Careers at RFCUNYJob Openings

                     POSITION TITLE:  DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Organizational Background

At the Harmony Program, music changes lives every day. Through collective music-making, children from under-served communities explore new avenues and realize their full potential.  

For the past decade, the Harmony Program has distinguished itself by serving children in need, reaching them within their own communities, providing them with instruments and intensive, high quality musical training, and helping to develop in them the life skills that support their healthy development -- musically, academically, and socially.  The Harmony Program also recruits and trains accomplished musicians as its teachers and provides them with formal professional development training, observation and evaluation, access to a network of their peers, and competitive compensation for their services, with the goal of instilling in them a long-term commitment to community outreach and education.

The Harmony Program is inspired by Venezuela's national youth orchestra system, "El Sistema." Committed to improving society through music, El Sistema has gained international acclaim for the breadth of its reach, the quality of its musicians, and the power of its positive influence on the young lives it touches. In the spirit of El Sistema, the Harmony Program emphasizes the influence of music-making on social development, encourages learning through ensemble playing, fosters a supportive community for program participants and families, and requires of all involved a high degree of commitment to daily music study.

Jobs, Duties, Responsibilities

The Harmony Program is seeking an experienced, full-time Director of Education to oversee the organization’s training and curriculum.  The Director of Education will report to the Executive Director, and will directly supervise a team of 5-10 part-time Faculty Mentors as well as oversee the organization’s more than 40 part-time music teachers.  S/he will be an integral part of a 6-member administrative staff, and will work closely with the Program Director. As the senior staff person responsible for the Harmony student and teacher experience, the Director of Education’s primary objective will be to maintain the organization’s standard of excellence in the classroom in three program areas, including all afterschool programs, Saturday orchestras, and summer camps.  S/he will do so by managing the training, recruitment, retention, and expansion of the Harmony Program’s network of teachers and Faculty Mentors; overseeing the Harmony Program’s instructional curriculum; and conducting research and assessment in support of the program’s impact and effectiveness.

The Director of Education’s daily priorities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Teacher Hiring, Training & Support

• Overseeing the recruitment and hiring of the Harmony Program’s network of teachers, substitute teachers, and Faculty Mentors;
• Identifying areas of need for teacher training and designing/delivering pre-program and ongoing professional development throughout the year, bringing in leading experts in the field of music education to cover topics such as: lesson planning and evaluation, engaging diverse learners, performance technique, adolescent psychology, and others;
• Establishing and deepening relationships with local music performance and music education programs at city colleges and conservatories to secure a pipeline for teaching applicants;
• Developing and supporting a team of 5-10 Faculty Mentors;
• Providing day-to-day feedback and support to teachers, including in-person site visits and phone consultations, in conjunction with the Faculty Mentor team;
• Working with Executive Director and Program Director to develop and monitor instructional and training budgets.

Instruction, Curriculum & Research

• Overseeing the Harmony Program’s curriculum, maintaining alignment with city, state and national standards, and developing new curricula as needed;
• Maintaining the quality of Harmony Program’s instruction, ensuring adherence to established curricula and protocols;
• Developing policies to support strong student participation and retention;
• Assisting with artistic programming (including student participation and repertoire selection) for special events, including bi-annual recitals, galas, and other events;
• Analyzing program evaluation data on attendance, teacher performance, and student learning and using findings to inform program’s ongoing evolution.

Interested candidates should have the following qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience, including project and staff management;
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience of current best practices for music education (graduate degree in music education preferred);
• A professional network of established relationships with other leaders in the field of music education;
• Comprehensive experience in a managerial role, and an ability to work collaboratively with others from all levels of the organizational hierarchy;
• Demonstrated skills in research and data analysis;
• Demonstrated experience in project planning, management, and budgeting;
• Superior communication skills, both written and oral;
• Excellent organizational skills and a keen eye for details;
• Strong time-management skills and experience in handling multiple deadlines;
• Solid computer skills, primarily Excel, Word and Powerpoint;
• Musical background strongly preferred;
• Spanish language skills helpful but not required.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to HR@harmonyprogram.org.  Please include “Director of Education” in the subject line.  Competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience.