Director of Information Technology

As America’s oldest professional ballet company and one of the three largest in the United States, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic firsts since its founding in 1933. The Company performed the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first production of Coppelia choreographed by an American choreographer. San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances annually, both locally and internationally, and has achieved an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world.

In 2005, San Francisco Ballet received the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. In 2006, it became the first non-European company elected “Company of the Year” by Dance Europe magazine. Headquartered at 455 Franklin Street in San Francisco, the organization operates with an annual budget of approximately $70M and encompasses both a professional company and a pre-professional ballet school.

The Director of Information Technology serves as the organization’s most senior technology leader, responsible for the strategic vision, planning, and execution of all IT functions. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this role partners with organizational leadership to leverage technology as a mission enabler: driving efficiency, data security, and digital transformation across a $70M nonprofit organization.

The Director leads a small, capable IT team while managing vendor and partner relationships to deliver reliable, secure, and scalable technology solutions. This position requires a leader who combines hands-on technical expertise with strategic thinking, organizational awareness, and a genuine commitment to the mission of the organization.

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Develop and execute a multi-year IT strategy aligned with the organization’s mission, growth goals, and operational needs.
• Serve as a trusted technology advisor to the CFO and leadership team.
• Translate organizational needs into actionable technology roadmaps with defined timelines and measurable outcomes.
• Conduct regular needs assessments with department heads and program leaders to identify technology gaps, priorities, and opportunities for improvement, ensuring IT strategy reflects the full scope of organizational needs.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, nonprofit sector trends, and cybersecurity threats.

Infrastructure & Operations

• Oversee all IT infrastructure including networks, servers, cloud environments, end-user computing, and telephony.
• Ensure 99%+ uptime of critical systems; lead incident response and disaster recovery planning and testing.
• Manage the organization’s cloud strategy and hybrid infrastructure (Microsoft 365, Azure, SaaS platforms).
• Lead procurement, deployment, and lifecycle management of hardware and software assets.
• Develop, maintain, and regularly review IT policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure they remain current, compliant, and aligned with organizational standards; partner with department leaders to identify process gaps and drive continuous improvement.
• Maintain and continuously improve IT documentation, policies, procedures, and service standards.

Asset Lifecycle Management & Inventory

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive IT asset inventory program covering all hardware and software assets across the organization, including end-user devices, servers, network equipment, AV systems, and licensed software.
• Develop and enforce a formal asset lifecycle management policy defining acquisition standards, deployment procedures, refresh cycles, and end-of-life protocols for all technology assets.
• Implement and manage an IT asset management (ITAM) platform or toolset to track asset status, assignment, warranty, and depreciation throughout the full asset lifecycle.
• Oversee secure and environmentally responsible disposition of retired assets, including data sanitization, e-waste compliance, and vendor return or donation programs.
• Conduct regular physical and software audits to reconcile inventory records, identify unauthorized assets or unlicensed software, and maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Manage software license compliance across all platforms and vendors; optimize license utilization to eliminate redundancy and reduce costs.

Backup, Restore & Disaster Recovery

• Develop, document, and maintain a formal Backup and Recovery Policy establishing backup frequency, retention schedules, storage locations (on-site and off-site/cloud), recovery point objectives (RPO), and recovery time objectives (RTO) for all critical systems and data.
• Implement and oversee backup solutions for all critical infrastructure, including servers, cloud environments, endpoints, and mission-critical applications; ensure backups are encrypted, versioned, and stored in geographically redundant locations.
• Establish a Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) and Business Continuity Plan (BCP) aligned with organizational risk tolerance, with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, escalation paths, and communication protocols.
• Conduct and document scheduled DR testing at least annually, including tabletop exercises, partial failover tests, and full restoration tests; report findings and remediation actions to senior leadership.
• Validate backup integrity through regular restore testing; ensure recovery procedures are documented, current, and executable by IT staff without reliance on a single individual.
• Review and update DR/BCP documentation following any significant infrastructure change, security incident, system migration, or annual review cycle.
• Coordinate with department leaders to identify mission-critical workflows and systems, prioritize recovery sequencing, and ensure operational continuity during performance seasons and peak organizational periods.

