Description
About Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) has been the cultural cornerstone of Nashville since 1980. Operating four major performance venues in the heart of downtown, TPAC presents a wide-ranging season of Broadway productions, curated dance, theatre, and family programming alongside the work of its three resident companies: Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and Nashville Repertory Theatre. Over four decades, TPAC has welcomed more than 14 million audience members and served over 2 million students, teachers, and adults through one of the nation's largest performing arts education programs.
With an annual operating budget of approximately $35 million (78% earned / 22% contributed) and a workforce of 90+ full-time and up to 350 part-time staff, TPAC is a complex, high-energy organization operating at the intersection of art, education, and community. The VP of HR will be instrumental in helping to expand the organization’s capacity as TPAC aims to open its new venue in 2030.
Mission & Core Values
TPAC champions excellence in the performing arts and arts education, fosters support for our resident companies and community partners, and serves as an inclusive place for all to enjoy meaningful and relevant experiences that enrich lives and promote economic vitality.
Core Values:
Inclusion, Creative Excellence, Innovation, Collaboration, Purposeful Service
Position Overview
This is a pivotal moment to join TPAC as Vice President of Human Resources. As the organization prepares for transformational growth with the development of a new East Bank campus, the VP of Human Resources is being reimagined from a traditional administrative function into a strategic architect of organizational design. This leader will serve as the organization’s most important champion of culture, talent, and human capital by guiding TPAC’s staff through this period of exciting and complex evolution.
The VP of Human Resources reports to the Managing Director and works in close partnership with the President & CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team. This is a full-time, exempt position requiring three days per week in the downtown Nashville office with up to two days of remote work.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership & Organizational Design 20% of Time
The VP of Human Resources serves as the primary architect of a future-ready organizational structure as TPAC scales toward its new East Bank campus.
Partner with senior leadership to evaluate and design departmental frameworks and workforce models that support a larger, more complex multi-venue campus
Lead a cross-departmental initiative to document and standardize institutional knowledge, translating legacy operations into formal, scalable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Develop and maintain a robust succession planning program to strengthen leadership continuity and institutional stability
Serve as a strategic advisor to the President & CEO, Managing Director, CFO, and department directors on all matters of personnel, organizational structure, and people strategy
Facilitate organizational clarity, accountability, and communication across a complex hierarchy that includes administrative, production, education, and front-of-house staff
Stay current on workforce trends, future-of-work research, and best practices in nonprofit arts administration
Employee Relations & Culture 45% of Time
Serving as a transparent, approachable, and trusted leader, the VP of Human Resources will actively steward TPAC’s distinctive organizational culture and strengthen the trust between staff and leadership.
Manage and guide employee relations matters with consistency, confidentiality, and compassion, ensuring HR is experienced as a genuine safe space
Coach and develop vice presidents, directors and managers in interpersonal leadership skills, conflict resolution, and effective communication
Design and facilitate staff engagement initiatives and social connection opportunities
Lead or oversee organizational culture studies and ensure findings are acted upon with transparency and accountability
Champion work-life balance for staff with intention, particularly for technical operations teams who navigate the unique rigors of intensive show schedules
Ensure equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) as a core organizational priority, cultivating a culture of radical transparency and mutual respect while ensuring staff composition authentically reflects the community TPAC serves
Talent Strategy, Development & Workforce Pipeline 20% of Time
The VP of Human Resources will lead TPAC with a strategic, forward-looking approach to talent, helping the organization anticipate workforce needs and build the people, systems, and capacity to support continued growth and evolution
Design and implement structured formal mentorship and internal leadership development programs
Develop annual training programs encompassing compliance, technical skills, harassment prevention, and leadership development in partnership with the Talent Relations Manager
Proactively build workforce pipelines for specialized, mission-critical positions.
Oversee and improve recruitment, onboarding, and new hire orientation processes to set staff up for success from day one
Strengthen internal promotion pathways and support professional development across all departments
Build an HR-specific knowledge hub or learning site on the TPAC intranet to support ongoing staff development and growth
Manage and mentor HR department team (two full-time staff members), providing clear direction and opportunities for professional growth within the team
Compensation, Benefits & Compliance 10% of Time
The VP of Human Resources will ensure TPAC’s total rewards strategy is competitive, equitable, and attentive to the evolving needs of a diverse workforce.
