Organization

Nestled on the southernmost part of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) welcomes the world to CSUN and fosters the creativity, curiosity, and intellectual development of its students, faculty, and staff. The Soraya serves as a premier cultural hub for CSUN, the San Fernando Valley, and the greater Los Angeles region. Its mission is to offer diverse, inclusive, and world-class performances that enrich the cultural and educational fabric of the region, while supporting CSUN’s educational mission. The Soraya is committed to supporting both established and emerging artists and fostering campus and community engagement through the transformative power of the arts.

Originally opened in 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center, The Soraya was renamed in 2017 in recognition of a major gift from arts philanthropists Younes and Soraya Nazarian. Designed with state-of-the-art acoustics and architectural excellence, the 1,690-seat Great Hall is the centerpiece of a 166,000-square-foot facility that also includes rehearsal spaces and support amenities that accommodate a wide range of artistic disciplines. Its Valera Lobby levels, courtyard, rooftop terrace, Porter Pavilion, and art gallery offer various gathering spaces. The facility also houses several spaces managed by the Mike Curb College and the University, including a 178-seat black box theater, CSUN’s largest lecture hall, four theatre training labs, and CSUN’s nationally acclaimed public radio station, 88.5 The SoCal Sound. In addition to the Soraya Great Hall, Soraya staff also manage the separate 483 seat Plaza del Sol performance venue located within the University Student Union.

Each season, The Soraya presents a dynamic array of performances spanning classical music, jazz, global traditions, contemporary dance, Broadway, and more. Its current season features a mix of internationally acclaimed artists and innovative new works, highlighting cross-cultural exchange and artistic excellence. Artists routinely provide masterclasses for CSUN's performing arts students and engage with students across campus. Student ensembles have been invited to perform as part of the Soraya's presenting season, and CSUN's academic programs utilize Soraya spaces regularly for performances connected to their curriculum. Recent and upcoming programming highlights include Gregory Porter, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lila Downs, and Martha Graham Dance Company. With a strong curatorial vision, The Soraya continues to be a vibrant destination for both audiences and artists alike. The annual Jazz at Naz Festival programming offers a jazz club feel, bringing audience members onstage for dinner and libations, in addition to mainstage performances by jazz greats such as Wynton Marsalis, Samara Joy, Christian McBride, Chucho Valdés, and more. Festival presentations are livestreamed, as well as Spanish language concert programs.

The Soraya is deeply committed to arts education and community engagement through programs such as arts integration workshops, masterclasses, and school-day matinees. The Soraya serves thousands of K-12 students annually through youth outreach initiatives that foster access to the performing arts for under-resourced populations and provide pathways for young people to experience live performance, often for the first time. The Soraya also partners with local organizations to bring culturally relevant programming into community spaces.

The Soraya employs 31 full-time and approximately 145 part-time and seasonal staff members, including 91 represented employees. Direct reports for the Executive and Artistic Director include the Director of Development, General Manager, Director of Marketing and Communications, Director of Programming, Director of Production, and an executive assistant. The operating budget for the current fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, is $9.7 million, with approximately 50% from contributions, grants, and other fundraising. The Soraya is supported by founders & community partners, Ambassadors, The Legacy Society, and the Executive Directors’ Circle. The Executive and Artistic Director of the Soraya reports to CSUN’s Vice President for Administration and Finance.

The University

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is one of the largest universities within the 22 campus California State University System—the largest public higher education system in the world. CSUN serves nearly 40,000 students annually across its 353 acres and 91 facilities, and its students reflect the rich diversity of the San Fernando Valley’s 2 million residents. CSUN counts a number of distinguished, business, arts, political and cultural leaders among its more than 400,000 CSUN alumni.

The campus includes nine colleges and many cultural resources for faculty, staff, and students, including the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication, which offers robust performing arts, fine arts, and media programs and includes performance, rehearsal, and exhibit spaces, as well as the College of Health and Human Development, which contains several Dance spaces. CSUN has embarked on an era of remarkable growth, with nearly half a billion dollars and 300,000 square feet of capital projects either recently completed or in progress. These include the recently completed Autodesk Technology Engagement Center and Maple Hall Classroom Facility, and the upcoming Matador Success and Inclusion Center and Student Union Gateway Project. CSUN is a major source of economic development within the region, contributing to industries such as hospitality, technology, financial services, and engineering.

