loading . . . The McCallum Theatre seeks Vice President—General Manager | The McCallum Theatre Palm Desert, California,
Organization
The McCallum Theatre (the McCallum), operated by Friends of the Cultural Center, Inc., is a premier performing arts institution dedicated to entertaining, educating, and enriching the Coachella Valley through world?class performances and transformative arts education. Rooted in the belief that the performing arts foster connection, creativity, and community vitality, the McCallum serves as both a cultural anchor and an artistic catalyst for the region. Located in Palm Desert, California, the McCallum was established in 1988 through a visionary public-private partnership among the City of Palm Desert, the Desert Community College District, and the Friends of the Cultural Center, Inc. Its 1,127?seat venue, designed with state?of?the?art acoustics and technical capabilities, has earned a reputation as one of Southern California’s most distinguished performance spaces, welcoming artists and audiences from across the country and around the world.
Education and community engagement are central to the McCallum’s mission. Through its award?winning McCallum Theatre Education program, the organization serves more than 40,000 students, educators, and community members each year. Classroom residencies, student matinees, teacher professional development, and deep partnerships with schools and community organizations bring the arts directly into learning environments, expanding access and nurturing creativity, confidence, and academic growth among young people. This commitment to equitable arts education has positioned the McCallum as a leader in regional cultural enrichment.
Each season, the McCallum Theatre presents a dynamic array of performances that span Broadway productions, classical and popular music, dance companies, comedy, and world?renowned solo artists. The 2025–2026 season features national touring productions, global music ensembles, celebrated performers, and beloved community traditions such as the Palm Desert Choreography Festival and the Open Call Talent Project. This breadth of programming reflects the McCallum’s dedication to artistic excellence, cultural diversity, and community relevance, drawing audiences from across the Coachella Valley and beyond.
Friends of the Cultural Center, Inc. d/b/a McCallum Theatre is governed by a 52?member board of trustees led by Chairman Garry Kief, with Yvonne Bell serving as President and Chief Executive Officer. For the fiscal year ending July 31, 2024, the organization’s audited financial statements, which include the McCallum Theatre Foundation, reported total revenue of $25.3 million, including $11.3 million from contributions and grants, $11 million from program services, and $2.5 million from investment income. Total expenses were $19.6 million, underscoring the scale and impact of the Theatre’s artistic and educational work. For the year ending July 31, 2026, the organization expects to continue its pattern of generating an annual surplus.
Sources: edited from mccallumtheatre.org; propublica.org
Community
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, Palm Desert is a warm and welcoming community at the heart of the Coachella Valley, a region of more than 450,000 year?round residents that expands to over 800,000 during the peak season. Incorporated in 1973, the city has grown into a vibrant desert oasis where natural beauty meets contemporary comfort. While Palm Desert itself is home to just over 50,000 year?round residents, it serves as a central hub within this larger valley community, offering sweeping mountain vistas, sun?drenched skies, and a climate that invites outdoor living nearly every day of the year. With less than three inches of annual rainfall and more than 340 days of sunshine, Palm Desert provides an environment where hiking trails, golf courses, and open?air gathering places are woven into daily life.
Palm Desert’s lively cultural and commercial corridors reflect the broader region’s spirit of creativity and exploration. El Paseo, often called the “Rodeo Drive of the Desert,” is lined with galleries, boutiques, and cafés that draw visitors from across the Coachella Valley and beyond. Families enjoy an array of amenities, from expansive parks and community centers to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, a beloved destination for residents throughout the valley. Palm Desert’s hospitality tradition runs deep, shaped by the arrival of luxury resorts and golf clubs beginning in the late 1970s. Today, more than 30 hotels and 5,000 guest rooms welcome travelers from around the world, contributing to a regional tourism economy that thrives during the high season. The city’s celebrated golf culture—rooted in the opening of Shadow Mountain Golf Club in 1948—continues to flourish alongside tennis, hiking, and the valley’s growing enthusiasm for pickleball.
Palm Desert’s cultural life is equally dynamic and plays a significant role in the artistic identity of the entire Coachella Valley. The McCallum Theatre anchors the performing arts landscape, presenting national touring productions, concerts, dance companies, and community showcases that draw audiences from every corner of the region. The city also holds a distinctive place in music history as the birthplace of the Palm Desert Scene, the influential ’90s movement that helped shape the stoner?rock genre and launched bands such as Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age. Artists, performers, and public figures have long been drawn to the area’s serenity and creative energy, contributing to a community that values both artistic expression and a relaxed desert sensibility.
