Associate Director of Audience Development and Outreach

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote option Mondays & Fridays

On-site Tue–Thu with some remote days

Job summary

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras seeks an Associate Director of Audience Development and Outreach to expand BYSO's audiences, recruit diverse students, and drive ticket sales across multiple concert series. You will analyze attendance data, build partnerships with teachers and schools, and lead targeted campaigns to grow participation and engagement.

The role requires at least four years in marketing/PR, with strong communication, budgeting, and data analysis skills, and a collaborative approach

Qualifications

• At least four years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, or public relations, including integrated marketing strategy and execution.
• Strong knowledge of music education and/or classical music.
• Experience in community outreach, engagement, and partnership development with civic, cultural, and educational organizations.
• Experience managing marketing budgets, advertising campaigns, and external vendors.
• Cultural competency and experience engaging diverse and historically underrepresented communities.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to balance priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience supervising or coordinating staff, contractors, and creative partners.
• Excellent writing, proofreading, editing, storytelling, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with website content management systems, email marketing, social media, digital analytics, and audience databases.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use audience, campaign, and ticket sales data to inform strategy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate across departments and build stakeholder relationships.
• Creativity, initiative, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to balance strategy with execution.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement comprehensive audience development and growth plans aligned with the organization's artistic and financial goals.
• Set, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for attendance at BYSO’s 20+ concert series and community events, ticket occupancy, group sales, and demographic diversification.
• Develop and manage advertising campaigns and media placements that maximize resources, expand BYSO’s reach, and support revenue goals.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive student recruitment strategy aligned with BYSO’s artistic priorities and enrollment goals, including targeted initiatives by geographic region, instrument, and program level enrollment opportunities.
• Cultivate authentic relationships with local cultural groups, schools, universities, and civic organizations to diversify the patron base.
• Act as an organizational ambassador at community events and regional networking opportunities.
• Coordinate grassroots promotional distribution, ensuring materials reach local businesses and neighborhood hubs.
• Build and strengthen relationships with school music directors, private teachers, alumni, community music programs, and other referral partners to attract qualified prospective students across BYSO’s programs.
• Plan and execute targeted recruitment initiatives, including open houses, school and community outreach, recruitment campaigns, and prospective family engagement, in collaboration with artistic leadership and Operations.
• Analyze applicant, audition, placement, and enrollment data to identify recruitment opportunities and gaps. Track and report on recruitment effectiveness and progress toward enrollment goals, providing leadership with actionable findings and recommendations.
• Plan and execute targeted print and digital advertising campaigns to drive ticket sales and new audience acquisition.
• Analyze ticketing data and attendee surveys to track retention trends and evaluate campaign success.
• Oversee subsidized, community, or free ticket access initiatives to welcome first-time or underrepresented audiences.
• Oversee the end-to-end production of concert program books, event collateral, and student recruitment materials.
• Coordinate with graphic designer to create and edit program pages, incorporating artist biographies, program notes, program listings, and donor acknowledgments.
• Manage timelines, proofreading cycles, and delivery logistics with commercial print vendors.
• Utilize CRM and ticketing data to analyze attendance patterns, identify underrepresented groups, and track patron retention.
• Segment audiences for targeted email campaigns and multi-channel marketing initiatives.
• Coordinate special events, pre-show talks, panel discussions, or community touchpoints that help grow the pipeline of target audiences and student participants.
• Collaborate with marketing and program teams to ensure a welcoming and accessible experience for new and returning visitors.
• Mentor and manage the Marketing Associate including workflow supervision and skills development.
• Manage all assigned project and marketing sub-budgets.

Skills

Excellent writing

Proofreading

Editing

Storytelling

Communication

Analytical skills

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Creativity

Initiative

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Tools

Job description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing and Public Relations, the Associate Director of Audience Development and Outreach will be responsible for expanding BYSO’s audiences including participants in our growing programs as well as ticket buyers and event attendees.

The Associate Director will work with marketing leadership to analyze ticketing, attendance and demographic data, and design targeted campaigns to grow, diversify, and retain audiences. The Associate Director will also work closely with programming staff and respond to key recruitment needs for BYSO’s wide breadth of programming—from beginner students to advanced young musicians. This entails building strong relationships with music teachers, programs and organizations and creating meaningful pathways to entry.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• A growing audience : Expanded and diversified audiences, attracting new attendees across age groups, backgrounds, neighborhoods, and levels of familiarity with classical music.
• A stronger student recruitment pipeline: Enrollment goals are being met across priority programs, with improved awareness, more qualified inquiries, and more effective pathways from outreach to participation.
• Meaningful community relationships: Music teachers, schools, and youth-serving organizations are actively referring students and collaborating with BYSO on outreach opportunities.
• A data-driven approach to growth: Leadership has clear reporting on audience trends, recruitment results, and campaign effectiveness, and uses those insights to make strategic decisions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and implement comprehensive audience development and growth plans aligned with the organization's artistic and financial goals.
• Set, monitor, and report on key performance indicators for attendance at BYSO’s 20+ concert series and community events, ticket occupancy, group sales, and demographic diversification.
• Develop and manage advertising campaigns and media placements that maximize resources, expand BYSO’s reach, and support revenue goals.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive student recruitment strategy aligned with BYSO’s artistic priorities and enrollment goals, including targeted initiatives by geographic region, instrument, and program level enrollment opportunities.