Community

The Northridge area can trace its history back to the Tongva people and later to Spanish explorers. Originally named Zelzah by settlers in 1908, the community was renamed North Los Angeles in 1929, but in 1938, civic leader Carl S. Dentzel decided to rename the community to Northridge Village, which morphed into modern-day Northridge. 100 years ago, the San Fernando Valley was home to orange, lemon, and avocado groves, an agricultural community rooted in hard work that fed Angelenos and beyond. The campus is still home to a five-acre, 400 Valencia orange tree grove. A century later, the spirit of that community lives on in the Angelenos who call the San Fernando Valley their home.

On weekdays, the San Fernando Valley is bustling with commuters, family-owned businesses, and 1.9 million people building their homes and their lives. On weekends, streets close for low-rider cruise nights, farmer’s markets, and more. School and church lots transform into festivals where families and friends gather throughout the year. Parks are filled with sports tournaments and play, and boulevards come alive with nightlife.

Sources: lacounty.gov; lacoe.edu; census.gov; csun.edu/economicimpact/impact-northridge-neighborhood

Position Summary

The Executive and Artistic Director will provide leadership and have overall responsibility for programming, fundraising, external relations, mission fulfillment, and the financial performance of The Soraya. Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer, the Executive and Artistic Director will collaborate closely with senior campus leadership to ensure alignment with the University’s educational mission. The Executive and Artistic Director will demonstrate exemplary personnel management, maintaining high performance, consistency, and excellent customer service from The Soraya’s staff, and will uphold the highest standards of quality across all programs. The Executive and Artistic Director will play a vital role in shaping the reputation and mission of the University while enhancing the cultural life of the San Fernando Valley. Additionally, the Executive and Artistic Director will explore strategic opportunities for revenue growth through new partnerships and programming initiatives. 

Role and Responsibilities

Leadership, Artistic Vision, and Program Management

• Articulate an overall artistic vision consistent with CSUN’s mission and academic goals that models the CSUN Leadership Principles.
• Develop and present programming across music (symphonic and classical, jazz, world, popular), Broadway, opera, dance, lectures, and film, working with the Director of Programming to select and contract guest artists/ensembles and managing relationships with artistic partners.
• Ensure programming reflects and supports CSUN’s arts and media instruction as well as reflecting the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles communities, while maintaining the Soraya’s reputation for excellence.
• Foster a supportive environment for guest artists, ensembles, students, faculty, and audiences to ensure excellent performances and experiences.
• Oversee the master calendar, scheduling, and production of concerts, rehearsals, and events at The Soraya, as well as venue operations in collaboration with the leadership team of The Soraya.
• Embrace other leadership, artistic vision, and program management responsibilities as needed.

Governance, Financial Leadership, and Fundraising

• Initiate and guide creative and collaborative leadership for all operations at the Great Hall and Plaza del Sol, including programming, production, facilities, development, marketing/communications, box office, board relations, artistic administration, and hospitality.
• Define strategic goals and organizational priorities, working closely with CSUN leadership to engage in creative problem-solving alongside advisory committees, management/operations teams, and campus leadership.
• Develop and implement balanced budgets and strategic plans to maintain fiscal sustainability, monitor financial performance, ensure compliance with university fiscal policies, and manage grants, sponsorships, and special gifts alongside the General Manager.
• Design and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan, in partnership with CSUN University Relations and Advancement, including individual, corporate, foundation, and government opportunities, as well as cultivating and stewarding major donors and creating opportunities to connect artists and donors.
• Embrace other governance, financial leadership, and fundraising responsibilities as

Education, Community Collaboration, and Operations

• Create interdisciplinary collaborations and arts education initiatives, in partnership with academic departments and faculty, to consistently communicate with campus constituencies, ensuring alignment and transparency in planning and programming.
• Establish a year-round community and school-based educational programs that foster appreciation of the arts, and support student recruitment, engagement, and academic enrichment through campus-based arts programming with the Campus Engagement Associate.
• Nurture ongoing working relationships between production departments (including those in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication and the Dance programs in the College of Health and Human Development) and the professional field, initiating jobs and internships, with learning experiences to grow and develop exposure and experience.
• Develop and maintain sustainable relationships with vendors, renters, resident companies, and community partners.
• Set policies for facility use beyond scheduled performances and ensure compliance with safety, accessibility, and service standards.
• Oversee front- and back-of-house operations with the General Manager and the Director of Audience Services, ensuring hospitality to provide high-quality experiences.
• Supervise the training of the operations staff, ensuring compliance with safety and customer service standards.
• Embrace other education, community collaboration, and operations responsibilities as

