Education & Community Engagement Manager

The Florentine Opera; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Life Insurance

Short- & Long-Term Disability

Paid Time Off

Downtown parking

Job summary

The Florentine Opera seeks an Education & Community Engagement Manager to design and execute a wide range of learning-focused programs for youth and adults. You will lead school tours, in-class residencies, recital programming, and community partnerships, while collaborating with the Head of Education and other departments.

You will manage schedules, track metrics, and supervise a part-time intern, delivering inclusive, curriculum-aligned programming and expanding access to opera education

Qualifications

• Degree in Music Education or related field preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in arts education, community engagement, and nonprofit arts administration.
• Strong knowledge of vocal music, opera production, and curriculum design frameworks.
• Ability to teach basic music to students of all ages.
• Multilingual capability preferred: conversational Spanish and basic proficiency in French, German, and Italian pronunciation.

Responsibilities

• Lead Opera in Schools Tour operations, bookings, rehearsal tracking, and logistic coordination.
• Design and deliver in-class residency content aligned to curricula for Milwaukee area schools.
• Curate and tailor touring recital programs for academic and community settings.
• Develop accessible, asynchronous OWL content leveraging music therapy principles.
• Coordinate Schools on Stage partnerships, supervise student involvement on stage and backstage.
• Plan and execute the Community Masterclass Series and related public programs.

Skills

Project management

Public speaking

Interpersonal skills

Scheduling

Team leadership

Multilingual

Education

Degree in Music Education or related field

Tools

Video editing tools

Job description

The Education & Community Engagement Manager oversees, designs, and executes the Florentine Opera’s diverse portfolio of learning and community-centered programs. This role bridges the gap between professional opera production and the Greater Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin community, ensuring high-quality, accessible, and curriculum aligned programming for audiences ranging from school-aged youth to seasoned opera-goers and lifelong learners.

Key Responsibilities

Opera in Schools Tour: Lead all operational and administrative execution of the children’s opera tour, including school/venue bookings, rehearsal tracking, artist scheduling, evaluation metrics, and cross-departmental logistics for set, costume, and prop transportation.

Play & Perform Residency Program: Design and deliver interactive, in-class residency content that directly compliments the learning and curriculum needs of Milwaukee Area Schools, giving students the tools to explore opera elements, rehearse scenes, and perform.

Touring Recital Series: Partner directly with the Artistic Administrator to curate and tailor engaging recital programs appropriate for specialized settings, ranging from high-performance academic environments (high Schools and universities) to community and senior centers.

Opera Without Limits (OWL): Develop accessible, inclusive virtual music education content leveraging music therapy principles. Deliver this programming asynchronously to support the unique learning paces and environments of differently abled and medically fragile youth.

Schools on Stage: Coordinate the Florentine’s flagship annual youth engagement initiative, managing partnerships with local under-resourced schools to embed student choruses or silent actors directly into professional mainstage productions onstage. Oversee students while backstage and on stage; lead rehearsals with the Head of Music.

Community Engagement & Public Programs

Versed Series: Conceptualize and produce the asynchronous digital "edutainment" video series aligned to each mainstage production, highlighting directors, conductors, designers, and singers to engage both newcomers and seasoned opera-goers alike.

Pre-Opera Talks and Program Notes: In close collaboration with the Head of Music, develop and present 30-minute informative, synchronous sessions prior to mainstage performances to provide audiences with a deeper musical foundation, including historical background, compositional hallmarks, and production specifics. Leveraging the research performed in gathering information for Pre-Opera Talks and Education Study Guides, partner with the Head of Music to develop program notes for mainstage performances.

Community Circle: Manage and grow the discount ticket program to expand arts access, actively auditing and engaging with non-profit arts, community, and educational partners to distribute accessible seating.

Community Masterclass Series: Plan and execute public masterclasses hosted at the Riverwest Opera Center, driving attendance and participation for area vocalists, members of the Florentine Chorus, board members, students, and opera enthusiasts to learn from Baumgartner Studio Artists and visiting professionals.

Community-Mainstage relationship opportunities: Based on our annual programming and in partnership with the General Director and Artistic Administrator, develop opportunities using our mainstage themes to dive deeper into community partnership, bringing opera off the stage and into Milwaukee. Our Bronzeville Boheme partnerships with the neighborhood BID, local businesses and artists, and multiyear connection to sharing Milwaukee’s history on our stage and in our programs fit our mission to foster the current and next generation of opera audiences and practitioners.

Artistic & Production: Coordinate the community engagement calendar with the Artistic Administrator to maximize the utilization of Baumgartner Studio Artists and production resources.

Development: Assist the Development team by supplying data, metrics, and programmatic narratives to support grant writing and sponsorship opportunities. Support and present at donor conversations related to this role. Support development events as needed and appropriate.

Marketing & Communications: Partner with Marketing to create promotional materials, review study guides, capture media/photo opportunities, and optimize digital outreach platforms.

Board & Committee Relations: Prepare comprehensive reports on program reach, demographics, and evaluation summaries for presentation at regular Education Committee and Board of Directors meetings. Lead Education and Community Engagement committee meetings.

Intern Supervision: Oversee and mentor an Education/Community Engagement intern (approximately 10 hours per week), providing guidance on projects, professional development, and daily tasks.

Other administrative and staff responsibilities as needed. As the business evolves, so may this role. These duties may change as company leadership identifies the need at any time.

Qualifications & Experience

Degree in Music Education or related field preferred

Demonstrated experience in arts education, community engagement, and/or nonprofit arts administration

Strong knowledge of vocal music, opera production, and curriculum design frameworks

Ability to teach basic music to students of all ages

Multi-lingual capability preferred: conversational Spanish and basic proficiency in French, German, and Italian pronunciation.

Experience with digital media production, video editing, or asynchronous program tracking is a plus

Proven ability to build and sustain trust-based partnerships with schools, community leaders, and diverse populations

Excellent project management, scheduling, and administrative skills. Ability to coordinate many tasks, setting appropriate priorities and completing work on schedule with attention to detail

Outstanding interpersonal skills, including the ability to interact with all staff, management, artists, and the public in a professional and tactful manner. Maintain confidentiality and provide excellent customer service

Must be comfortable public speaking

Ability to work independently, exercise judgment and initiative. Be a motivated self-starter who also works well in a larger team. Demonstrate leadership in accordance with the Florentine's mission, vision and values. Must be a team player and be willing to help out teammates

Work Conditions

The job sometimes requires six-day workweeks as well as evenings during specific periods.

Assistance at company events

Sitting and standing for extended periods of time

Ability to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and to handle other office equipment

Ability to carry up to 40 pounds; transport and set up keyboards and other musical equipment

Residence in the Greater Milwaukee area

Driver’s license required

Applicants should be prepared to participate in and pass a background check

Salary and Benefits

The Education & Community Engagement Manager is a full-time, exempt position, reporting to the Artistic Administrator.

Salary Range: $52-56,000, commensurate with experience and scope of responsibilities (benchmarked annually)

Flexible hours: administrative tasks may be completed remotely in alignment with company hybrid practices when schedule permits.

Benefits: The Florentine Opera offers generous benefits and an excellent working environment, including:

Health Insurance: monthly healthcare stipend

Life Insurance: $50,000 policy, employer paid

Short- & Long-Term Disability: 100% employer paid

Paid Time Off: 15 PTO days per year (accrued), 5 company shutdown days (during summer and winter shutdowns), flex and comp time, and half-day Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day

Transportation: employer-paid downtown parking

Complimentary/Discounted Tickets