2.Community & Partnerships:

• Cultivate authentic relationships with local cultural groups, schools, universities, and civic organizations to diversify the patron base.
• Act as an organizational ambassador at community events and regional networking opportunities.
• Coordinate grassroots promotional distribution, ensuring materials reach local businesses and neighborhood hubs.

3.Student Recruitment

• Build and strengthen relationships with school music directors, private teachers, alumni, community music programs, and other referral partners to attract qualified prospective students across BYSO’s programs.
• Plan and execute targeted recruitment initiatives, including open houses, school and community outreach, recruitment campaigns, and prospective family engagement, in collaboration with artistic leadership and Operations.
• Analyze applicant, audition, placement, and enrollment data to identify recruitment opportunities and gaps. Track and report on recruitment effectiveness and progress toward enrollment goals, providing leadership with actionable findings and recommendations.

4.Audience Development & Advertising:

• Plan and execute targeted print and digital advertising campaigns to drive ticket sales and new audience acquisition.
• Analyze ticketing data and attendee surveys to track retention trends and evaluate campaign success.
• Oversee subsidized, community, or free ticket access initiatives to welcome first-time or underrepresented audiences.
• Oversee the end-to-end production of concert program books, event collateral, and student recruitment materials.
• Coordinate with graphic designer to create and edit program pages, incorporating artist biographies, program notes, program listings, and donor acknowledgments.
• Manage timelines, proofreading cycles, and delivery logistics with commercial print vendors.
• Utilize CRM and ticketing data to analyze attendance patterns, identify underrepresented groups, and track patron retention.
• Segment audiences for targeted email campaigns and multi-channel marketing initiatives.

7.Events & On-Site Engagement:

• Coordinate special events, pre-show talks, panel discussions, or community touchpoints that help grow the pipeline of target audiences and student participants.
• Collaborate with marketing and program teams to ensure a welcoming and accessible experience for new and returning visitors.

8.Budget & Management:

• Mentor and manage the Marketing Associate including workflow supervision and skills development.
• Manage all assigned project and marketing sub-budgets.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least four years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, or public relations, including integrated marketing strategy and execution.
• Strong knowledge of music education and/or classical music.
• Experience in community outreach, engagement, and partnership development with civic, cultural, and educational organizations.
• Experience managing marketing budgets, advertising campaigns, and external vendors.
• Cultural competency and experience engaging diverse and historically underrepresented communities.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to balance priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience supervising or coordinating staff, contractors, and creative partners.
• Excellent writing, proofreading, editing, storytelling, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with website content management systems, email marketing, social media, digital analytics, and audience databases.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use audience, campaign, and ticket sales data to inform strategy.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate across departments and build stakeholder relationships.
• Creativity, initiative, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to balance strategy with execution.

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

This is a full-time exempt position with an expectation of 40 hours per week and occasional evening and weekend responsibilities. The general working schedule is Monday through Friday, with on-site work required on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays—a remote option is available on Mondays and Fridays, though onsite meetings with partners may fall on these days. The base pay for this role will be $70,000-$75,000/year. Benefits include subsidized health, dental, and vision insurances; paid time off and holidays; and Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave, among others. Employees may also elect a Flexible Spending Account; life insurance; short- and long-term disability insurances; pet and identity protection plans; and other benefits as available through BYSO’s professional employer organization.

ABOUT BYSO

Since its founding in 1958, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) has reached thousands of students across New England through a legacy of high-quality training, the brilliance of classical music, and the gift of human connection.

The mission of BYSO is to encourage musical excellence in a professional and supportive environment by providing the highest quality orchestra training and performance opportunities to qualified musicians, grades K-12, and making its programs accessible to underserved communities through financial assistance and outreach.

BYSO is one of the most prestigious, comprehensive, and remarkable youth orchestras in the nation. BYSO recently opened the doors to its iconic BYSO Youth Center for Music, which is giving young musicians from every corner of Boston and beyond unconditional opportunities to be immersed in music training and performance at the highest level. To learn more about BYSO please click here.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras is a registered 501(c)3 organization and is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all facets of the organization.BYSO welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or national origin.