Education Programs Manager

Education Programs Manager

Community Engagement & Education Department

The San Francisco Symphony is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard-setting education and community engagement programs. Since it was established in 1911, the Symphony has grown in acclaim under a succession of distinguished music directors: Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Basil Cameron, Issay Dobrowen, Pierre Monteux, Enrique Jordá, Josef Krips, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Herbert Blomstedt, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.   

The San Francisco Symphony presents more than 200 concerts and presentations annually for an audience of nearly 350,000 in its home of Davies Symphony Hall and around the Bay Area. A cornerstone of its mission, the San Francisco Symphony provides some of the most extensive education and community programs offered by any American orchestra. The Symphony’s free music education experiences engage students in grades 1–12 throughout the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), serving more than 25,000 students annually.

In 2001, the SF Symphony became the first American orchestra to launch its own in-house record label SFS Media. Recorded live in concert and engineered at Davies Symphony Hall, SFS Media recordings showcase music by contemporary composers as well as core classical masterworks. San Francisco Symphony radio broadcasts, the first in the nation to feature symphonic music when they began in 1926, today carry the Orchestra’s concerts across the country. In 2004, the SF Symphony launched the groundbreaking multimedia Keeping Score series on PBS-TV and the web; the series was made available for unlimited free streaming on the Symphony’s YouTube channel in 2020. In 2014, the San Francisco Symphony inaugurated SoundBox, an experimental and eclectic live music series, which takes place in an alternative performance space located backstage at Davies Symphony Hall. In 2023, the San Francisco Symphony partnered with Apple for the launch of a new classical music streaming app, Apple Music Classical, and has since released 15 spatial audio recordings of live concert performances through the app. For its adventurous programming, the Symphony has been honored 19 times by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the Symphony’s recordings have garnered France’s Grand Prix du Disque and Britain’s Gramophone Award, as well as 17 Grammy® Awards.

JOB SUMMARY

The Education Programs Manager provides comprehensive management for key projects integral to the Symphony’s implementation of a wide range of nationally and internationally recognized music education initiatives, including the award-winning Adventures in Music (AIM) program, Music for Families, and other programs. The position is part of a dynamic team working in a creative environment. The position reports to the Associate Director, Education Programs. It also provides project support as needed for the Senior Director of Community Engagement and Volunteer Services.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Education Project Management

• Manage distribution of educational materials (approx. 100,000 pieces each year) for all Education Dept. programs, including intake, tracking, storage, and archiving.
• Hire and oversee a staff of 4 temporary personnel during various distribution periods.
• Manage Education Department’s resource database, including documentation of intake, in-house/off-site storage and retrieval, cataloging, and archiving of materials.
•  Manage attributes of the SFS ArtsVision database pertaining to Education programs.
• Assist with the onboarding, training, and evaluation of 30+ AIM ensemble artists to develop in-school presentations .
•  Document and track each ensemble’s program, as well as related feedback from the Education Team, to evaluate progress throughout the training period and performance season.
• Collaborate on AIM Curriculum and Student Journal production and proofing.
•  Monitor designated AIM program presentations at SFUSD elementary school sites. Perform evaluations in accordance with observational rubrics for AIM ensemble musicians. Evaluate outcomes to determine program adjustments for ensembles.
•  Manage the Visual Arts Project, including collection and registration of artwork, coordination of adjudication process, curatorial responsibilities, communication to schools, collaboration with SF Public Library regarding installation, and customized acknowledgements to entrants.
•  Manage Education budget documentation, including expense data, reconciliations, reclassification, and budget research.
• Manage the collection and submission of bi-weekly timecards for AIM musicians to the payroll department.
• Manage production of Education Program workshops, including logistical planning, setup, and implementation for AIM Teacher Training Workshops, SFUSD professional development for Visual and Performing Arts educators, and other events as needed.
•  Monitor front-of-house for AIM concerts throughout the season to facilitate logistics and troubleshoot; exercise judgment in solving difficulties—both independently and in collaboration with front-of-house staff.
• Collaborate with the Marketing Department to produce marketing materials and develop promotional campaigns for education initiatives.
• Manage coordination of image capture for all education programs, both with internal constituents (Creative Services, Marketing, etc) and obtaining necessary permissions with SFUSD officials, teachers, and parents.
• Assist the Associate Director, Education Programs on ensuring compliance with SFUSD policies on arts education, equitable access, and culturally responsive content.
• Oversee all program mailings, utilizing Education Department databases or Tessitura contact to assemble lists and secure labels.
•  Assist in ordering charter buses from SFUSD approved vendors for school group transportation to Davies Symphony Hall.
•  Manage all relevant correspondence through the education department’s AIM inbox

General - Program and Administrative Support

•  Coordinate Department events, including interfacing with SFS Operations Department, War Memorial Engineer staff, and catering vendors.
• Organize and respond to email and phone communication from internal and external stakeholders, including school personnel and patrons; prepare email communications for schools and respond to inquiries.
• Proofread all Education Department publications, schedules, and written communications.
• Maintain the Education Department’s repertoire lists and reference documents.
• Gather and analyze data for statistical reporting.
• Assist with archiving and digitizing Education Department assets.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

•  Bachelor’s degree preferred
• 2-3 years’ experience in the Arts Education field, with preference for a candidate from a music education administration background.
• Expertise with Windows-based software and Google Workspace, with an emphasis on complex mail merges and database manipulation.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to professionally and diplomatically communicate and interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to exercise professional judgment when asking for assistance.
• Understanding of and sensitivity to the exigencies of public school districts and campus environments.
• Ability to manage time effectively and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to work independently and manage highly detailed tasks.
• Must be able to edit and proofread own work to ensure integrity before publishing memos/reports.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills; ability to troubleshoot and identify challenges and solutions.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and priorities, and meet deadlines in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to lift 40 pounds.
• Flexible and available for evening and weekend assignments with advance notice.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

None

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS The internal and external constituents with whom this position most frequently interacts include:

• Community Engagement and Education teams, Volunteer Council, Youth Orchestra, Operations, Patron Services, Front of House, Marketing, Creative Services

• AIM ensemble musicians

• SFUSD administration

• SFS ushers