Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is hiring a Manager of Board Relations, who serves as the staff administrative liaison and thought partner to the members of Opera Theatre’s board of directors and its related committees. This individual will identify, recommend, and implement best practices to ensure an effective and engaged board of directors, and a positive working relationship between the OTSL board and staff. In this role, the Manager of Board Relations will plan board and committee meetings, and handle all communication, logistics, meeting materials, and follow-up reporting to support the work of the board.

Opera Theatre’s board of directors are key to the company’s success. They demonstrate passion for the company’s mission, achievement in their sphere of influence, and reflect a diverse mix of ethnicity, age, professional background, gender, and geography. Board members serve as advocates for Opera Theatre and demonstrate generous philanthropic support for the company. The OTSL board can include up to 60 active voting members, as well as non-voting life members and ex-officio members. Standing committees include but are not limited to the executive committee, as well as governance, finance, investment, human resources, development, marketing, and equity, diversity, and inclusion committees.

A successful candidate will be comfortable interacting with community leaders and with OTSL colleagues in all parts of the company; they will demonstrate skill managing complex communication and logistics for a robust schedule of meetings across the year.

Communication and Meeting Preparation

• Draft, secure approval from appropriate board and staff leadership, and send regular board updates and other board communications, with responsibility for content and strategy of those communications.
• Collaborate with the board and committee chairs, and appropriate staff leadership, to develop meeting agendas and materials.
• Coordinate with OTSL staff to collect, prepare, and distribute timely and accurate reports for board and committee meetings.
• Draft talking points for board members and OTSL staff as needed for board and committee meetings.
• Attend board and committee meetings, take notes, prepare minutes, and retain documents as required for the board of directors and related committees.
• Track action items that result from board and committee meetings and communicate with board and staff members to ensure that timely follow up occurs.
• Prepare annual Board Book and other communications with board members regarding board and company information and policies.
• Draft and coordinate correspondence on behalf of board leadership as requested.

Scheduling/Logistics

• Coordinate with board chair, committee chairs, and OTSL staff to initiate and schedule board of directors and committee meetings throughout the year.
• Plan and execute the logistics of meetings of the board and committees, including room reservations, room set up, technology needs, coordinating meals and refreshments, and any other meeting needs.
• Support the board chair through the management of the chair’s OTSL calendar and manage the scheduling of board-related meetings with staff, donors, community partners, and board members.

Governance and Nominating

• Help identify, research, and track cultivation of new board prospects in collaboration with board chair and governance and nominating chair, and work with board and staff members to ensure necessary steps stay on track between meetings.
• Coordinate the onboarding process for new board members as well as ongoing communication with members regarding company information, policies, and expectations.
• Ensure nominating practices adhere to OTSL’s corporate bylaws.
• Coordinate revisions to the corporate bylaws in partnership with board chair and executive committee as needed.

Stewardship

• Serve as a concierge for requests from board members, coordinating with Development and Box Office colleagues to ensure donation and ticketing questions are answered promptly.
• In partnership with board leadership, initiate check-in calls or meetings with board members who are not able to regularly attend to ensure they feel engaged with OTSL.
• Attend special events throughout the year to engage with OTSL board members and facilitate cultivation of board prospects.
• Stay informed about the programs and activities across the company in order to answer questions and provide up to date information to board members.

Administrative

• Accurately track and code expenses, request payment, and manage financial paperwork for board expenses.
• Update Board contact information, meeting attendance, and other notes in OTSL’s CRM system, Tessitura.
• Ensure accurate and timely information and data on the board and board membership is provided for compliance reports and funder/grant requests as needed.
• Manage logistics and support for OTSL’s strategic planning process, and assist with annual reporting needs related to the plan.
• Provide administrative support for other board projects as needed.

• 3-5 years experience in nonprofit administration or fundraising; experience managing a non-profit board, volunteer group, membership group, or similar constituent group is particularly valuable.
• The ability to make decisions and deal with confidential information with discretion and maturity.
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills.
• Experience with complex scheduling and meeting logistics.
• Extraordinary attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize and organize tasks, and to meet deadlines.
• Skill in managing projects with overlapping deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with Tessitura or similar CRM database.
• Experience with Zoom or similar video call systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed, specifically during Opera Theatre’s festival season (May-June).

• Strong interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to build relationships.
• The ability to assimilate information quickly and work independently.
• Creative and efficient problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with the arts and the non-profit sector.
• An interest in opera or the performing arts.

• Compensation: $54,000-$59,000 annual salary plus benefits.
• This is a full-time, non-exempt position.
• Robust benefits package including health insurance, open PTO policy, 401k match, and more.
• This position requires the flexibility to work some nights and weekends throughout the year, in particular during the Festival Season (May-June).
• OTSL offers a flexible and asynchronous work policy. However, the company does expect candidates to be local or willing to relocate to St. Louis and conduct the majority of their work from OTSL’s offices