Manager, Performance Program Operations

uchicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Chicago’s Department of Music is seeking a Manager of Performance Program Operations to oversee production and logistics for 100+ concerts and events. You will serve as a key liaison with PP Directors, venue partners, and campus collaborators to ensure smooth performance operations.

The role includes scheduling, pre-planning, and managing a robust student workforce and a part-time operations assistant, shared with University of Chicago Presents, with responsibilities for auditions,

Responsibilities

• Manages a comprehensive calendar of Department of Music activities, resolving date conflicts and event overlaps; schedules concerts, rehearsals, and events across campus with technical support and staffing.
• Co-manages a part-time operations assistant; hires, trains, and supervises student employees for front-of-house, technical, and logistical needs.
• Oversees operational logistics for Fulton Recital Hall performances and occasional faculty projects, rentals, and recording sessions; manages venue policies and contracts for outside rentals.
• Directs the annual audition period scheduling for PP Directors; supports music lesson awards auditions mid-fall and coordinates the Concerto Competition mid-winter.
• Coordinates Tea-Time Concert Series scheduling; arranges local professional musicians as needed and supports community engagement initiatives.
• Schedules piano tuning for PP and Fulton Hall events and maintains records of instrument acquisitions, loans, and instrument storage.

Job description

Department

AHD Staff: Music SP Administration

About the Department

The Department of Music at the University of Chicago is a world-renowned center for research and teaching of Music Composition, Ethnomusicology, and Music History and Theory. Its acclaimed faculty includes scholars and composers who are prominent leaders in their fields. The Department offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees, and sponsors two major performance components that are closely integrated with the academic offerings of the Department: a wide-ranging Performance Program (PP), whose 18 ensembles and programs cover a broad range of musical genres, historical periods, and cultural settings; and the Sound Practices Intermedia Lab (SPIL) which is a vibrant hub for contemporary sound practices, composition, and intermedia work. The Department also engages and supports the work of the Grossman Ensemble, a professional ensemble-in-residence which presents multiple world premiere performances each season. This close conjunction of scholarship and performance, plus the remarkable breadth of distinctive musical presentations on campus - including classical, early music, contemporary music, jazz, and world music genres, performed by visiting professionals, resident ensembles, and talented student, faculty, and community musicians - distinguish the University of Chicago Department of Music from its peer institutions, and contribute meaningfully to the cultural life of Chicago.

Job Summary

The Manager of Performance Program Operations oversees production and logistics for a rigorous schedule of more than 100 concerts and events for the Performance Program and related Department of Music initiatives. This role ensures the success of performance events and initiatives by serving as a key liaison with PP Directors, venue partners, and other campus and community collaborators: communicating about production schedules, instrument and equipment needs, and other logistical details; avoiding scheduling conflicts insofar as possible; and identifying areas of potential collaboration across campus and within the community. The Manager of Performance Program Operations ensures the smooth operations of all scheduled PP events through careful scheduling, detailed pre-planning, thorough communication, and careful management of a robust student workforce and a part-time operations assistant, shared with the University of Chicago Presents. This role also manages scheduling details for the annual audition process, for music lesson awards auditions, and for the biennial Concerto Competition. The Manager of Performance Program Operations provides building access and facilities and logistical training for Performance Directors, new staff members, student employees, and others as needed. The Manager of Performance Program Operations also communicates regularly with the Director of Performance Programs and other PP staff to help resolve problems and recommend improvements in procedures, as appropriate.

Responsibilities

• Manages a comprehensive calendar of all Department of Music activities, resolving date conflicts and event overlaps as needed. Schedules concerts, rehearsals, and other performance events in Fulton Recital Hall and a variety of venues across campus, in accordance with a canonical calendar; arranges technical support, logistics, and staffing to ensure each event's success.
• Co-manages a part-time operations assistant, shared with University of Chicago Presents. Hires, trains, and supervises a team of part-time student employees to support front-of-house, technical, and logistical needs for assorted PP concerts and events.
• Oversees logistical operations for all PP events in Fulton Recital Hall, as well as occasional performances/projects led by Music Department faculty, student/guest recitals and masterclasses, outside rental groups, and recording sessions as scheduled. Oversees policies for Fulton Hall usage and prepares contracts for occasional outside rentals.
• Directs the scheduling and ensures operational success for the annual audition period for all PP Directors at the beginning of each academic year; assists with music lesson award audition management mid-autumn quarter; coordinates the biennial Concerto Competition mid-winter quarter.
• Coordinates the weekly Tea-Time Concert Series, arranging a workable schedule for Department of Music ensembles and programs and occasionally inviting/contracting local professional musicians to fill out the series, as needed. Provides limited logistical support for community engagement initiatives and special projects within the Music Department, as needed.
• Schedules piano tuning for all PP and Fulton Hall concerts and events, and helps arrange instrument repairs as needed. Maintains an up-to-date list of recommended private lesson instructors, as well as records of music and instrument acquisitions, instrument loans, and music locker assignments in Goodspeed and the Logan Center.
• Maintains ongoing records of a