Chief Executive Officer

Drama School Mumbai (DSM)

About DSM / DSFM

The Drama Schools Foundation Mumbai (DSFM) is a Section 8 non-profit dedicated to strengthening India's cultural and civic life through the transformational power of theatre. It serves as the institutional home for a constellation of initiatives that advance training, access, and discourse including Drama School Mumbai (DSM), Ekalavya. Art, Theatre ????, and Unrehearsed Futures. Across these, DSFM nurtures artists, educators,and cultural practitioners who see theatre not as entertainment alone but as social infrastructure a way of thinking, organising, and imagining together.

Drama School Mumbai (DSM) is DSFM's flagship institution and its beating heart.

Established in 2013, DSM has trained over 260 alumni, awarded nearly ?2 crore in scholarships, and incubated more than 50 original productions that have reached classrooms, communities, and stages across the country. It is widely recognised for its ensemble-based pedagogy, its commitment to access and diversity, and its role in shaping a new generation of theatre-makers who link artistry with social purpose.

DSM now stands at a defining inflection point. The school is in a Zero Year (202526) a

deliberate pause to redesign its systems, curriculum, and sustainability model for the decade

ahead.

The incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will join at this moment of renewal to lead DSM through its next five-year arc strengthening its institutional architecture, deepening its financial sustainability, and translating its founding legacy into a resilient, forward-looking future.

Role Overview

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the single point of accountability for DSM's strategy, sustainability, and performance. The CEO ensures DSM remains financially viable, academically rigorous, operationally efficient, and publicly visible while aligned with DSFM's foundation-wide vision and governance.

Pedagogy and curriculum leadership remain the purview of the Academic Head. The CEO partners closely with the Academic Head to integrate academic priorities with institutional systems, resources, and external relationships, ensuring coherence between artistic purpose and organisational reality.

This role represents DSM's dual commitment: to uphold the rigour of a school and the discipline of an institution. The CEO leads with integrity, fiscal responsibility, and cultural fluency enabling the school to thrive as a civic and educational benchmark for theatre in India.

? Reports to: DSM Managing Council (strategic oversight and accountability).

? Works in tandem with: Academic Head (pedagogy, curriculum, faculty standards) as part of DSM's dual-leadership model.

? Supported by: Functional heads across enrollment, finance, operations, communications, development, and course coordination, who execute departmental plans under the CEO's overall accountability.

Type: Full-time, three-year contract with annual review (six-month probation).

Location: Mumbai (in-person, campus-based, with one day a week WFH post probation)

Working Style & Environment

DSM operates as a leadership ecology, anchored by the CEO, Academic Head, and functional managers across finance, operations, communications, enrollment, and partnerships. Within this ensemble, the CEO holds overall institutional responsibility: coordinating the whole, protecting academic primacy, and ensuring delivery across systems, people, and outcomes.

This is a senior executive role with strategic, financial, and operational authority held in service of DSM's artistic and civic mission. Leadership at DSM functions as an ensemble in governance: balancing clarity with care, process with presence, and accountability with reflection. The CEO models this balance by ensuring that management remains an expression of DSM's values, not an override of them.

Key Responsibilities

1. Institutional Strategy & Financial Stewardship

? Lead DSM's five-year institutional and financial strategy, aligning mission, operations, and growth.

? Oversee budgets, compliance, and fiscal planning with DSFM's finance and audit teams; provide data-driven reports and consult on key decisions with the Managing Council.

? Secure long-term sustainability through tuition, partnerships, B2B initiatives, and DSFM-led fundraising commitments.

2. Enrollment, Marketing & Outreach

Lead national enrollment, brand visibility, and lead generation.

Oversee the full funnel from enquiry to admission, maintaining talent quality, diversity, and

access.

Integrate marketing, digital presence, achievements, and alumni stories into

communications and admissions campaigns.

Expand DSM's footprint through regional outreach and feeder networks in colleges,

residencies, and creative industries.

3. Fundraising, Partnerships & Business Development

? Drive fundraising and partnership development across CSR, philanthropy, and institutional alliances.Build and steward donor and corporate relationships in line with DSFM's strategy.