Marketing, Audience Development, and External Affairs

• Direct marketing, communications, and public relations strategies with the Director of Marketing and Communications to build The Soraya brand locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Serve as an innovative thinker in identifying, reaching, and engaging broad community audiences, growing patron and subscriber bases while also encouraging student, faculty, and community attendance, positioning The Soraya as a destination of choice for all performing arts audiences.
• Develop and implement comprehensive external affairs strategies, including cross-promotions and sponsorships with campus and community partners, while also building relationships with civic organizations, chambers of commerce, schools, and local governments to position The Soraya as a cultural and educational resource.
• Represent the Soraya in local, regional, national, and international conferences as well as arts/education organizations, serving as a representative for both The Soraya and CSUN.
• Embrace other marketing, audience development, and external affairs responsibilities as

Traits and Characteristics

As an ambassador in the community, the Executive and Artistic Director will be a gifted collaborator and communicator who builds relationships and partnerships both on campus and with the community, and who is at the forefront of the experimental media and performing arts fields. The Executive and Artistic Director will be a strategic thinker with the ability to bring continuity to the programming and educational offerings. They will have a unique vision on how a performing arts center operates in an academic setting, elevating the programming lens with a strong approach on how it integrates with the entire campus and activates connections. The Executive and Artistic Director will have a track record reflective of a key priority for, and investment in, relationship building with the ability to build trust with a variety of diverse stakeholders, including faculty, donors, county officials, and community representatives. They will be a strong and seasoned leader and partner, with the cultural sensitivity to understand and lead in a large, unique, and diverse market like the Los Angeles community, with an authentic sense of civic pride in the area, and with no doubt in their ability to clearly articulate the benefits of community investment.

Other key competencies include:

• Leadership – The fortitude to organize and influence people to believe in a vision while creating a sense of purpose and direction within a complex organization such as CSUN.
• Time and Priority Management – The dexterity to prioritize and complete tasks to deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames, keeping the dynamics and nature of the performing arts in mind.
• Diplomacy and Problem Solving – The ability to effectively and tactfully handle difficult or sensitive issues while also being able to define, analyze, and diagnose key components of a problem to formulate a solution.
• Interpersonal Skills and Customer Focus – The acumen to effectively communicate, build rapport, and relate well to all kinds of people while anticipating, meeting, and/or exceeding customer needs, wants, and expectations.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in a job-related field is required; a master’s degree is desirable.  A minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in operating and managing a successful performing arts center is required, including at least three years in a managerial role. Strong financial and operational management skills, including oversight of a similarly sized budget and staff, are highly desirable. A vision for integrating professional presenting programs with university curricula in music, dance, and theater is favored. A thorough knowledge of music and the performing arts, coupled with a proven track record in programming, presenting, and engaging audiences, is preferred. Excellent interpersonal, communication, and supervisory skills are essential; the ability to lead, motivate, and manage diverse teams is required, along with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Experience with donor cultivation and cross-sector partnerships is a plus, as well as a demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and a large group of constituents.

Compensation, Benefits, and Compliance

California State University, Northridge, and the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts offer a competitive compensation package with an estimated salary range between $260,000 and $285,000 and benefits that include a comprehensive group insurance benefit program, health insurance with medical, vision, and dental care, health and dependent care reimbursement accounts, parking deduction plan, and long-term disability. Retirement benefits are offered through a voluntary 403(b) plan with a matching contribution, CALPERS, CALHR Savings, and/or CALHR (401K). Vacation, sick, bereavement, parental, organ donor, holiday, and jury duty leave time are also provided, as well as workers’ compensation, life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. A fee waiver is also offered for up to two courses, or six units, whichever is greater, per term. The fee waiver benefit may also be transferred to a spouse, registered domestic partner, or eligible dependent child. Additional supplemental benefits are also offered as outlined in the CSU Benefits summary brochure found here.

Background check

This position is a sensitive position as designated by the California State University.  A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the status of candidates who apply for the position.

CANRA

The person holding this position will be considered a limited reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in California State University Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Conflict of Interest

This position is a designated position in the California State University's Conflict of Interest Code. The successful candidate accepting this position is required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/the-younes-and-soraya-nazarian-center-for-the-performing-arts-at-california-state-university-northridge-seeks-executive-and-artistic-director/

Email   Soraya@ArtsConsulting.com

CSUN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination based on Age, Disability (physical or mental), Gender, Gender Identity (including Nonbinary or Transgender), Gender Expression, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Nationality, Pregnancy or related conditions, Race or Ethnicity (including color, caste, or ancestry), Religion or Religious Creed, Sex (including Sex Stereotyping or Sex Characteristics), Sexual Orientation, and Veteran or Military Status. Our nondiscrimination policy is outlined in the Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting Talent Acquisition at 818-677-2101.

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