Palm Desert’s educational and civic landscape further strengthens its role as a regional center. The city is home to the main campus of College of the Desert as well as branches of UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino, making Palm Desert the Coachella Valley’s hub for public higher education. A network of private schools, cultural organizations, and community groups, including the Jewish Federation of the Desert, adds depth and connection to local life. The city’s economy is stable and diverse, with approximately 24,145 households, of which about 64 percent are owner?occupied. The median household income is roughly $79,500, and the median home value is approximately $491,600. Palm Desert’s population reflects a broad mix of residents, including about 68 percent white and 26 percent Hispanic or Latino, along with smaller percentages of other groups. Together, these elements create a community defined by openness, accessibility, and a distinctive blend of desert tranquility and cultural vibrancy—qualities that resonate across the entire Coachella Valley.
Sources: www.palmdesert.gov; www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com; www.desertusa.com
Position Summary
The Vice President—General Manager will bring a proven ability to build trust with a wide range of stakeholders and, in collaboration with the President & CEO, will guide the McCallum Theatre’s artistic vision by managing program bookings, logistics, contract administration, and season scheduling. They will ensure that programming serves the community and delivers meaningful cultural opportunities for the Coachella Valley and beyond, drawing on a solid history of programming as both presenter and producer and staying informed about trends and competitive offerings to help sustain a dynamic and successful season. The Vice President—General Manager will demonstrate knowledge of the arts and community while fostering a cohesive internal team and staff culture that integrates innovative approaches with industry best practices across programming, production, marketing, front of house, and box office. They will cultivate strong industry relationships and work directly with agents, artists, programs, and internal staff to ensure clear communication, accurate agreements, and the smooth execution of contracts that comply with legal and organizational policies. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Vice President—General Manager will help ensure that the organization fulfills its mission through its artistic programming, educational offerings, productions, community partnerships, and staffing.
Role and Responsibilities
Artistic Programming and Contracting
Articulate with the President & CEO an overall artistic vision consistent with the organizational mission that models current industry trends, audience demographics, and local competitor programming, prioritizing a balance of local, regional, and national touring artists and events that appeal to multi-generational audiences.
Develop, present, select, and contract annual programming of multi-disciplinary offerings, including music, theatre, dance, lectures, film, and multimedia programs, and associated year-round scheduled activities designed to bring dynamic cultural activity to the Coachella Valley.
Nurture and sustain strong relationships with presenters, promoters, and talent representatives, including attending booking conferences.
Serve as the primary point of contact for booking, negotiating all artist contracts, and executing offer letters to agents, managers, and artists’ agents to confirm terms, and coordinate details for artist and program engagements.
Build strong relationships with fellow presenters, national and local guest artists/ensembles, and other production companies, and industry stakeholders to support ongoing and future collaborations, shared expenses, and block booking.
Embrace and support additional artistic programming and contracting responsibilities as needed.
General Management and Operations
Partner with the President & CEO to contribute to, oversee, guide, and implement McCallum Theatre’s long-term strategic planning.
Serve on the senior management team as a creative partner, between senior management, the marketing, finance, and development departments, the production staff, the box office, and front of house staff, so all parties have the most up-to-date and correct information, including occasional attendance and presentations at board meetings as requested.
Manage key business agreements, utilizing relevant experience in programming, logistics, and maintenance of a multi-use multi-venue facility for items such as ongoing union and lease agreements, operations management, and service contracts.
Oversee all theatre rental activity, including evaluating rental requests, negotiating terms, coordinating internal departments, ensuring contract compliance, and maximizing earned revenue while protecting the integrity of the McCallum Theatre’s mission, brand, and operational capacity.
Guide operations to ensure employees and business practices comply with regulatory and legal requirements, ensuring the facility is maintained in the safest, most creatively conducive environment possible.
Supervise and manage emergency response training to ensure staff and volunteer preparedness during performances and on non-performance days.
Monitor advancements in technology, including newly developed software and hardware resources in partnership with the President & CEO and department heads, to guide new system implementations, ongoing maintenance, and multi-year facility upgrades.
Advise on capital projects regarding facility maintenance, system upgrades, large construction multi-year facility renovation projects, capital expansion planning, and expenditures for replacement of aging systems and equipment as needed, with an emphasis on safety.
Embrace and support additional general management and operations responsibilities as needed.
Staff Leadership and Team Communication
Manage and support staff members, monitoring productivity, while also providing constructive feedback, reinforcing accountability, encouraging proactive approaches, and ensuring adherence to legal and organizational policies.