? Design and deliver earned-income initiativesworkshops, short courses, consulting, and B2B collaborationsconsistent with DSM's pedagogy.

? Represent DSM externally to funders, media, and sector partners as its principal executive voice.

4. Academic Partnership & Support

? Work with the Academic Head to uphold excellence in all programs.

? Align resources, scheduling, and staffing to protect academic rigour.

? Jointly design and run systems for academic quality assurance, student welfare, and feedback..

? Maintain consistent alignment between academic priorities and institutional strategy.

5. Finance, Operations & Human Resources

? Ensure fiscal discipline, compliance, and timely reporting across operations. Supervise the General Manager and functional managers in HR, finance, and administration.

? Foster a high-trust, performance-oriented culture with clear review cycles and professional growth systems.

? Oversee contracting, procurement, and governance processes aligned with DSFM standards.

Accountability

The CEO is accountable to the MC for DSM's institutional health and growth. Namely:

? Enrollment health: strong pipelines, seat-fill ratios, and diversity benchmarks achieved year-on-year.

? Public visibility: DSM's profile strengthened through consistent communications, events, and sector engagement.

? Financial performance: balanced budgets, transparent reporting, and progress toward sustainability targets.

? Academic alignment: timely delivery of courses to standard, with faculty and student welfare protected.

? Operational discipline: compliance current, HR systems transparent, and internal processes replicable.

? Fundraising outcomes: delivery against agreed annual fundraising and partnership goals.

Role Development and Growth

We aspire to retain an individual for a long and enduring career with the DSM.

Year 0-2 The CEO's journey begins with integration and stabilisation building trust with the team, understanding DSM's systems, and aligning financial and operational practices with DSFM standards. Within the first year, success will mean steady operations, clear rhythms of reporting, and a confident working partnership with the Academic Head and Managing Council.

By Years 23, the emphasis shifts to building and expansion: deepening DSM's national presence, diversifying revenue through partnerships and earned-income streams, and embedding a culture of accountability and cross-functional collaboration. The CEO at this stage leads from strategic foresighttranslating vision into disciplined execution.

By Years 35, the CEO becomes DSM's institutional steward and sector

voiceconsolidating financial independence, strengthening alumni and donor ecosystems, and positioning DSM as India's benchmark for theatre education. Success here is measured not only in numbers but in resilience: a school that can thrive beyond its founders because of the systems and culture the CEO has ensured the success of. The CEO can expect tobecome Executive Director, along with joining a future governing council of the school.

Performance incentives (structure to be finalised by the MC) may be tied to institutional financial health and revenue diversification (outside student fees) outcomes.

Non-cash recognition: In addition to financial compensation, the CEO may receive forms of professional recognition such as representation at cultural and educational forums, leadership development opportunities, and visibility at Board or donor convenings.

Performance & Reporting

The CEO establishes transparent monitoring systems and reports quarterly to the Managing Council.

Performance indicators include:

? Institutional financial health and fundraising delivery.

? Enrollment and access metrics.

? Operational compliance and HR discipline.

? Brand and partnership impact.

? Academic alignment and student outcomes.

The CEO provides annual strategic and financial reviews to the DSFM Board, ensuring donor stewardship and institutional accountability.

Compensation

External band: ?2430 lakh per annum (?22.5L/month gross), with growth in line with DSM performance and scale-up; pathway to ?3036L by Years 23 and an aspirational ceiling of ?3545L by Year 5.

Candidate Profile

Strategic and entrepreneurial leader with experience building mission-driven institutions in the arts, education, or creative sectors.

? Proven record in managing teams, budgets, and partnerships at scale.

? Financial and operational fluency, with demonstrated success in fundraising or business development.

? Deep respect for pedagogical integrity and ability to work collaboratively with creative and academic leaders.

? Systems-builder across HR, finance, compliance, and communications.

? Culturally fluent with artists, funders, and administrators alike.

? Experienced in leading institutional reset-to-growth phases.

Typically 1220 years of experience in arts management, higher education, or related fields.

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