & delivery of high-quality music experiences for audiences, while minimizing costs & maximizing quality & memorability of experience. Enable artists to perform at their very best, in a shared pursuit of artistic excellence in service to audiences.
• Data competence: Ensure the production team is measuring the right things with the right amount of accuracy & precision, & make timely reports on these to inform tactical refinement & iteration across the organization.

Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of management experience in theatrical production, orchestra management, or live event leadership, preferably with major performing organizations.
• Proven track record in creative production planning & execution within high-profile, audience-centric environments.
• Demonstrated success in team leadership, managing complex budgets, & operational logistics.
• Expertise in collaborating with artistic talent, technical specialists, & venue partners to deliver exceptional experiences.
• Strong familiarity with labor negotiations.

Core Competencies

• Exceptional problem-solving ability, leveraging creativity & innovation combined with project management, operational planning, & execution capabilities.
• Outstanding communication skills, both written & verbal, adept at inspiring teams & advancing relationships.
• Superior organizational & financial management skills with keen attention to detail.
• Passionate commitment to symphonic music, audience engagement, artistic innovation, & organizational excellence.

Other Requirements

• Flexibility. Frequent weekend & evening work will be required.
• Ability to operate a computer for prolonged periods, lift moderately heavy items, drive, & climb stairs.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage
• Generous vacation and PTO
• Relocation support to KC

KCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability, or veteran status.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a resume & compelling cover letter addressed to Danny Beckley, President & CEO, articulating thoughts on the creation of music experiences and specific reasons for interest in this role.

Please send applications via email to Mr. Beckley’s assistant, Young Wang at ywang@kcsymphony.org.

Applications will be accepted through July 31, 2025. Interviews are expected to commence in the first two weeks of August via zoom, with finalist interviews occurring in person in KC during the second half of August.

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