Summary
Description
About Swallow Hill:
Founded in 1979, Swallow Hill Music is a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to enriching lives and building community through music. As a 501(c)(3) and SCFD Tier II organization with an $8 million annual budget, Swallow Hill operates a nationally recognized music school and offers a wide range of community outreach and music education programs throughout the Denver metro area.
Swallow Hill presents local and nationally touring artists across a variety of genres at its three onsite venues (Daniels Hall, Tuft Theatre, and Quinlan Café) and through signature offsite concert series and partnerships, including the Denver Botanic Gardens Summer Concert Series, Evenings al Fresco, and Four Mile Historic Park.
Recognized as a cornerstone of Colorado’s music community, Swallow Hill has received the Mayor’s and Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, honors from the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, and Folk Alliance International’s Business Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting its longstanding contributions to live music, education, and community connection.
Job Summary:
The Concert Director is a key leadership role reporting to the Senior Director of Strategic Programs (SDSP), responsible for the artistic vision, strategic direction, and overall success of Swallow Hill’s concert programming. Working closely with the SDSP, Talent Buyer, and production staff, the Concert Director oversees a dynamic, mission-aligned concert program featuring nationally touring and local artists while advancing financial, programmatic, and audience development goals.
The Concert Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the department, including budget development and financial oversight, staff management, long-term planning, and cross-functional collaboration with teams across marketing, development, education, and operations. A successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of the live music industry and concert production, along with demonstrated experience leading teams, managing budgets, and translating strategic goals into action. This role guides artist selection and programming priorities, cultivates meaningful artist and venue partnerships, and builds on Swallow Hill’s reputation as a leading presenter in Colorado’s concert scene.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
● Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new Swallow Hill Music Concert staff.
● Oversees the daily workflow of the department.
● Provides constructive and timely performance evaluations.
● Handles discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy.
Duties/Responsibilities:
● Responsible for ensuring effective coordination and execution of all concert department activities including production, booking/talent buying, financials, administrative work, and team management.
● Develop and manage the Concert Department budget (4M), meeting revenue and expense goals.
● Articulate and implement the creative vision for the concert department, along with team members, that align with organizational goals and ensure long- term sustainability.
● Develop, in collaboration with the SDSP, short- and long- term Department goals, strategies, and recommendations for changes to, or the creation of, new concert programs and partnerships.
● Responsible for effectively communicating and implementing organizational and departmental vision, goals, and strategy to concert team staff, leadership team, and other stakeholders.
● Report on Concert Department strategies, tactics and the achievement of goals;
● Collaborate with other internal departments such as School, Outreach, and Patron Experience Directors to identify cross departmental programming needs and opportunities
● Collaborate with the Volunteer Manager to coordinate meaningful volunteer support for concert programming and events.
● Work with School and Outreach Departments to leverage connections with artists to create value add propositions for the organization as a whole.
● Collaborate with the Development team for donor event activations like VIP space needs, etc.and provide budgetary information and goals for potential funder/sponsorship opportunities.
● Collaborate with the Marketing Department to maximize impact of materials and messaging
● Monitor offers and contract execution; ensure contractual/deposit timelines are met; develop and/or manage MOUs for partners.
● Collect and analyze concert and partnership data to evaluate mission alignment and profitability.
● Supervise Concert staff and vendors as needed.
● Ensure appropriate staffing, mentoring and provide professional development opportunities for staff.
● Collaborate with supervisees on the development of individual goals that align with larger department and organizational goals.
● Attend onsite concerts at night and on weekends several times a month and most outdoor shows in the summer. Serve as a House Manager for onsite shows when needed.
● Support a patron-centric culture.
● Other duties as assigned
Qualifications & Experience:
● Minimum of five to seven years of experience in the live music or concert industry, including 3-5 years of demonstrated leadership experience in team management, budgeting, strategic planning, and program oversight.
● Strong working knowledge of talent buying, concert production, and event management required; festival experience is a plus.
● Understanding of business principals around nonprofit organizations, for profit promoters, and the intersection of both models
● Deep understanding of programming, venue, and concert trends both nationally and locally in Denver
● Knowledge of ticketing and box office operations as well as experience working with ticketing solutions
● Understanding of event and venue marketing fundamentals, trends, and best practices
● Experience negotiating and managing contracts with partner organizations
● Successful track record booking and executing concerts
Required Skills:
● Values diversity and contributes to an inclusive working and learning environment.
● Understands and values data as a tool for strategic decision making.
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
● Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
● Strong interpersonal and customer service skills.
● Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
● Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
● Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
● High level of fiscal management skills.
● Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate them when appropriate.
● Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
● Ability to navigate complex relationships, anticipating where challenges may arise and addressing them proactively.
● Proficient with booking tools such as Celebrity Access and Pollstar.
● Proficient in Google Workspace; and the ability to learn required business systems
● Experience with Salesforce preferred.
● Experience with ticketing platforms such as Eventbrite, Ticketure, Elevent, etc.
● Comfortable utilizing remote meeting & video conferencing technology such as Google Meet & Zoom.
Physical Requirements:
● This position requires walking, bending, reaching, and standing for long periods of time.
● Must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
● This position also requires hearing to accurately understand information at normal spoken word levels in a potentially loud environment and visual observation for reviewing, checking, preparing, and maintaining written and computer files.
● Manual dexterity to operate standard office, data entry, and other related facility and production equipment is required.
● Ability to flex schedule to work a combination of days, evenings, and weekends.
We will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities or whose service requirements interfere with a religious belief, unless doing so would result in undue hardship or a direct threat to SHM. Please contact human resources at 303.777.1003 to request accommodation, or for questions/concerns regarding this policy.
EEO Statement
Swallow Hill provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Swallow Hill complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
To apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume, and references to Jobs@swallowhillmusic.org. No phone calls, please.
