Job  Board

Chief Development and Marketing Officer | School of American Ballet

Lincoln Center Plaza | New York, New York

School of American Ballet Overview

Mission and History

The School of American Ballet (SAB), the official yet independent academy of New York City Ballet (NYCB), is widely recognized as the premier ballet school in the United States.

The mission of the School of American Ballet is to train, develop, and nurture talented young dancers from diverse backgrounds for careers in classical ballet with New York City Ballet and companies around the world. Choreographer George Balanchine and arts patron Lincoln Kirstein founded SAB in 1934 in New York City to provide the comprehensive ballet training required to develop an American ballet heritage and company. The founders launched NYCB 14 years later with dancers trained at the School. SAB has shaped ballet training and performance in the U.S. by producing generations of dancers, choreographers, and artistic leaders for schools and companies nationally and internationally, while addressing industry challenges such as the need for greater diversity among dancers.

SAB has approximately 85 part- and full-time employees and a 50-member Board of Directors. Its operating budget is $20 million and endowment is $95 million.

Vision and Programs

Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine founded SAB with the belief that a distinctly American ballet tradition could only be realized by investing in students. From the inaugural class of 32 dancers in 1934 to the more than 900 young artists who fill its studios today, this commitment to the next generation continues to animate the School.

SAB is known for its exceptional classical training and deep artistic heritage. SAB’s artistic program balances fidelity to the Balanchine aesthetic – with its emphasis on musicality, precision, speed, and expansiveness – with a spirit of innovation that continues to influence ballet artistry worldwide. Jonathan Stafford, Zita Ezpeleta Artistic Director and Chair of Faculty, and Carrie W. Hinrichs, Executive Director, lead the School, working in close partnership with the artistic division directors and the senior administrative team.

SAB trains 900+ students annually from the New York City metropolitan area, 35+ states, and 14+ countries.

SAB’s scholarships ensure that talent – and not financial means – remains the criterion for access to SAB’s world-class training programs. In 2025-2026, the School expects to meet more than $2.4 million in student need, supporting nearly one-third of students. Winter Term scholarships are awarded to students whose families qualify for need-based aid, subsidizing or covering tuition, room and board, academic fees, travel, and supplies. Summer scholarships include both merit- and need-based aid and reduce/cover tuition, room and board, and travel.

Role Summary & Context for Recruitment

The Chief Development and Marketing Officer (CDMO) provides strategic and operational leadership for SAB fundraising and marketing in support of SAB’s mission and long-term financial vitality in an exciting period of growth for the School. The CDMO reports to the Executive Director and is a member of the senior leadership team. The position oversees a 9-person Development team (individual giving, institutional giving, philanthropic events and partnerships, planned giving, capital campaign, operations) and a three-person Marketing team, with five direct reports. The CDMO, in collaboration with the Executive Director, works closely with the School’s 50-member Board of Directors to fulfill the School’s annual, capital, and endowment fundraising, as well as school-wide brand and marketing goals. Annual fundraising goals have been approximately $6-7 million in recent years and, as the importance of growing contributed revenue has come into focus, the School seeks to soon surpass $8 million. A capital/endowment campaign in a strongly successful quiet phase has a working goal of $20 million. The CDMO’s arrival is expected to coincide with the campaign’s public phase, with successful completion projected during 2027.

The incoming CDMO will mark SAB's first C-level investment in development and marketing, positioning the School to secure the resources and market presence needed to sustain and sharpen its competitive edge. They will step into a financially stable organization with high donor retention, supported by entrepreneurial Development and Marketing programs.

Candidate Profile

The School of American Ballet will consider a broad range of backgrounds. The ideal candidate will align with the following qualifications:

1. Commitment to SAB’s mission and core values, with a personal passion for dance; an existing understanding of classical ballet is a plus.
2. 10+ years of experience in nonprofit development and marketing. Preference for experience providing leadership for a major fundraising campaign, growing an alumni engagement program, and leveraging digital marketing strategies to expand audience engagement and grow the base of support.
3. Demonstrated track record of hands-on execution to meet goals.
4. Strong emotional intelligence and exceptional interpersonal, spoken, and written communication skills.
5. Ability to utilize data to inform results and enable decision-making; financial literacy in relation to development and marketing.
6. Strong collaboration and creative thinking skills to achieve results.
7. Excellent organization skills as well as the ability to coordinate multiple tasks and activities.
8. Ability to exercise independent, sound judgment.
9. Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion.
10. Bachelor’s degree.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The School of American Ballet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SAB is committed to an equitable and inclusive program and a diverse faculty, staff, and student body. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The annual base salary for this role is expected to range from $220,000 to $240,000, commensurate with experience.

Download the full position description via the following link:

https://dsgco.com/search/23287-sab

The School of American Ballet has retained DSG Fundraising & Advancement of DSG Global to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) may be submitted via the following link or directed to the leader of the search team:

https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/23287

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.

Global Managing Partner and Practice Founder – DSG Fundraising & Advancement

DSG Global

New York, New York

gerard.cattie@dsgco.com | 212.542.2587