Piano, Voice, and Guitar Program Manager

Merit School of Music seeks a full-time Piano, Voice, and Guitar Program Manager to support the school’s continued operation of all piano, voice, and guitar instruction. The Piano, Voice, and Guitar Program Manager helps families, faculty, and staff across all programs daily. Program Managers are the first points of contact for coordinating instruments and supplies, managing daily programming logistics, and facilitating communication with parents, students, and teachers.

Reporting to the Piano, Voice, and Guitar Program Director, the Program Manager assists the Director in planning and executing Merit’s Piano, Voice, and Guitar programs. This includes leading communication with students and faculty regarding Merit programs, events, and expectations; ensuring the accurate allocation of program materials; monitoring class activity, scheduling, and attendance; and helping to achieve successful events throughout the year. A passion for upholding the dignity of everyone we interact with, and for Merit’s mission to provide access to high-quality music education, is a must.

Must-Have Characteristics
• Proactive and self-directed, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Highly organized and detail-oriented — you have a system, you trust it, and things don’t fall through the cracks
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a timely, professional, and warm approach to correspondence
• Skilled at distinguishing between urgency and importance, and comfortable adjusting as both shift
• Flexible and collaborative, with a willingness to learn new tools and pitch in across projects
• A genuine commitment to Merit’s mission and to dignity-centered communication with students, families, and colleagues
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent training and experience
Preferred, But Not Required
• Musical background
• Bilingual or multilingual — Spanish and Mandarin are especially valuable in this role, as many of our families communicate primarily in one of these languages

Responsibilities of the Piano, Voice, and Guitar Program Manager include, but are not limited to:

Class and Activity Scheduling – 35%
• Create and manage class schedules and room reservations
• Manage class rosters, placement recommendations, and student attendance
• Assist with scheduling private lessons and classes
• Support summer camp programming
Faculty and Family Communication – 30%
• Communicate program details — including classes, lessons, events, and concerts — to piano, voice, and guitar families, and facilitate timely communication with faculty
• Support student adherence to Merit’s class and lesson attendance policies
Event Planning and Support – 15%
• Coordinate logistics for concerts and performances, including stage diagrams, program creation, and run of show
• Support student recruitment events
Instrument, Music & Supply Coordination – 10%
• Work with Merit’s librarian to ensure students and faculty have the materials they need, including sheet music, instruments, and supplies
Other Duties as Assigned – 10%

Merit School of Music is a nationally accredited community music school headquartered in Chicago’s West Loop, with additional branches in Chicago’s Old Town and South Shore neighborhoods. Merit’s 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 45 years, Merit has been home to a diverse community of talented young musicians and has served as a springboard for them to achieve their full musical and personal potential. Our 125+ passionate and experienced teaching artists provide access to high-quality music education, engaging between 2,500 and 3,000 students annually through programming at three branches and in 25+ schools and community centers across the Chicago region.

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 equips young people with the tools they need to excel in life; virtually 100 percent of Merit graduates attend conservatories or colleges, with 50 percent choosing to study music at the postsecondary level.

Merit School of Music is committed to building a world where historically underrepresented groups can attain access to quality music education. Simultaneously, Merit endeavors to be an organization that genuinely reflects Chicago’s richly diverse community. Merit is dedicated to being an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and anti-racist organization and continually examining our efforts in this area.