Executive Director

Executive Director

Position Profile

About the Opportunity

Montclair Film, headquartered in Montclair, New Jersey and home to the celebrated Montclair Film Festival, seeks their next Executive Director to shepherd this growing organization through its next chapter of achievement and impact. Since 2010 when the festival was founded, Montclair Film has evolved into a year-round cultural hub, offering a diverse and comprehensive education program, screenings at its arthouse cinemas, and an active community engagement program. With an annual budget of close to $4.5 million and a staff of 20 full-time and 28 part-time employees, working across the administrative offices and their film center, The Clairidge, Montclair Film continues to advance annual festival and year-round programming goals. Further, as the state of New Jersey continues to bolster its relationship to the film industry, Montclair Film is uniquely positioned to be an influential leader in the region and build on its strong relationships with industry professionals. At the same time, the organization continues to cultivate important community partnerships with other local nonprofits, neighboring schools, and educational organizations, and serves as a vibrant gathering space for the Montclair and Essex County communities.

Reporting to an active and engaged Board of Trustees and serving as a co-leader of the organization with Artistic Director, Tom Hall, the Executive Director will be critical in advancing the organization’s mission, inspiring the team, and creating the financial capacity to achieve its vision. This leader will be an adept communicator, forward-thinking strategist, and experienced in making nuanced business decisions. They will also be skilled in fundraising and building relationships for the organization. While a great amount of the role will be external facing, they will also be responsible for nurturing and empowering a talented and committed team of staff members, and eager to partner with the Artistic Director on moving the organization forward.

About Montclair Film

Vision: A world that celebrates the power of storytelling to deepen our shared connection and humanity.

Mission: Transforming lives and communities through the power of film and filmmaking.

We do this by:

• Celebrating the joy of film.
• Educating and inspiring the film-makers and film-lovers of today and tomorrow.
• Challenging audiences with content that inspires, engages, and enlightens.
• Generating dialogue and the open exchange of ideas in our communities.
• Collaborating with industry, business, and the non-profit community to support economic development through the arts.

Operating Principles:

• We honor, welcome, and celebrate the diversity of our community.
• We strive to be entrepreneurial, nimble, and flexible.
• We place the needs of our constituents at the center of our decision-making.
• We hold each other accountable to ourselves and our community.
• We are fierce advocates of the transformative power of storytelling.

Montclair Film Values:

• Inclusivity: Fostering an open community where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.
• Integrity: Always striving to do the right thing.
• Transparency: Openly sharing information, perspectives, successes, and failures.
• Collaboration: Cultivating a sense of teamwork throughout the organization.
• Creativity: Building a culture of creativity and innovation in everything we do.
• Empathy: Always seeking to understand, accept, and learn from diverse experiences.

Montclair Film History: Montclair Film Festival, Inc. (MFF), was founded by Bob Feinberg and John Servidio in 2010, as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, to fill a cultural void after a few key arts groups left town or dissolved. Together, the founders formed a hard-working Board of Trustees who connected with, and relied on the experience of, local industry insiders and many prominent arts organizations, to begin delivering innovative programs to regional film enthusiasts. In 2017, as they began to expand into much more than just a festival, MFF rebranded to become Montclair Film.

Montclair Film’s inaugural film festival took place over seven days in the spring of 2012 and quickly grew to a 10-day event that draws audiences from across the state, region, country, and globe. The organization strives to ensure that festival programming includes voices of all individuals, including but not limited to race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, nationality, and differing abilities. Over the past decade, Montclair Film has transformed from a yearly festival into a year-round arts organization offering education classes, community programs, and visual storytelling engagements for nonprofit and local business partners, from their headquarters at 505 Bloomfield Avenue in downtown Montclair.

Recent Accomplishments: Over the past few years, Montclair Film has continued to expand its film, education, and community programs that reach diverse and multi-generational audiences across New Jersey and the tri-state region. They have significantly expanded audience engagement at their nonprofit cinema, The Clairidge, throughout 2024, where they are currently on track to engage 100,000 patrons each year. At the recent 13th Annual Montclair Film Festival, Montclair Film welcomed 18,000 attendees to 130 films, audience Q+As, industry panels, celebrity conversations, and other special events over 10 days. They connected the 180 emerging and established filmmakers and artists who attended the festival with audiences and each other through networking events and educational panels that covered different aspects of the filmmaking industry.

