Summary
Description
ABOUT THE ARVADA CENTER
Located in the greater Denver area, the award-winning Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities is one of the largest multi-disciplinary arts institutions in the United States, offering exceptional high-quality theater, concerts, arts education, and humanities and cultural programming for patrons of all ages. Dedicated on July 4, 1976, the Arvada Center was established by a vote of the people of the City of Arvada, initially as a city owned and operated institution funded largely by taxpayer dollars. In 2016, the Arvada Center transitioned into an independent nonprofit organization. This shift granted the Arvada Center greater autonomy over governance, fundraising, and long-range planning, while maintaining a public-private partnership with the City of Arvada. Today, the Arvada Center is recognized as a significant contributor to the arts and culture scene in Denver and the greater Rocky Mountain region, consistently receiving national and regional accolades and awards for its work.
The Arvada Center has a long-standing reputation for excellence that attracts top arts professionals from a wide range of disciplines. The Arvada Center’s award-winning stage productions are a cornerstone of its strong regional reputation. It is the second largest theater in Colorado, presenting a full season of self-produced musicals, classic dramas, and contemporary works in both its 500-seat Main Stage Theater and 226-seat Black Box Theater. Productions are created in-house, with professional actors, directors, designers, and crew. Its 50th anniversary season (2025–26) features The Mousetrap, Romeo and Juliet, Come From Away, the regional premiere of Disney’s Frozen, and more. A popular outdoor concert series welcomes nationally recognized musicians in its 1,400-seat amphitheater. The Arvada Center boasts over 10,000 square feet of gallery space dedicated to rotating art exhibitions of regional and national significance, focused primarily on contemporary Colorado and regional artists. Its visual arts program is known for curatorial excellence and a commitment to showcasing emerging artists alongside established artists.
Education is a vital pillar of the Arvada Center’s mission and programming that provides year-round arts educational programs for over 8,000+ students annually, over 4,000 summer camp participants, and more than 20,000 regional student participants for its Theatre for Young Audiences. In addition, the Arvada Center offers youth programs such as the Front Range Youth Symphony and the Arvada Center Dance Theatre. The Center also regularly collaborates with regional organizations and local artists to ensure broad cultural representation and engagement, and partners with 346 schools and community groups to offer over 73,550 inclusive arts experiences, including field trips and workshops.
THE POSITION
The next President and Chief Executive Officer of the Arvada Center will be a dynamic, collaborative, visionary and strategic leader with a strong, proven background in growing philanthropic support. They will start from a highly advantageous position, inheriting a well-recognized and financially sound organization with a high-functioning executive staff, a growing base of donors and patrons, and dedicated support from the City of Arvada and SCFD. This leader will be a recognized champion for arts and humanities rooted in the Center’s commitment to artistic excellence, inclusivity, and community engagement. In partnership with a 23-member Board of Directors, the President and CEO will implement the Arvada Center’s recently adopted Strategic Plan and continue to develop and implement strategic and long-range plans for the Arvada Center, consistent with the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
The President and CEO will oversee a $14.5 million budget and three direct reports—Chief Operating Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, and Chief Financial Officer—as well as six senior-level staff: Artistic Director, Director of Education, Director of Institutional and Capital Giving, Director of Galleries and Curator, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Director of Production. The current organization includes 51 full-time staff and approximately 225 part-time and seasonal staff.
The President and CEO will be the Arvada Center’s chief external relations champion, cultivating strategic partnerships that deepen community impact and expand the Arvada Center’s reach. With a strong emphasis on high-level relationship building and fundraising, the President and CEO will lead efforts to grow philanthropic support, steward high-level donor relationships, and launch major fundraising campaigns aligned with the Center’s strategic priorities. The President and CEO will position the Arvada Center as a premier destination for arts, culture, and humanities in the Western United States.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will possess most of the following qualifications and skill sets: an enthusiastic commitment to the mission, vision, values, and strategic goals of the Arvada Center, including a passionate interest in promoting performing arts, visual arts, humanities, and education; a minimum of seven to ten years of successful senior-level leadership experience in an organization with similar complexity and size or with a demonstrated record of consistent growth and impact in a smaller nonprofit organization; a demonstrable record in revenue and fundraising growth, particularly major gifts, foundation, corporate and government funding; proven ability to successfully develop, mentor, and lead large, diverse teams; and experience working effectively with a nonprofit board of directors, among other important qualifications and skill sets.
Benefits
The salary range for this position is $275,000-$310,000. As an active player in the greater Denver region’s vibrant and diverse environment and cultural communities, the Arvada Center offers a warm, collegial, supportive, inclusive, and joyful work environment. Benefits include employer-paid medical, dental, and vision benefit options; 401(k) retirement plan with employer contributions; health savings account; flexible spending accounts; voluntary and group life and AD&D insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance; 35 days of PTO (Paid Time Off); designated leave for jury duty, bereavement, domestic abuse, and FMLA; professional dues, subscriptions, and meetings support. Relocation assistance will be provided for the successful candidate.
How to Apply
ChiefTo apply, please submit a current resume and letter of introduction, as soon as possible here. For best consideration, please apply by November 1, 2025. To read the full position description including a list of major objectives, responsibilities, and qualifications, and to learn more about how to apply, please follow this link.
