Executive Director

Start date: From mid-October 2025

Interviews: First interviews will take place on Monday 7 July in person

The Oxford School of Drama is looking for a visionary and experienced individual to play a central part in the leadership of the School.

The Oxford School of Drama

The Oxford School of Drama (OSD) is a world-leading conservatoire providing professional actor training in the form of a Three Year and One Year Course in addition to Foundation Courses in Acting and Acting with Musical Theatre. Based on the site of an eighteenth-century farmhouse, the School is set in beautiful surroundings, ten miles outside Oxford.

The School’s current academic partner is Trinity College, London and our students are awarded Diplomas in Professional Acting. The School’s educational oversight is through Ofsted and at our last inspection in 2024 we were graded Outstanding in all areas with no recommendations for improvements. Other key relationships are with the Department for Education, through which we access grant funding for our students and the Student Loan Company. Most students on the 3 Year and One Year Courses are able to access funding for course fees and living costs through the means-tested Dance & Drama Award Scheme (DaDA) and student loans through Advanced Learner Loans (ALL). 

The Oxford School of Drama is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools and the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre Education and Training (CDMT). The School currently has an annual cohort of approximately 140 students.

The role

The Executive Director oversees the running of the organisation and works with the Principal in setting and implementing the School’s strategy and business plans. They hold direct responsibility for sound financial management, operational effectiveness, estates development and nurturing beneficial relationships with key stakeholders.

This is an exciting time to join the School with a refreshed curriculum and the potential for growth and development with new academic partners on the horizon.  

The School is looking for a great strategist who also enjoys being at the heart of a dynamic, highly competent and collaborative team. Someone who brings outstanding financial skills, has experience of being a key player in running an organisation and has good knowledge of the performing arts.

You are likely to be a senior manager in the arts or performing arts education sectors with leadership and management experience that demonstrates creativity, ambition and sound judgement. You will enjoy collaborating with a highly-skilled staff team, able to hold a good overview of the School’s priorities to provide support in helping to drive forward innovation and continuous improvements.

You will have been responsible for setting and managing budgets of £500,000 and above, preferably within a Charitable Trust, and you will have experience of financial reporting at Board level as well as supporting staff to develop their financial literacy. 

You will be excited to be part of the future of the performing arts, being aware of the importance of the training sector to be in touch with industry trends but also recognising our role in driving change within the performing arts sector and supporting the next generation of artists in shaping the future.

How to apply

The full Application Pack for the role is available to download from The Oxford School of Drama website via the 'Apply' button above.

Advert information