Description
Organization
AMP Concerts is a mission-driven nonprofit organization based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a leading cultural institution in the state, providing innovative and inspiring arts programming to diverse audiences. With a core staff of just three people, supported by contractors and volunteers, AMP operates through a highly collaborative and adaptable model in which team members take on a wide range of responsibilities. Despite its small size, the organization produces an expansive slate of concerts, educational initiatives, and community programs across New Mexico. Founded in 2004, AMP believes in the transformative power of music and its ability to create community, preserve culture, act as medicine, and facilitate human connection. Through concerts that bridge ages, demographics, and cultural backgrounds, AMP serves communities across New Mexico with programming that connects people through shared artistic experiences.
AMP currently produces approximately 150 events each year, presenting artists from a wide range of genres, including world, indie, folk, blues, pop, rock, jazz, classical, roots, Americana, and beyond. Its programming includes free concerts at local libraries and movies in the park, as well as major concerts in theaters and venues across Albuquerque and Santa Fe. AMP’s events feature breaking indie bands, legendary performers, and artists from around the world, reflecting the organization’s commitment to diverse, high-quality programming.
Since its founding, AMP has hosted thousands of concerts by many of the world’s most creative and celebrated musicians. These have included Philip Glass, R. Carlos Nakai, Steve Earle, Rufus Wainwright, The Wailers, Leftover Salmon, Devon Allman’s Blues Summit, Roomful of Teeth, Eric Johnson, Tab Benoit, and many others. Local artists also appear regularly at AMP events as openers, in CD release celebrations, and through a range of virtual programs developed during the pandemic.
Accessibility and community engagement are central to AMP’s work. The organization provides ongoing free concerts throughout New Mexico, making music more broadly available to residents across the state. These free concerts have been presented at libraries, public schools, state historic sites, the Santa Fe Railyard, the N4th Art Center for people with developmental disabilities, Western New Mexico University, the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and other community-centered venues.
AMP also extends its impact through education, outreach, artist residencies, workshops, school programs, and programs for school-age groups. A portion of AMP ticket sales helps fund free community concerts, workshops, school programs, and artist residencies, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to broad access and cultural connection. AMP’s values emphasize collaboration over competition, respectful relationships with artists, partners, audiences, volunteers, and staff, and equitable access to its events. AMP has earned awards and grants for its innovative programming, including the 2026 City of Albuquerque Creative Bravos Award. Through its concerts, partnerships, education programs, and free public events, AMP enriches the cultural life of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and communities throughout the state.
AMP has a 6-member Board of Directors led by Board President Jeff Hanson. The Deputy Director reports to the Executive Director. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, AMP reported a total revenue of $1.1 million, with 81% from earned revenue sources, 8% from contributed income, and 11% from other revenue sources. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, AMP’s operating budget is $1.2 million, with 79% from earned revenue sources, 11% from contributions, and 10% from other revenue sources.
Sources: edited from ampconcerts.org; propublica.org
Community
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a vibrant high-desert city shaped by deep history, multicultural identity, outdoor access, and a distinctive sense of place along the Rio Grande. With a 2025 estimated population of 556,588, Albuquerque is New Mexico’s largest city. Founded in 1706 as a Spanish villa on the banks of the Rio Grande, Albuquerque grew from its historic Old Town roots into a major Southwestern city known for its cultural heritage, neighborhoods, arts, cuisine, and dramatic natural setting. Residents and visitors benefit from a landscape defined by the Rio Grande, the Sandia Mountains, volcanic mesas, arroyos, and protected open space, creating a community where urban life, history, and outdoor recreation are closely connected. Historic Old Town remains a central gathering place, with shops, galleries, restaurants, and the plaza at the heart of the city’s early settlement, while Central Avenue, Albuquerque’s Route 66 corridor, features restaurants, entertainment, nightlife, historic sites, public art, neon signs, and views that connect residents and visitors to one of the country’s most iconic roads. Cultural destinations such as the KiMo Theater, Albuquerque Museum, National Hispanic Cultural Center, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Petroglyph National Monument, and Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum reflect the city’s connections to Indigenous, Hispanic, Latino, artistic, scientific, and Route 66 traditions. Albuquerque is also home to the world-renowned Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, a signature event that fills the October sky with more than 500 balloons and draws global attention to the city’s landscape, creativity, and community spirit.
Albuquerque continues to invest in a resilient, connected, and forward-looking future. The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan serves as the city’s Rank 1 policy document guiding planning throughout the city and county area, with a 2024 update designed to assess progress, incorporate parallel planning efforts, and continue implementing the community vision. City planning and public investments address growth, community identity, land use, transportation, urban design, economic development, housing, parks and open space, heritage conservation, infrastructure, community facilities, services, resiliency, and sustainability. The city’s longstanding commitment to open space is especially visible in its Major Public Open Space system, where residents and leaders have worked for decades to protect natural features, including the river, land, mesa, mountains, volcanoes, and arroyos.
