Lead Educator and Project Manager, K-12 Students Classical Music Appreciation

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts is seeking a Lead Educator and Project Manager for K-12 Students Classical Music Appreciation. This role will develop classroom programs, align with state standards, and collaborate with educators and teaching artists to bring classical music to schools in the Philadelphia region.

You will manage a team of teaching artists, assess curriculum impact, partner with the education evaluator, and report outcomes to the Development team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in education or related field with music focus.
• 3+ years in music education with curriculum development experience.
• Knowledge of K-12 systems, state arts standards, and teaching artists roles.
• Entrepreneurial ability to create programs to inspire youth.
• Knowledge of performing arts education and culturally responsive teaching.
• Experience working with orchestral musicians is preferred.
• Experience managing teaching artists and teams.
• Strong written and oral communication and organization.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and present in-classroom workshops for K-12 students in Philadelphia region.
• Collaborate annually with School District curriculum writers to develop workshop curriculum.
• Develop an annual Classical Music Curriculum Guide aligned to each season.
• Conduct classroom observations and use assessment tools to measure learning.
• Manage and mentor teaching artists in lesson planning and curriculum implementation.
• Update curriculum and lesson plans to ensure relevance and accessibility.
• Integrate culturally responsive pedagogy and diverse traditions into curriculum.
• Inspire educators to bring classical music value to students.
• Design creative approaches to engage students with classical music.
• Partner with an education evaluator to measure reach and impact.
• Provide regular reports to Development team with program outcomes.

Skills

Communication skills

Collaboration

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree (Education / related)

3+ years music education experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Title: Lead Educator and Project Manager, K-12 Students Classical Music Appreciation

Department: Education and Community

Reports to: Vice President, Education

Summary

This position will cultivate and develop lifelong lovers and learners of classical music. Students K-12 in the Philadelphia area will learn about the fundamental elements of classical music in their classrooms, increasing their understanding and enjoyment of our timeless art form. This position will work with the Education and Engagement team, educators and teaching artists to create and present in-classroom curriculum, aligned with state educational standards, strategic goals, fiscal parameters, and industry benchmarks Guided by our mission , vision, and values position will ensure that education and engagement programs of The Philadelphia Orchestra (POA) prioritize student learning and are culturally relevant, age appropriate, and responsive. This position will also support and be supported by professional development for staff and teaching artists, who will provide additional classroom work to reach as many schools and students as possible.

This position will have full access to resources and functions within the Education and Engagement department and will be tasked with leveraging existing, complementary education initiatives of The Philadelphia Orchestra to enhance students’ exposure to and interest in classical music. Working together with other members of the education team and cross departmentally this role will create and sustain meaningful partnerships with administrators, teachers and teaching artists and other artistic organizations across the region.

Key Responsibilities:

• Schedule and present in-classroom workshops for K-12 students in schools throughout the Philadelphia region – with a specific focus on the School District of Philadelphia -- that familiarize students with classical music and enable them to understand it and instill a continued appreciation for and a lifelong interest in classical music.
• Collaborate annually with School District of Philadelphia curriculum writers to develop and refine classical music in-classroom workshop curriculum
• Develop an annual Classical Music Curriculum Guide thematically aligned to each season of The Philadelphia Orchestra. This Curriculum Guide will be accessible online to educators in Philadelphia and beyond.
• Conduct classroom observations and use appropriate assessment tools to measure students learning and inform decision-making.
• Manage and mentor additional teaching artists in effective lesson planning and curriculum implementation.
• Assess and update existing curriculum and lesson plans to ensure relevance and accessibility.
• Integrate age appropriate, culturally relevant, and responsive pedagogy and diverse artistic traditions into curriculum.
• Inspire educators to bring the value and enjoyment of classical music to their students.
• Design and implement creative approaches to get students to embrace and get more engaged with classical music.
• Partner with a dedicated education evaluator for the program, who will create and implement a data-informed evaluation strategy to measure the program’s reach, effectiveness, and long‑term impact on reaching the goal of cultivating and developing lifelong lovers and learners of classical music.
• Work closely with the Development team to provide regular reports and evaluative insights on the program’s outcomes to show how the progress is meeting the objectives.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Performing Arts, Arts Education, Curriculum Development, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience working in music education with a focus on classical music, with a proven track record of curriculum/lesson plan development and impactful programming.
• Knowledge of K-12 educational systems, national and state arts standards, and roles of teaching artists in schools.
• Entrepreneurial ability and resourcefulness to create programs and methods to inspire and motivate young people to embrace new, unfamiliar experiences.
• Knowledge of performing arts education systems and culturally responsive teaching practices.
• Experience working with orchestral musicians, and a wide range of talent is also highly preferred.
• Management experience in overseeing and motivating a passionate team of teaching artists.
• Strong written and oral communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

Combination of school and office environments. The employee will be required to travel to and attend meetings, events, schools, and programs during daytime, evening, and weekend hours. The employee will also be expected to attend community‑based meetings, education programs and performances, and networking opportunities during business hours, and during evening and weekend hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, Inc. does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, or military service.