Executive Director

Position summary

The Executive Director will act as Serenity Music Org’s top operational and strategic leader. This person will drive mission execution, turn the organization’s vision into action, and help establish the systems, funding base, and infrastructure needed for lasting growth.

Working closely with the Founder & Creative Director, the Board of Directors, artists, healthcare and research collaborators, and community partners, the Executive Director will guide program delivery, partnership development, and organizational operations.

Serenity Music Org is a nonprofit music label and arts-in-health organization that develops intentional, restorative sound experiences to support mental health, wellness, and health equity, especially for women, mothers, and people navigating underrepresented healing journeys.

The role reports directly to the Board of Directors.

Organizational context

The organization works where music, medicine, and storytelling meet, creating trauma-informed, culturally grounded audio works for clinical, community, and cultural use.

It currently functions on a project-based model. Its flagship initiative, The WOMB Music Project, focuses on reproductive and maternal health across the full life cycle, including fertility, birth, postpartum, loss, and renewal.

Current and planned initiatives include healing albums centered on addiction, aging, veterans, memory care, and intergenerational trauma; research collaborations with medical institutions and universities; community listening events and fundraisers; art installations; retreats and immersive programming, including work in Newport, Rhode Island; and coffee-table books and narrative media designed for clinical settings.

Key responsibilities

This role combines leadership across strategy, fundraising, operations, partnerships, communications, and governance.

• Carry out the strategic priorities set by the Board and Founder.
• Create annual strategic plans, operating targets, and organizational budgets.
• Spot opportunities for growth, partnerships, and long-term stability.
• Design systems and processes that support scale, governance, and impact.
• Maintain compliance with nonprofit policies and governance expectations.
• Keep the Board informed on programs, finances, and overall organizational progress.
• Oversee grant research, proposal writing, submissions, and reporting.
• Build relationships with foundations, donors, sponsors, and strategic collaborators.
• Support individual giving, campaigns, and recurring donor initiatives.
• Shape funding approaches that align with mission and growth goals.
• Assist with fundraising events, campaigns, and partnership-based revenue opportunities.
• Set up and maintain administrative systems, records, and core infrastructure.
• Manage budgeting, financial monitoring, and reporting with the Board/Treasurer.
• Handle contracts, licensing, artist agreements, and partnership documents.
• Ensure accurate records, compliance, and document control practices.
• Coordinate schedules, milestones, timelines, and deliverables.
• Manage relationships with healthcare systems, arts groups, universities, and research partners.
• Support the design and execution of pilot programs and collaborative projects.
• Track program progress and ensure deadlines are met.
• Support licensing, distribution, and implementation of Serenity Music works and products.
• Help adapt artistic work for clinical, educational, and community use.
• Contribute to communications strategy across the website, newsletters, and social channels.
• Represent the organization in meetings, conferences, and public-facing presentations.
• Share impact stories, outcomes, and narrative materials with stakeholders.
• Help develop promotional and educational assets.
• Prepare board meeting agendas, reports, and supporting materials.
• Support board committees and governance activities as needed.
• Maintain strong communication among the Board, Founder, and key stakeholders.
• Assist with board development, recruitment, and onboarding.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring nonprofit leadership, operational discipline, and fundraising experience, along with the ability to thrive in a startup-like environment.

• Demonstrated experience in nonprofit leadership, executive management, or a comparable role.
• Proven fundraising ability, including grant writing and donor cultivation.
• Strong skills in organization, operations, and project management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing several complex projects at the same time.
• Comfort working independently in an early-stage or startup environment.
• Experience forming partnerships across sectors such as arts, healthcare, education, or research is preferred.
• Prior experience as an Executive Director or in another senior nonprofit leadership role is preferred.
• Background in arts-in-health, music, wellness, healthcare, or research settings is preferred.
• Experience with music distribution, digital service providers, or independent label operations is preferred.
• Familiarity with nonprofit governance and board relations is preferred.
• Knowledge of licensing, intellectual property, or music industry operations is preferred.
• Existing connections in philanthropy, healthcare innovation, or cultural institutions are preferred.

Key characteristics

The organization is seeking someone who is entrepreneurial, self-directed, and resourceful; strongly mission aligned; highly strategic and execution-oriented; able to build relationships across sectors; comfortable with ambiguity; and capable of balancing vision, operations, and fundraising.

Work arrangement

This is a remote role with flexible scheduling. The expected time commitment is about 30 hours per week, with the final full-time or part-time structure to be determined based on funding and organizational needs.

Some travel or in-person participation may be needed, primarily in Rhode Island, New York, and at partner locations.

Compensation structure

This role follows a phased compensation model.

Phase 1 is a volunteer or interim executive leadership stage. No salary is paid during this phase, though reimbursement for pre-approved organizational expenses may be available under nonprofit policy. This phase continues until Serenity Music Org holds at least $150,000 in unrestricted cash reserves, as confirmed by the Board of Directors.

Phase 2 begins once the organization reaches and sustains the $150,000 unrestricted cash reserve threshold. At that point, the role becomes paid, with a starting annual salary of $60,000 subject to Board approval and ongoing financial review. Compensation may be adjusted depending on organizational sustainability and performance considerations.

Vision

Serenity Music Org is at an early stage and is building the foundation for a long-term movement at the intersection of music, medicine, and storytelling. This role offers the chance to help build scalable nonprofit infrastructure, deepen healthcare and arts partnerships, and expand therapeutic music into clinical and community settings where it can support healing on a broader scale.

The Executive Director will be central to turning that vision into a sustainable organization with national and global reach.