Today, Albuquerque’s Open Space Division helps protect and manage nearly 30,000 acres of Major Public Open Space, while the city’s parks system includes more than 288 park sites that support gathering, play, learning, recreation, and connection to nature. In this high-desert and culturally rich setting, Albuquerque offers the character of a historic Southwestern community with the scale, amenities, and momentum of a major city, making it an ideal home for people who value cultural connection, creativity, outdoor access, history, and meaningful community life.
Sources: edited from visitalbuquerque.org; cabq.gov; census.gov
Position Summary
The Deputy Director (Director) will serve as a key operational and strategic leader for AMP Concerts (AMP), helping translate organizational vision into day-to-day action. Working closely with the Executive Director, the Director will help lead programming, booking, partnerships, outreach, fundraising, strategic planning, and nonprofit administration, while being prepared to step in as needed to support smooth operations. This role will coordinate artist and venue bookings, negotiate with agents and managers, support event production, and serve as a public face of AMP with artists, audiences, volunteers, partners, and staff. The Director will also help develop community partnerships, manage special projects and artist residencies, strengthen donor and funder relationships, and identify operational improvements and new opportunities that advance AMP’s mission and future growth.
Roles and Responsibilities
Talent and Venue Booking
Coordinate bookings for AMP’s wide range of programming, from free community events at libraries to ticketed concerts at venues ranging from 100 to 2,000 seats in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and beyond.
Negotiate contract terms with artists’ agents and managers in ways that support successful events and positive working relationships.
Book local performance venues and sound engineers appropriate to each event’s scale, audience, and artistic needs.
Maintain strong, professional relationships with artists, agents, managers, venues, sound engineers, and other production partners.
Embrace other talent and venue booking responsibilities as needed.
Show Production
Serve as a public face of AMP at events, providing exceptional customer service for artists, audiences, volunteers, and staff.
Understand the operational needs of AMP’s concerts and events, including production, advancing, staffing, and on-site coordination.
Support show production and troubleshooting as needed, working collaboratively with AMP staff and production partners.
Step in during peak periods, including days when AMP presents multiple events, to provide additional support and engagement.
Help ensure that events are welcoming, well-coordinated, and aligned with AMP’s mission and values.
Embrace other show production responsibilities as needed.
Partner Projects and Community Programs
Exemplify AMP’s values in the community and in relationships with partner organizations.
Assume a leadership role in carrying out programs with the City of Albuquerque Arts & Culture, Planning, and Parks & Recreation Departments; Bernalillo County Open Space; the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market; Dual Language Education of New Mexico’s annual bilingual education conference; the She Rises festival in Taos; and other special projects as they emerge.
Build and sustain positive relationships with civic, cultural, educational, and community partners.
Support AMP’s ongoing effort to develop new projects and partnerships that advance its mission and community impact.
Represent AMP with professionalism, creativity, and enthusiasm in partner settings.
Embrace other partner projects and community program responsibilities as needed.
Residencies and Outreach
Create, manage, and produce outreach activities with schools, libraries, and other local partners.
Provide vision and practical know-how for artist residencies, including short residencies with artists from abroad that involve multiple performances and community engagement.
Support the rebuilding and strengthening of AMP’s school programs following pandemic-related discontinuity.
Coordinate educational and community engagement opportunities that connect artists with students, audiences, and local communities.
Help ensure that residencies and outreach programs are thoughtfully planned, well-executed, and mission-aligned.
Embrace other residencies and outreach responsibilities as needed.
Fundraising and Development
Participate in identifying new funding opportunities, including grants, sponsorships, and donor relationships.
Assist in identifying and cultivating key donors in support of AMP’s programs, operations, and long-term sustainability.
Develop fundraising materials that communicate AMP’s mission, programs, partnerships, and community impact.
Participate in development events and community gatherings that strengthen donor relationships and increase awareness of AMP’s work.
Positively represent AMP at functions and public events in ways that enhance community and donor engagement.
Embrace other fundraising and development responsibilities as needed.
Strategic Planning and Program Development
Participate in identifying operational improvements and strategic objectives that support AMP’s mission.
Serve as a thought partner to the Executive Director, Board, staff, and other stakeholders in analyzing emerging opportunities.
Suggest improvements and model AMP’s values in planning, decision-making, and organizational leadership.
Prioritize projects and assess internal capacity to implement achievable goals.
Research comparable arts organizations and learn from their successes to suggest areas of new development or programming.