Assist the McCallum to grow in all regards, guiding department heads to be open to both new internal and external perspectives, where challenges are viewed as opportunities to achieve and excel, and encouraging a pathway for growth and creative solutions to the work.
Further unity across all departments to align with the organization’s greater mission, while proactively working against silos, to build a safe creative space, and foster team building in which staff members are advocates for each other, accountable for the work, and partners to do their best work.
Empower department heads to respond to the needs of and challenge their staff, nurturing critical thinking skills, encouraging accountability with clear lines of communication, and incorporating various strategies to achieve the highest professional standards that align with industry best practices.
Oversee the hiring, supervision, and mentoring of programming and front of house staff, providing professional development and growth to attract, retain, and empower highly qualified employees and volunteers to ensure organizational growth and sustainability.
Provide strategic oversight of the volunteer usher program, ensuring exceptional patron service through recruitment, training, scheduling, and performance standards.
Ensure that creative teams, production staff, development, marketing, box office, finance, and education staff receive all relevant production information with clarity and in a timely manner, responding promptly to inquiries, as well as providing regular communications to long-term artist partners, including both internal staff and outside contract services.
Embrace and support additional staff leadership and team communication responsibilities as needed.
Production Supervision
Analyze the annual production calendar and staffing for better system options, creating, building, and establishing new policies and procedures on how shows are produced, including the implementation of new administrative resources, system programs, and strategies.
Create season performance schedules and oversee the master calendar, in conjunction with other departments and relevant stakeholders, to establish, communicate, and manage production schedules, including the scheduling of all related events.
Provide artistic leadership and guidance to all artistic teams and partners throughout the entire production process, from selecting performance offerings to advising and consulting with the production staff, as well as ensuring readiness for each show’s opening and run.
Track artist and program payments, deposits, and settlement requirements, working with Finance to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Embrace and support additional production supervision responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Vice President—General Manager will be a strong collaborator with an innovative spirit, modeling a strong work ethic and demonstrating passion and dedication. Ensuring that programming resonates with all the Coachella Valley communities, the Vice President—General Manager will uphold the McCallum’s commitment to professional excellence. As a creative, innovative programmer and producer, they will be an effective communicator and able to deliver high-quality performances and motivate teams with a clear sense of purpose. They will be resilient, flexible, and positive, as well as an effective, detail-oriented team builder and project manager who can inspire, coach, manage, and mentor a large staff. They will be a strong, knowledgeable, experienced, and organized leader who finds joy and fulfillment in the work.
Other key competencies include:
Self-Starting and Leadership – The fortitude to effectively demonstrate initiative and willingness to begin working, along with the skill to organize and influence people to believe in a vision, while also creating a sense of purpose and direction.
Teamwork and Influencing Others – The ability to cooperate with others to meet objectives, while also being personally able to affect others’ actions, decisions, and opinions.
Problem Solving and Resiliency – The dexterity to be able to define, analyze, and diagnose key components of a problem to formulate a solution, as well as the agility to quickly recover from adversity.
Time and Priority Management – The organizational acumen to prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
Qualifications
The Vice President—General Manager will have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in Theatre, Arts Administration, Business, or a related field, or two to four years of equivalent professional experience in performing arts programming, booking, or contract administration. Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication, and supervisory skills are essential, with the ability to lead, motivate, and manage diverse teams required. Strong financial and operational management skills, including oversight of a similarly sized budget and staff, are highly desirable. A thorough knowledge of music and the performing arts, coupled with a proven track record in programming, presenting, and engaging audiences, is preferred in addition to experience in operating and managing a successful performing arts center. Strong organizational and administrative skills, with the ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously is expected. Familiarity with standard artist and program agreements, contracts, riders, and industry practices, ability to interpret legal language, and an understanding of implications for the organization, with an attention to detail and accuracy in contract review and financial documentation, is necessary. Proficiency with Microsoft Office, venue management software (Momentus Elite), and IT experience is advantageous. CRM and database experience, in particular Tessitura, is desirable. Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends during performance periods, is required.
The McCallum values the many ways leadership and operational expertise are developed, both professionally and personally, and strongly encourages applications from individuals whose lived experience and diverse career paths have comparably prepared them to provide operational and cultural leadership at the highest level.
Compensation and Benefits
The McCallum Theatre offers a competitive compensation package with an estimated salary range between $170,000 and $185,000, plus benefits.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/mccallum-theatre-seeks-vice-president-general-manager/
McCallum Theatre provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
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