Ravinia® is both North America’s longest-running not-for-profit music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events by a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers make up a typical summer season on our two open-air and two indoor stages. Each year the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is featured in six weeks of concerts, many with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. During the same summer months, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute provides young professional classical and jazz musicians with career-advancing training and concert settings.

Offstage and year-round, Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs engage 85,000 children and adults—in schools with little to no music curriculum, in our Chicagoland communities, and at our 36-acre park—in our mission to make music equitably accessible to all.

Ravinia embraces diversity in all forms and is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive environment for all staff, musicians, guest artists, audiences, and community members. Ravinia is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.

The Program Manager oversees the overall program planning and operations for Sistema Ravinia’s program sites (nucleo) located in Waukegan and at Ravinia. They are responsible for guiding the implementation of programmatic design and content and building a culture for thriving relationships with students, parents, teachers and partners. The ideal candidate demonstrates extraordinary organizational skills, a “make-it-work” mentality and is a clear and approachable communicator.  They are flexible to the demands of a developing program and believe that all children can succeed. The Program Manager oversees a team of instructors along with an administrative team of one full-time and two part-time staff.  They are a key member of the Sistema Ravinia leadership team and report to the Reach Teach Play Senior Associate Director.  This is a full-time, year-round position with benefits.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead from a set of shared values and principles that create an inclusive culture
• Manage program planning, implementing goals and needs within an ascribed budget
• Evaluate, support, and mentor direct reports including administrative and teaching staff 
• Recruit and onboard instructors and staff that represent diversity and excellence
• Oversee overall Lake County nucleo effectiveness and evaluations with a focus on student recruitment, retention, assessment and well-being
• Collaborate with the Artistic Manager, teachers and students to create and implement an innovative curriculum

• Communicate  program goals, expectations, schedules and needs to stakeholders, including participating districts, schools and families
• Develop yearly program calendars and weekly instructional schedule
• Oversee successful events, concerts, program meetings, and trips
• Collaborate with the Site Manager and RTP Operations Manager to ensure processes for efficient and effective operations

• Develop opportunities for students and manage pathways for continued success
• Creative and authentic implementation of El Sistema ideals

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Superior interpersonal skills with the ability to facilitate positive interactions 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to initiate, prioritize and manage multiple tasks
• Access to reliable transportation to travel between program sites and events
• Ability to speak, read and write in Spanish preferred

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with three to four years related work experience preferred
• Strong background in music education and arts administration
• Experience managing social-change youth programs or El Sistema inspired programs
• Experience leading and managing instructors and administrator

Work Environment

• Working daily at school locations in Waukegan and at Ravinia 
• Availability to work weekends and evenings for rehearsals, concerts and special events
• Interaction with young students, parents and administrators where the safety of the students is paramount
• Collaborative work environment where planning and decision making comes from Sistema Ravinia administrators, conductors, instructors, and students

About Sistema Ravinia Lake County Nucleo

The Sistema Ravinia Lake County nucleo serves students from 3 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 2 high schools in Waukegan and the Cove School for students with complex learning disabilities.  Participating students meet daily throughout the year at their nucleo (program site) and are taught in private lessons, studios, sectionals and full orchestra. Shaped by the philosophy of the noted El Sistema model, Ravinia has embraced the notion of transforming groups of children into communities of musicians who in turn transform their communities.  

Benefits

Excellent health and welfare benefits including comprehensive time off, generous retirement savings plans, learning and mentorship opportunities, access to various staff working groups, and a general admission season pass to Ravinia events.

Location: Waukegan & Highland Park, IL

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.