Job Description
Merit School of Music seeks a full-time Program Coordinator to support the Program team and the rest of the staff departments at Merit. The successful candidate will be a detail-oriented communicator with a passion for event planning and providing administrative support.
Reporting to the Director of Program Operations, the Program Coordinator leads cross-departmental initiatives and provides oversight to support Merit's mission and goals. Examples of support include scheduling, event planning, and collaborating to share critical mass communication with faculty, staff, students, and key stakeholders. The Program Coordinator will help prepare orientation materials for the academic year and support the planning and execution of Merit events. Passion for inclusion, diversity, equity, anti-racism, and Merit's mission to provide access to music education, is a must.
Organizational Overview
Merit School of Music is a community music school located in Chicago's West Loop. Our primary goals are to help young people transform their lives and experience personal growth through music by providing access to sustained participation. For more than 40 years, Merit has been home to a diverse community of talented young musicians and has acted as a springboard for achieving full musical and personal potential. Our 100 passionate and experienced teaching artists provide access to high-quality music education, engaging over 3,000 students annually at our downtown location and in area schools and community centers.
Merit students, who reflect Chicago's socioeconomic and ethnic diversity, have the rare opportunity to learn together, dream together, teach each other, and broaden their horizons as they build inspiring lives through music. Merit develops musicians and provides young people with the tools they need to excel in life, with 100 percent of our graduates accepted to conservatory or college.
Merit School of Music is committed to building a world where historically underrepresented groups can access quality music education. Simultaneously, Meritworks towards becoming an organization that accurately reflects the city's demographics throughout all layers of the organization. Merit is dedicated to being an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and anti-racist organization and continually examines efforts in this area.
Reporting Relationship
The Program Coordinator reports to the Director of Program Operations.
Job Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the Program Coordinator include, but are not limited to:
Cross-program Support - 40%
• Lead drafting and distribution of the annual program calendar of events to Merit Constituents
• Oversee mass communication to families regarding program-wide events and news
• Own the program staff scheduling processes for meetings, including faculty department chairs
• Manage and audit room-booking requests
• Create and update individual program calendars
• Draft and send the weekly Live from Gottlieb newsletter
• Assist with coordination of summer program activities as needed
• Collect and report concert information for licensing and grant reporting
• Distribute donated concert tickets to Merit constituents
Performance & Event Logistics – 35%
• Coordinate setup logistics and presentation materials for student & family orientations
• Share information and coordinate offsite student performances
• Collaborate with the Director of Program Operations on the logistics, planning, scheduling, and communication of annual Conservatory and IVM events, including entrance auditions, solo competitions, student concerts, guest artist performances, and graduation
• Secure ushers for performances when needed in collaboration with Program staff members
• Work with the Marketing department to create programs for concerts
• Coordinate special program events by assisting with room reservations, catering, and invitations when needed
Intra-departmental Support - 25%
• Lead Special Projects including (but not limited to):
o Revise faculty and program staff handbooks
o Assist with the unification of deadlines, materials, and communication regarding program activities in collaboration with Program Directors and the Dean
• Create and distribute program calendars to faculty, parents, students, and staff.
• Edit the monthly program newsletter with the Marketing Department and the Director of Program Operations.
• Be informed and consult with the Development Department on parent engagement and associate board involvement with the student body. MPA/Leadership Institute
• Collaborate with the Director of Program Operations on maintaining room scheduling software in collaboration with the Executive Assistant, Private Lesson Coordinator, and Operations Manager.
• Other duties as assigned and as capacity allows
Keys to Success
The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
Must-have characteristics
• Strong written and verbal communication skills: You respond timely to emails in a polite and professional manner
• Initiative: you are a self-starter who works independently in a fast-paced environment
• Organized: nothing falls through the cracks, and you can speak in detail about your process to ensure that's the case
• Flexible mindset: willingness to learn new skills and think creatively to support various projects. The right candidate will be comfortable working independently and collaboratively. Openness to working a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, is required at times to support committee meetings and concerts, and other events.
• Skilled at prioritizing: you will need to identify the differences and overlaps between tasks of competing urgency and importance
Nice to have, but not required
• Many of our families connect with Merit exclusively by speaking Mandarin or Spanish. These language skills are strongly preferred in this role to better support direct communication with our families.
• Familiarity with Chicago public Schools' procurement and vendor processes
• Working knowledge of the HubSpot CRM platform
• Background in music, arts administration, or nonprofits
Educational and Experiential Requirements
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience
• 1-2 years of relevant experience in administrative support or project/event coordination
Schedule
M-F schedule, 37.5 hours/week, generally from 9-5 central, with some flexibility available for strong performers. Some evenings and weekends are required for special events and program coverage, but taking comp time is an option in consultation with your supervisor. Merit staff is currently working a hybrid of remote and in-person hours. All hybrid and remote arrangements are determined between staff and supervisor. During the first three to six months of work, working in the office three full days per /week (likely Tuesday - Thursday) will be required for onboarding and training.
COVID-19 Precautions
Merit School of Music requires all employees to provide proof of vaccination and booster shots against COVID-19. Please plan accordingly. Merit invested heavily in its HVAC system to improve ventilation throughout the building. Face masks are recommended to everyone who enters the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center. At offsite events, Merit employees must follow the precautions taken by the host institution.
Compensation and Application
Compensation is commensurate with experience but based on a starting salary of $45,000 annually.
To apply, please upload your resume detailing your relevant experience and qualifications for this role using this link. Applications will be accepted through October 9, 2022. Materials should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF.
ALAANA/BIPOC people, trans and gender-nonconforming people, and women are encouraged to apply.
For more information about Merit School of Music, please visit www.meritmusic.org.
Merit School of Music is committed to enhancing the diversity of our musical community, recognizing that by providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment for our students, we are preparing them for personal and professional success in an increasingly multicultural and global society. The Merit community recognizes that it has a responsibility for creating and sustaining a learning and working environment where difference is valued, and where equity and inclusion are practiced.