Director of the Lamont School of Music
University of Denver

The University of Denver, the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, enrolls 14,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. The Lamont School of Music is part of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, which is the University's largest and most varied academic unit. It is comprised of artists, learners, performers, scholars, scientists, and teachers across 21+ departments, programs, schools, and centers and acts as a central hub where many of the University's disciplines intersect. The diverse scope of CAHSS allows our students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed at nearly any career in today's global society.

The Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver is a highly selective and nationally renowned music program with a target enrollment of approximately 300 music students. An accredited institutional member of NASM, Lamont is distinguished by an exceptional faculty recognized nationally and internationally and by a talented and diverse student body. Residing in the acclaimed Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts, the music program offers Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Performance and Composition of Classical and Jazz & Commercial music, a BM in Recording and Production, a BA in Applied Music, a non-audition BA in Music Studies, an MM in Conducting and Pedagogy, Master of Arts degrees in Music Theory and Musicology/Ethnomusicology, and other graduate certificates and Artist Diplomas. The culturally vibrant city of Denver is located in the beautiful Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains. With a metropolitan population of three million, Denver has a robust and diverse arts community that boasts outstanding professional ensembles across all music genres. For a more detailed description of the school as well as a listing of events, performances, and recordings visit www.du.edu/lamont.

Lamont is strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive educational environment, which is in full accord with the value that DU places on its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Candidates must demonstrate an ability to work effectively with, nationally/ethnically/racially diverse populations.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, the Director of the School of Music will provide vision and strategic leadership for all programs of the School, support the School's faculty and staff in their academic, research, creative, and service activities, and commit to the recruitment and mentorship of a diverse body of faculty, staff and students. The Director plays a visible and important role internally and externally, focused on providing Lamont's students with maximum opportunities to fulfill their potential as artists, thinkers, and citizens. The Director will assume administrative responsibility for implementing the School's faculty/staff hiring processes, annual reviews, budgeting, course planning, curricula, and other academic duties; be committed to the professional development of faculty, staff, and students; and foster collaborations within the School and with other appropriate campus and community partners. The Director provides leadership and vision in the philanthropic pursuits of the School.

This position will begin July 1, 2025.

Essential Functions

• Set a philanthropic vision for the Lamont School of Music and, in partnership with the CAHSS Advancement team and the community-supported Lamont Society, engage and visit with prospects and donors to build relationships, help secure philanthropic support, and inspire our community.
  • Examples could include the following: attending strategic events and speaking at receptions to build a culture of philanthropy, writing and sending correspondence to donors as a part of the stewardship process, developing strategic giving priorities, or meeting with prospects and donors.
• Advance the work of the Lamont School of Music by building and maintaining academic programs of excellence that best serve our students and supports interdisciplinarity across the performing arts.
• Leverage connections within the Denver music community and beyond by identifying and strengthening strategic partnerships and serving as an advocate for the Lamont School of Music
• Lead and oversee the recruitment, retention, growth, mentorship and continual evaluation of faculty and staff
• Foster an inclusive and equitable culture in the School of Music, with particular attention to teaching, service, and hiring practices.
• Ensure transparency and openness within school procedures and communications
• Leverage existing resources through the strategic development and management of the school's budget
• Partner with the Executive Director of the Newman Center as appropriate on events and operation of the Newman Center for Performing Arts
• Participate in administrative groups and meetings such as the CAHSS Chairs and Directors meetings and, upon invitation, in other groups at the divisional and university-wide level. The Director will also represent the University of Denver at relevant off-campus events.
• Work collaboratively with Lamont faculty, staff, and students to develop a compelling vision for the future of Lamont and partner with them to take the necessary steps to enact that vision.

This position does not have any teaching or Research, Scholarship, or Creative Work expectations, though the Director may produce creative work and scholarship as appropriate given the other position responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A big-picture thinker with a clear vision of music's capacity to impact the world, and a track record of inspiring others to mobilize behind a collective purpose.
• Executive leadership skills, including vision, execution, strategic planning, community building, and systems thinking.
• A record of goal-oriented, collaborative, and thoughtful leadership, with a demonstrated appreciation for the nuances of guiding an academic enterprise.
• Strong people management skills, and the ability to recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and talented team who uphold a culture of trust and accountability.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to interact and connect with multiple interested parties, including faculty, staff, students, University leadership, industry leaders, and alumni.
• A cultivator of strong relationships and a demonstrated aptitude for leading fundraising efforts to secure financial support for strategic initiatives.
• Evidence of outstanding financial and operational management, as well as an ability to delegate while articulating clear direction and expectations.
• High levels of adaptability, emotional intelligence, empathy, curiosity, cross-cultural communication, integrity, and good judgment.

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate in music. Exceptional experience may be considered in lieu of a terminal degree.
• Associate professor, or a record of accomplishment in performance, scholarship, composition, or other music-related field. The successful candidate will meet the University's standards for appointment to the rank of associate professor with tenure.
• Substantive achievement in the administration of music programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Full professor, with tenure
• A record of accomplishment in performance, scholarship, and/or composition.
• Significant experience and successful accomplishment as a leader in Higher Education or of a major Arts or Culture Center
• Prior experience as a program chair in a university setting or director of a major performing arts centers
• A demonstrated commitment to fostering an environment in which faculty, staff, and students of diverse backgrounds and cultural identities feel welcome and can thrive.
• A history of cultivating strong relationships and a demonstrated aptitude for leading fundraising efforts to secure financial support for strategic initiatives.

Working Environment

1. Standard office environment.
2. Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
3. Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

1. Ability to sit in front of a computer for an extended period of time.
2. Ability to sit or stand in front of a room for an extended period of time.
3. Occasionally required to move about the office/campus with the capability of transporting objects up to 20 lbs.

Work Schedule:
The University's administrative offices are open Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Evening and weekend work required for events, travel, conferencing, and fundraising. The University's academic calendars are posted on the registrar's website.

Application Deadline
For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) November 15, 2024.

Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $165,000-$200,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

CV

A cover letter, normally two pages, that speaks to the position (position summary, functions, qualifications) and describes the candidate's vision for working with musicians in a rapidly changing field

A one-page statement describing how the candidate intends to contribute to DU's values, practices, and actions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candidates can view DU's DEI Strategic Plan here (https://www.du.edu/equity/dei-action-plan) and/or the College of Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) DEI Strategic plan here (https://liberalarts.du.edu/news-events/all-articles/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-strategic-plan-cahss).

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker's Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non-Discrimination-Statement.

All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.

Advertised: October 02, 2024
Applications close: November 15, 2024

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