Director (m/f/d) for the “Dance” Department at “Theater Freiburg”

We’re looking for you to start as soon as possible (beginning in the fall semester 26/27) as

Head of Dance 

Theater Freiburg is located right in the heart of the city of Freiburg (approx. 230,000 residents), just a few minutes from the main train station and across from the University of Freiburg. It is a multidisciplinary venue featuring musical theater, drama, concerts, and dance, as well as youth theater, and offers participatory programs under the “Mitmachen!” initiative. In addition, it hosts a wide variety of series and formats.

Theater Freiburg is established as a venue for contemporary dance, is active in various networks, and is part of the group of organizers and partners of Tanzplattform Deutschland.

Dance is featured through residencies (including as part of the Grand Luxe residency network), guest performances, and co-productions, as well as various participatory formats. Since the 25/26 season, with the start of Felix Rothenhäusler’s tenure as artistic director, the dance program has been further developed and realigned in conjunction with a holistic, cross-disciplinary approach. This includes the development of a multidisciplinary ensemble comprising actors, performers, and dancers, as well as the creation of interdisciplinary, partly transnational, and inclusively oriented in-house productions as part of the repertoire. In this way, dance will be permanently established, and the theater’s established international guest performance profile will be complemented by in-house productions. An artist-in-residence program will be newly developed starting in the 2026/27 season. 

Your Responsibilities:

• Shaping and overseeing the dance and choreography program with a view to further developing a multidisciplinary municipal theater

• Designing a program featuring in-house productions, guest performances, co-productions, and formats; helping to shape a new artist-in-residence model

• Providing dramaturgical and organizational support for productions and guest performances

• Working with a generalist ensemble

• Internal and external outreach work; leading introductions and stage management duties during performances

• Transnational, supraregional, and local networking, collaboration with partners and within networks

• Management of the department with a small team

• Budget responsibility, financial control, and third-party funding acquisition

What we offer: 

We offer a public-sector position with a contract under the NV-Bühne collective bargaining agreement. Additional employer benefits such as a commuter pass, a company bike, Hansefit membership, and an attractive supplemental pension plan are standard with us. 

Your Application:

We welcome written applications including a cover letter (max. 2 pages), an artistic resume in tabular format, certificates, proof of work experience (if applicable), a portfolio (if applicable), and references. Please let us know your earliest possible start date and your desired salary. 

We love Freiburg. We embrace diversity—including as an employer. That’s why we look forward to applications from anyone who is passionate about their field and wants to help our city move forward. We welcome people of all backgrounds, genders, gender identities, disabilities, ages, skin colors, religions, and sexual orientations.

Please let us know if you have accessibility needs, are severely disabled, or are considered equivalent to a severely disabled person, so that your rights under SGB IX can be taken into account during the selection process.

Contact person: Gunild Vomstein

What you bring to the table:

• Experience in curation, artistic production, and dramaturgy

• Knowledge of and enthusiasm for various forms of dance & choreography and their presentation

• Openness and receptiveness toward diverse artistic approaches, aesthetics, and people with varied backgrounds

• Interest in existing and future dance audiences 

• Experience with transnational work, guest performances, and touring, in the areas of production management as well as the organization and coordination of artistic projects

• Several years of experience in comparable roles, 

• Leadership experience and the ability to work well in a team

• Experience with budget management and securing third-party funding

• Creative thinking, communication skills, and a high level of commitment, reliability, and the ability to work independently

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, very good written and spoken English, ideally written and spoken German; knowledge of other foreign languages is an asset; ideally a college degree,

• Proficiency with Office programs and Outlook. Willingness and ability to adapt to flexible work schedules typical in the theater industry (work on Sundays and holidays, evening shifts).