Over the past year, in addition to the continued success of The Clairidge and the annual festival, Montclair Film has experienced exciting growth in their Film Education programs with the support of a variety of donors. They now offer on-site filmmaking classes in Newark, Paterson, Kearny, and Lower Manhattan. In addition, Montclair Film launched a pilot program last summer designed to train a diverse group of young adults eager to learn about job possibilities in filmmaking. For 26 days, this group of 15 young people worked as production assistants on a film shoot. They were involved in all aspects of film production and developed hands-on experience as well as valuable contacts, which will help them as they continue to seek work in this field. In the coming year, Montclair Film intends to expand this program, as part of a strategic goal to provide workforce development and contribute to the growing film industry in New Jersey. The organization also has exciting plans to launch a competitive, tuition-free filmmaking academy for students in Newark, as well as a documentary filmmaking class for teenage girls at OASIS, a comprehensive anti-poverty program in Paterson.

About Montclair, NJ

Montclair Film is located in Montclair, New Jersey, just twelve miles from New York City. Montclair offers a robust arts community, award-winning public schools, and flourishing business districts. While the township offers a diverse food scene and plenty of pedestrian-friendly shopping areas, it is also home to parks and green spaces such as Eagle Rock Reservation, Brookdale Park, and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. In addition to Montclair Film, other local arts and culture organizations include the Montclair Art Museum, Montclair History Center, Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, and the Wellmont Theater, to name a few.

More resources about Montclair, New Jersey and the community:

https://www.montclairnjusa.org/Visitors/About-Montclair

https://visitnj.org/city/montclair

https://www.montclairnow.com/

Job Description

The Executive Director is one of two co-leaders of Montclair Film that report to the Board of Trustees, guide the staff, and set the strategic vision for the organization. Their partner and co-leader, the Artistic Director, leads all curatorial and programmatic planning, while the Executive Director is responsible for the overall administration, finance, and development activities of the organization. While their roles are distinct and cover a variety of different areas, they come together to lead the staff, collaborate with the Board of Trustees, make long-term strategic decisions, build an annual operating budget, and strengthen the brand of the organization. Together, these leaders face the opportunities of further growth for the organization, as Montclair Film continues to build upon its esteemed reputation across the national film festival circuit and sustains its impact on the local cultural and civic community it inhabits in northern New Jersey. At the same time, they are entrusted with leading a staff and Board, as they both strengthen the organization’s operations, and remain committed to the organization’s strong familial, inclusive, and generous values.

The Executive Director oversees the organization’s Managing Director, Director of Development, Education Director, and collaborates with the Artistic Director on the supervision of the Director of Marketing and the Community/Volunteer Coordinator. Through that oversight, they are charged with developing key performance indicators, establishing and implementing strategy, and building capacity to achieve Montclair Film’s operational, artistic, community, and fundraising goals. They will be skilled in laying the groundwork for plans, communicating objectives to both the Board and the staff, and overseeing the steps needed to accomplish goals. Throughout their duties and responsibilities listed below, they will need to continue to develop and engage diverse audiences, expand revenue sources, and build on the national recognition of Montclair Film.

Duties & Responsibilities

Organizational Oversight/Staff Management

• Lead efforts to further develop strong operations and management practices throughout the organization’s venues and activities
• Oversee the organization’s pursuit of goals laid out in the recently articulated five-year strategic plan
• Own primary accountability for the overall P&L of Montclair Film, working closely with the Artistic Director in the creation, management, and reporting of an operating budget of $4.5 million
• Serve as the primary liaison with the Board of Trustees to support the strategic, governance, and operational responsibilities of the Board
• Establish a protocol for all staff members to set annual goals and conduct performance reviews within their departments, and provide those annual reviews for four direct reports
• Collaborate with the Managing Director on the continued improvement of staff resources and benefit programs
• Cultivate and maintain a positive, healthy, and safe work environment, building on our existing supportive tight-knit culture

Fundraising/Development

• Partner with the Director of Development in creating, executing, and reporting on the annual strategic fundraising plan, which includes support from grants, major donors, individual donors, sponsors, and other philanthropic organizations, and work to continuously grow those levels of funding, which reached approximately $2 million in 2024
• Directly solicit, nurture, engage, and steward major donors and sponsors
• Provide analytical thought partnership to the development and marketing teams, as they collaborate on annual membership campaigns and strengthen the membership program, which nurtures a pipeline of individual donor support for the organization
• Collaborate with the Sponsorship Manager, in creating and implementing the menu of festival and year-round benefits for all sponsors
• Support the needs of sponsors and other donors, by engaging and collaborating with the Artistic Director to create relevant programming

