With a mission to enrich and inspire our community through exceptional live performances, Celebrity Series has become a mainstay of Boston’s cultural life by bringing a widening spectrum of performers to Boston’s major concert halls. Celebrity Series presents over 70 subscription series performances in 10 different venues, and over 150 community engagement activities annually. Celebrity Series’ audiences experience the world’s great orchestras, chamber ensembles and soloists, and leading artists in contemporary dance, jazz, global, and folk music, and spoken word. Alongside the subscription series performances, Celebrity Series’ Arts for All! community engagement programs introduce the joy of live performance and connect with a dynamic network of hundreds of community collaborators, reaching thousands of individuals annually.
Department: Programming, Community Engagement
Immediate Supervisor: Associate Director of Community Engagement
Regular engagement with: Boston-based artists, venue and youth partners, community leaders, plus technical and organizational staff. Supervises contractors, interns, and project-specific vendors.
FLSA: Exempt
Salary: $50,000 – 65,000
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to: Medical, Dental, HRA, 403b, paid vacation, holidays, personal & sick time
SUMMARY OF POSITION
This position manages event production and artist servicing details at community venues located in Boston and Cambridge, supporting administrative and programmatic areas of Neighborhood Arts, Celebrity Series’ cornerstone community program. In partnership with the Associate Director of Community Engagement, this position regularly engages with a diverse array of Boston-based artists, venue and youth partners, community leaders, plus technical and organizational staff. This position is charged with creating a positive experience for performers and audiences that is consistent with the organization’s values and goals.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Performance Planning:
- Serves as primary liaison to advance Neighborhood Arts performances and manage all event-related requirements while working within a designated budget.
- Directs artists, technical production contractors (A/V, lighting, backline), venue and staff via proactive communication.
- Negotiates quotes from production vendors and serves as primary organizational contact.
- Tracks, monitors and reports on expenses, maintaining consistent and proactive control over program budget.
- Nurtures relationship and provide mentorship to youth and young adult partnerships, such as Zumix and Brighter Boston.
- Hires and oversees technical staff (e.g. stage manager, directors) to support all artist-related production needs.
- Supports Associate Director of Community Engagement in curatorial research and artistic planning for culturally inclusive programming.
- Prepares/processes artist contracts, production-related documents (hall memos, set lists, stage plots), payments for artists, community partners, technical vendors and artist hospitality.
- Facilitates proactive communication between venue staff, artists, and CSOB.
- Works with Performance Operations team to support other programmatic areas, to include school visits, Artist Connections, and occasional fundraising events and public performance projects.
- Project manages select events for digital distribution, collaborating with Marketing team, technical crew and other vendors.
- Represents the organization at Neighborhood Arts and other community events as needed.
Organizational Communication
- Works with other departments to document events via photos, videos and audience feedback tools as needed.
- Maintains regular contact with other departments to support cross-departmental projects with artist and performance implications, including, poster/flyer creation and proofing, website and audience engagement initiatives.
- Assists in program assessment through tracking metrics for systematic evaluation and improvement.
REQUIREMENTS
- Minimum of 3 years of professional experience with concert planning or production
- Background in music education, public education or community-based practices is desired
- Detail-oriented self-starter with strong project management skills
- Demonstrated experience working with culturally diverse artists, technical production vendors, and local venues with respect and sensitivity
- Proactive, effective communication and follow-through are essential for success in this position
- Willingness to take on a variety of tasks and responsibilities and strives to exceed expectations
- Strong listening skills and cultural sensitivity towards people of various ages, educational backgrounds, and life experiences
- Familiarity with (or willingness to learn) Microsoft365, Asana, Artifax, and other software
- Ability to lift 10 lbs
- Regular office hours (M-F 9am to 5pm) plus periodic weekend hours during performance season. Work is often required off-site, yet within the Greater Boston area.
If you feel you can do this job well, even if your qualifications do not match all the requirements, we encourage you to apply and tell your story.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and resume by October 18, 2024 through Breezy. Interviews will be scheduled starting October 18 until the position is filled.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The Celebrity Series offices are located at 20 Park Plaza, Suite 220 in Boston’s Back Bay. The building is convenient to public transportation and fully accessible. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. This is a hybrid position with the option to work remotely as the work allows. Hybrid schedules prioritize business needs, aligning work arrangements with the demands of each job and department.
The Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates demonstrating diversity of race, age, gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Celebrity Series is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, artist and audience focus, and innovation.