External Engagement Internship

Boston Symphony Orchestra; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 20,000 - 29,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discount

Museum admissions access

Mentorship with senior staff

Professional development resources

Flexible hours

Job summary

The Boston Symphony Orchestra seeks an Education & External Engagement Intern to support administrative tasks, programming, and community outreach. You will work closely with senior staff to help deliver educational objectives while leveraging digital tools to streamline operations.

Responsibilities include assisting with planning, data analysis, and budgeting, plus coordinating events and communications across teams. This role emphasizes growth, collaboration, and effective project management.

Qualifications

• Recent graduate or enrolled in good academic standing as a college sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student.
• Experience with goal setting, event planning, and strategic development.
• Knowledge of classical music.
• Understands project management, data collection and KPI analysis methodologies.
• Professional, reliable and respectful communication.
• Strong written English grammar and proofreading.
• Technology proficiency with organizational systems and project management tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to Education & External Engagement Team (VP, Directors, & Program Managers).
• Assist in research, materials prep, site visits, and program facilitation.
• Handle administrative duties for external engagement and events.
• Organize and manage project databases.
• Assist with meeting prep and mailings.
• Support brand, growth, and marketing goals within department strategies.
• Analyze data to inform approaches and beta testing strategies.
• Support budgeting, vendor payments, and expense reporting.

Skills

Goal setting

Event planning

Strategic development

Knowledge of classical music

Project management

Data analysis

Written English

Tech proficiency

Education

College student or graduate

Tools

G-Suite

MS Office

Zoom

Job description

Summary/Objective

Job Description

About the BSO

About the BSO Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is one of the premier orchestras in the world. The BSO is committed to being a best-in-class employer that brings artistic excellence and cultural relevance through music and performances to the local and international communities.

About the Role

The Education & External Engagement Intern is responsible for administrative tasks within BSO’s Education & External Engagement Department to drive educational programming, community engagement, brand awareness, and smooth operations. The ideal candidate can multitask and pivot, while establishing and maintaining efficient organizational systems. This role will work closely with the Directors of Education and External Engagement, Program Managers, and internal partners to consistently deliver on educational and community engagement objectives while maximizing team effectiveness and performance by leveraging technology (G-Suite, MS Office Suite, Workday, Zoom, and related platforms).

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to the Education and External Engagement Team (VP, Directors, & Program Managers)
• Support the department’s strategic planning process and project management cycles through research, materials prep, site visits, and assistance with program facilitation
• Assume responsibility for administrative duties related to external engagement, including Community Chamber Concerts, Concert for the City, Opening Our Doors, Holiday Pops Military Preview
• Organize and manage project databases
• Assist with meeting preparation and mailing correspondence
• Understand the BSO’s brand, growth and marketing goals, and how they apply to the department’s collaborative strategies
• Assist with organizing and analyzing data logically and proactively to recommend novel approaches, targeting, and beta testing strategies
• Support fiscal management, including inventory, tracking expenditures, paying vendors, staying on budget, estimating monthly costs, reconciling expenses, and submitting reports
• Partner with other BSO teams to build brand awareness, increase community engagement, and drive conversations with relevant, on-brand influencers and brand partners
• Complete other tasks as assigned

Work Schedule

Duration: October 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027 Flexible hours, Monday–Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. A minimum of 5 hours per week is required to be completed in person. Weekend and evening event participation as needed. Attendance and assistance, as schedules permit, at select events, including: Community Chamber Concerts (see Addendum on last page) Harvard Symphony Society (TBD)

Important Notifications

Hybrid Job Type: Part-time Pay: Up to $18.00 per hour (5-10 hours per week)

Required Education & Experience

• Must be a recent graduate or currently enrolled in good academic standing as a college sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student
• Experience with goal setting, event planning, and strategic development
• Knowledge of classical music
• Understands project management & implementation, data collection and analysis methodologies, and key performance indicators (KPI)
• Professional, honest, and reliable with the ability to deal respectfully and responsively with people from various backgrounds, experience levels, and in all types of situations
• Problem-solver with a strong ability to evaluate problems accurately and apply good judgment
• Highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a welcoming environment
• Possesses a strong command of written English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Must be able to accurately proofread, edit, and draft written correspondence to internal and external interest holders
• Skillful communicator & active listener; High EQ, low ego; clear, honest, transparent communication
• Technology Proficiency; experience developing organizational systems and leveraging technology to manage projects (G-Suite, MS Office – Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
• Flexible and adaptable with a growth mindset
• High integrity and trustworthy
• Passionate, courteous, and ambitious
• Tenacious, resilient, strong work ethic
• Motivated self-starter, effective communicator, and collaborative team player
• Intellectually curious and innovative; highly analytical and strategic; can connect the dots

Benefits

• Employee discount
• complimentary admission to many Boston museums and cultural arts attractions
• Mentorship: Receive one-on-one mentorship with senior staff offering personalized career guidance and support
• Professional development and exclusive coaching in project management, arts administration, and community engagement
• Monday to Friday day shift with opportunities to support evening/weekend programming
• The intern would be a part of an inclusive team inviting innovative ideas and meaningful contributions.
• Inventive approaches and creativity are welcomed and can shape new strategies for BSO's education and external engagement efforts.
• This is a dynamic internship experience.
• The intern’s work will directly impact the community for meaningful, lasting change.
• Enjoy a flexible work environment that supports your academic commitments and personal growth!
• Hours are determined by mutual consent between intern and supervisor.

The BSO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is committed to building a culturally diverse staff and encourages applications from female and minority candidates.

Addendum

• October 25th, 2026, 3:00 PM, IBA La Casa (85 W Newton St, Boston, MA 02118)
• November 13th, 2026, 1:30 PM, Boston Public Library Roxbury Branch
• November 15th, 2026, 2:00 PM, German Centre
• January 10th, 2027, 3:00 PM, Parish of All Saints; Dorchester
• January 17th, 2027, 4:30 PM, St John's Episcopal Church; Jamaica Plain
• January 24th, 2027, 3:00 PM, Hibernian Hall
• January 29th, 2027, 1:30 PM, Fenway Center
• February 7th, 2027, 3:30 PM, Conservatory Lab Charter School
• February 21st, 2027, 3:00 PM, The Foundry
• April 18th, 2027, 3:00 PM, St Paul’s Cathedral Church
• May 2nd, 2027, 3:00 PM, Methuen Memorial Music Hall

The Boston Symphony Orchestra gave its inaugural concert on October 22, 1881, and has continued to uphold the vision of its founder, the businessman, philanthropist, Civil War veteran, and amateur musician Henry Lee Higginson, for well over a century. The Boston Symphony Orchestra has performed throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, South America, and China; in addition, it reaches audiences numbering in the millions through its performances on radio, television, and recordings. It plays an active role in commissioning new works from today's most important composers; its summer season at Tanglewood is regarded as one of the world's most important music festivals; it helps develop the audience of the future through BSO Youth Concerts and through a variety of outreach programs involving the entire Boston community; and, during the Tanglewood season, it sponsors the Tanglewood Music Center, one of the world's most important training grounds for young composers, conductors, instrumentalists, and vocalists. Today the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., presents more than 250 concerts annually. It is an ensemble that has richly fulfilled Henry Lee Higginson's vision of a great and permanent orchestra in Boston.