Performing Arts & School Technology

• Oversee technology systems specific to a performing arts organization, including ticketing and audience management platforms (e.g., Tessitura), box office integrations, and digital program distribution.
• Support technology needs for a ballet school and training program, including student enrollment systems, class scheduling platforms, learning management systems (LMS), and parent/guardian communication tools.
• Partner with production, artistic, and facilities teams to manage and maintain stage technology, audio-visual systems, lighting control networks, and backstage communications infrastructure.
• Collaborate with marketing and development departments on CRM integrations, digital fundraising platforms, and audience engagement tools unique to a nonprofit performing arts organization.
• Manage technology requirements for live and streamed performances, including broadcast and streaming infrastructure, media asset management, and archival systems.

Cybersecurity, Compliance & Privacy

• Establish and enforce organization-wide cybersecurity policies, frameworks, and awareness training.
• Lead risk assessment and mitigation activities; maintain the organization’s security posture and incident response plan.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including data privacy laws (CCPA, COPPA where applicable to minors in school programs), PCI compliance, and any grant-related data security requirements.
• Maintain and annually review a formal data privacy policy; manage data subject access requests and data retention schedules in partnership with legal and HR.
• Oversee annual security audits, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessments; present findings and remediation plans to senior leadership.
• Manage data governance, privacy policies, and vendor security reviews, including security assessments for all third-party SaaS platforms handling personal or financial data.
• Ensure appropriate data protections are in place for student and minor records consistent with FERPA and COPPA requirements as applicable to school programs.

Team Leadership & Development

• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and collaboration within the IT function.
• Provide ongoing coaching, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.
• Cultivate a customer-service orientation within IT; champion end-user satisfaction across the organization.
• Build team capacity through training, cross-training, and succession planning.

Budget & Vendor Management

• Develop and manage the annual IT budget (capital and operating); monitor spending against budget with regular reporting.
• Negotiate vendor agreements to maximize value and minimize risk for the organization.
• Identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising security or service quality.

Data & Business Intelligence

• Partner with program, finance, and development teams to build data infrastructure that supports reporting and decision-making.
• Oversee the organization’s mission-critical platforms.
• Lead or support data integration, analytics, and business intelligence initiatives.
• Champion a data-informed culture across the organization.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, with at least 3 years in a director-level or equivalent senior IT management role.
• Demonstrated experience managing IT teams, budgets, and enterprise-wide technology environments.
• Proven expertise in cybersecurity, cloud platforms (Microsoft 365, Azure), and IT infrastructure.
• Track record of strategic planning and successfully delivering technology projects on time and within budget.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Strong vendor management and contract negotiation experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing and testing disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Hands-on experience with IT asset lifecycle management, including inventory tracking, hardware refresh planning, and software license compliance.

Preferred

• Experience working in a nonprofit organization, preferably in performing arts, cultural institutions, or education.
• Experience with performing arts or nonprofit-specific platforms (Tessitura, Sage Intacct, etc.).
• Familiarity with student information systems, LMS platforms, or school administration technology.
• Graduate degree in technology management, business administration, or a related field.
• Familiarity with grant compliance requirements related to technology and data security.
• Working knowledge of CCPA, COPPA, and FERPA compliance requirements.

Strategic Vision

Sees beyond the immediate to anticipate how technology can advance the mission.

Mission Alignment

Brings genuine commitment to the organization’s purpose and values.

Collaborative Leadership

Builds trust with colleagues at all levels; leads without authority when needed.

Decisiveness

Makes timely, well-reasoned decisions, even under ambiguity or resource constraints.

Accountability

Takes ownership of outcomes; holds team members to clear, fair standards.

Innovation Mindset

Identifies creative, cost-effective solutions appropriate to a nonprofit context.

Work is performed primarily in an office environment at San Francisco Ballet’s headquarters at 455 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA, with regular access to school, studio, and performance venue settings. The role requires the use of computer equipment and the ability to communicate effectively face-to-face, by phone, and in writing. The Director must be able to move throughout the organization’s facilities to interact with staff across departments. Some hybrid work flexibility may be available consistent with organizational policy.

• Typical office equipment and environment
• Constant sitting, standing, walking, and bending
• Occasional unassisted lifting to 30 lbs.
• Regular evening and weekend attendance at performances and events
• Must reside in the San Francisco Bay Area or be prepared to relocate prior to the start of employment

San Francisco Ballet Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to employing a diverse staff. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.