Develop and maintain the annual HR budget with fiscal responsibility and strategic intentionality
Oversee and administer TPAC’s comprehensive benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, retirement, short-term and long-term disability, and supplemental offerings
Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of benefits to enhance the well-being of all team members.
Conduct and maintain regular salary analysis to ensure TPAC remains competitive in the market
Ensure organization-wide compliance with ADA, EEO, FLSA, FMLA, OSHA, and all applicable employment law and regulation
Develop, interpret, and enforce company policies and practices; maintain the TPAC H.R. Manual and communicate all updates clearly to staff
Work alongside the Director of Payroll, Benefits & HRIS to oversee biweekly payroll processing and benefit plan administration
HR Operations & Data 5% of Time
The VP of Human Resources will serve as TPAC’s internal champion for leveraging data and organizational efficiency
Alongside TPAC’s IT team, audit and optimize administrative workflows by implementing automation and AI-driven solutions for routine inquiries, data entry, and reporting to enhance operational efficiency and allow staff to focus on higher-impact work.
Leverage ADP Workforce Now and other HRIS tools for workforce planning, EDIBdata tracking, and organizational analytics
Oversee and maintain accurate human capital records and HR documentation in compliance with applicable regulations
Participate in Finance and Human Capital board committee as an H.R. representative.
Establish key HR metrics and dashboards
Identify and implement opportunities for HR process improvement and operational efficiency across the full employee lifecycle
Requirements
Leadership Profile
Based on the voices of TPAC’s own staff and senior leadership, the ideal candidate for this role will be:
Tested: A seasoned professional who brings calm, credibility, and confidence to complex situations
Collaborative: The leadership style overwhelmingly requested by TPAC staff in their own survey
Communicative: A master of clear communication who ensures transparency across all levels of the organization
Safe: Deeply committed to confidentiality and fairness; HR must be a true safe space
Curious: Someone who asks questions, listens first, and builds trust before acting
Dynamic: Comfortable with change, conflict, and ambiguity in a fast-paced performing arts environment
Emotionally Intelligent: Skilled at working with big personalities and a wide variety of work styles across diverse departments
Coach: A champion of professional development and an invested teacher of the leaders around them
Committed: Faithful to equity, inclusion, and belonging, not as a program, but as a practice
Energized: Excited by the opportunity to help shape an organization at a historic moment of growth
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field
Minimum of 6 years of experience in a senior HR leadership role
Proven experience managing HR for a multi-faceted and complex organization
Strong knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements
Experience developing and administering benefits programs and conducting compensation analysis
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
Passion for the mission and cultural life of the performing arts
Preferred
Master’s degree (MBA, MA in Human Resources Management, or Organizational Development)
Senior professional designation: SHRM-SCP or SPHR
Prior experience within a performing arts center, museum, major entertainment venue, or similar multi-department arts organization
Nonprofit organization experience
Experience supporting organizational design and planning for large-scale facility or campus transitions
Proficiency with HRIS platforms; experience with ADP Workforce Now
Familiarity with the Nashville nonprofit or arts community
Experience building workforce pipelines for technical or specialized roles
Compensation & Benefits
Tennessee Performing Arts Center offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package:
Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
Short-Term Disability (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD)
Paid Sick Leave (accrue up to 90 days), Paid Vacation (accrue up to 30 days), and 3 Paid Personal Days per year
401(k) Retirement Plan with a tiered employer matching contribution: 100% match on the first 3% of eligible compensation and 50% match on the next 2% of eligible compensation (contributions between 4% and 5%)
Hybrid work schedule: 3 days in the Nashville office, up to 2 days remote
Complimentary and discounted tickets to TPAC performances
How to Apply
Tennessee Performing Arts Center has engaged Nonprofit Leadership LLC to lead this executive search.
Interested candidates should submit a current résumé and a personalized cover letter addressing how their experience will directly benefit the culture of TPAC as it plans for its new building and future.
Applications should be sent via email to:
elle@nonprofit-leadership.com
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a final deadline of May 25, 2026.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
TPAC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All aspects of the employment process will be merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristics.