Marketing & Communications

• Act as a lead strategist in crafting the overall strategic marketing and branding of Montclair Film as an organization
• Manage and meet regularly with the Director of Marketing, who shares a reporting relationship with the Artistic Director, to develop and execute Montclair Film marketing including brand development/management, reputation management, website, advertising, collateral, and fundraising materials
• Support the Artistic Director in the development of in-Cinema and festival marketing materials, including on-screen assets, trailers, and cinema branding to ensure consistency across all Montclair Film marketing channels
• Participate with the Artistic Director in public relations activities aimed at building brand recognition and industry engagement

Education

• Work closely with the Education Director and their team, as they create and execute the strategic plan for education programs and implement new and ongoing classes for students and adults
• Oversee the Education department in their efforts to build a Workforce Development program, its annual plan, and calendar of events

Community Engagement

• Meet regularly with the Community Engagement/Volunteer Coordinator to understand how Montclair Film partners with members of the community and continues to engage an active group of volunteers for the Festival season
• Cultivate partnerships with local business and organizations, in order to both serve the community and benefit from neighborly relationships
• Represent Montclair Film at community and partnership events

Government Relations/Advocacy

• Serve as the primary liaison for government relations, leveraging the Board and other staff as needed to build and sustain outreach
• Oversee the organization’s government strategist/lobbyist to make sure that their work achieves Montclair Film’s goals

Board Management/Development

• Develop and execute a strategic vision to shape and grow the Board of Trustees, working closely with the Board President, Vice President, and the Vice President of the Nominating and Governance Committee
• Act as the staff liaison to all Board committees, including the Executive Committee, the Development Committee, the Nominating and Governance Committee, and the weekly Leadership Team meeting with Board leadership
• Oversee the Managing Director in ensuring the timely execution of all Board meeting materials, communications, and other requirements as needed
• Collaborate with the President and the Vice President of the Board on the annual review process for the Board overall and individual Board members

Qualifications and Characteristics

• Proven experience in a leadership position of a non-profit, with a strong preference for experience in the arts, with responsibility for strategic oversight, fundraising, operations and administration, marketing, and Board relations
• A passion for the arts, knowledge of film, and appreciation for their impact on culture
• Strong business acumen with the ability to effectively interpret financial statements, identify areas of improvement, develop business cases, address problems, and develop forecasts
• Extensive expertise and experience in fundraising principles and best practices. A proven track record in designing and executing successful fundraising campaigns, including all aspects of prospect identification, donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• An assured public presence and high comfort level with business and community leaders, trustees, and other stakeholders
• Ability and willingness to share responsibility and authority with the Artistic Director
• Excitement for engaging with the local community to understand the full impact of the organization and attending community events on behalf of Montclair Film
• Flexible, adaptable, organized, and nimble to match the culture of the organization; readiness to approach challenges with a growth mindset
• The ability to translate broad vision and new ideas into specific plans, with objectives and results in mind
• Willing to work on a hybrid basis in Montclair, NJ, spending three days a week in the offices

Compensation

The salary for this position is $125,000-150,000. Montclair Film provides comprehensive benefits, including providing access to medical insurance with a substantial employer contribution; the opportunity to participate in a 401(k) plan (after a preliminary work period); paid time off; and parking. Employees contribute to their health insurance coverage and can purchase dental, vision, and life insurance through Montclair Film.

Montclair Film’s offices are located at 505 Bloomfield Avenue in Downtown Montclair. Team members generally work onsite in the office three days of the week.

Montclair Film is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Montclair Film prohibits discrimination on all legally protected characteristics including, but not limited to, age, ancestry, race, color, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, genetic characteristic, national origin, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sex, pregnancy, witnesses to or victims of crime, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local law “collectively, “Protected Characteristics” and will provide reasonable accommodation where appropriate and required by law. Montclair Film expects that all employees shall be treated equally without regard to these characteristics.

All terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to promotion, demotion, recruiting, layoff, termination, training, and rates of pay will be administered without regard to any of the Protected Characteristics listed above or any other category protected by law.

Application Instructions

The Executive Director search is being conducted on behalf of Montclair Film by Tom O’Connor Consulting Group, a New York-based executive search and consulting firm specializing in the arts and culture industries. The search is being led by Search Consultant Brenna Thomas, in consultation with VP, Organizational Strategy Edie Demas, and with support from the TOCG search team.

To apply, visit the online application (https://tinyurl.com/wy79pkw5) and submit your materials. Your cover letter should include any training or experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity, and anything else you’d like us to know about your qualifications that may not be present in your resume.

Applications will be accepted until this role is filled. We encourage you to apply by April 28, 2025, for priority consideration. Interviews may begin at any time, and we encourage you to apply as early as possible for best consideration. Please note that applying before the priority deadline does not guarantee an interview, and all applicants will receive a response regarding the consideration and status of their candidacy. No phone calls, please.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you're returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.