Evaluate AMP’s current offerings in relation to national and local programmatic trends and audience enthusiasm.
Document and communicate new strategies to AMP staff, production partners, and the Board.
Collaborate with AMP’s leadership team in determining organizational priorities and meaningfully supporting chosen initiatives.
Embrace other strategic planning and program development responsibilities as needed.
Nonprofit Administration and Organizational Support
Contribute meaningfully to AMP’s administrative operations and assist the Executive Director with organizational duties.
Support human resources, new staff onboarding, staff training, resource allocation, budgeting, legal compliance, and long-term planning.
Demonstrate the ability to step in for the Executive Director when needed to help ensure smooth operations.
Support effective systems, communication, and coordination within a small arts organization.
Help strengthen internal capacity, organizational continuity, and day-to-day effectiveness.
Embrace other nonprofit administration and organizational support responsibilities as needed.
Special Projects, Conferences, and Other Responsibilities
Propose, develop, and take ownership of new projects that advance AMP’s mission and respond to community or organizational opportunities.
Pursue opportunities to network outside New Mexico and stay informed about presenting organizations around the country, including through conferences and travel when appropriate.
Bring new ideas, relationships, and insights back to AMP in ways that support learning, growth, and program development.
Step in as a key leader in a small arts organization and perform other duties as assigned.
Provide flexibility and support during times of staff transition, peak activity, or shifting organizational need.
Embrace other special projects, conferences, travel, and leadership responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Deputy Director will be a collaborative and people-oriented leader who thrives in a supporting role, contributes with confidence and humility, and finds fulfillment in advancing shared organizational success. Resourceful and results-driven, they will maximize the effective use of time, talent, energy, and resources while responding quickly to changing priorities. Highly interactive, they will build strong rapport across a wide range of individuals and foster frequent communication and meaningful engagement. With a harmonious and instinctive approach, the Director will draw on experience, intuition, and sound judgment to navigate complex situations, maintain balance, and act assertively in competitive environments.
Other key competencies include:
Interpersonal Skills – The capacity to develop long-term relationships with people across AMP and throughout the community.
Teamwork and Diplomacy – The ability to thoughtfully navigate diverse perspectives, promote productive partnerships, and build consensus around shared goals.
Personal Accountability – The integrity to take responsibility and be answerable for personal and professional decisions.
Planning, Organizing, and Time and Priority Management – The acuity to establish relevant, realistic, and attainable goals and objectives while anticipating the effects, outcomes, and amount of time needed to deliver extraordinary results.
Qualifications
A minimum of five years of prior experience in performing arts management, talent booking, and/or similar nonprofit management is required. Demonstrated experience maintaining positive relationships with talent, venue operators, staff, vendors, presenting partners, and community members is essential, as are strong communication skills, including grant writing, website content development, event announcements, newsletters, and internal administrative documents. A proven track record of managing teams, supervising staff, working independently, and meeting deadlines reliably is expected. Experience developing and implementing strategic plans and new initiatives is important, along with experience working with budgets, reading and understanding financial statements such as profit and loss statements and balance sheets, and performing basic financial recordkeeping for projects and programs. A bachelor’s degree or similar educational experience is required, as is the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; use computers and standard office software, including word processing, spreadsheets, email, and ticketing software; and arrange transportation to daytime and evening events throughout central and northern New Mexico. The role also requires the ability to lift boxes and event materials weighing up to 30 pounds; set up tables, chairs, banners, and pop-up canopies; and navigate outdoor venues on grass, gravel, or uneven terrain, including during events held outdoors in inclement weather. Preferred qualifications include extensive experience negotiating booking contracts with artists, an existing network of contacts with artists and talent managers that supports event booking, and a master’s degree in arts administration, nonprofit management, or a similar educational background.
Compensation and Benefits
AMP offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including an annual salary range of $80,000 to $100,000. Benefits include health insurance, a SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with a dollar-for-dollar match up to 3% of compensation, with employees eligible to participate after 30 days of employment and no minimum hourly work commitment required. AMP accommodates vacation and travel needs when they can be planned in advance and deconflicted with work responsibilities, recognizing that the summer performance season is typically busier and the winter season less so. AMP Concerts also complies with the New Mexico Healthy Workplaces Act and accommodates sick leave.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/amp-concerts-seeks-deputy-director/
AMP Concerts is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of gender, race, age, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual preference or orientation, gender identity, spousal affiliation, marital status, military/veteran status, genetic information, handicap or disability, or membership in any other protected group as outlined in the New Mexico Human Rights Act. Our equal employment opportunity policy applies to all employees, applicants for employment, board members, and volunteers, and extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, screening, hiring, training, promotion, termination, compensation, and benefits.
