Job: Associate Director for Choral Activities

The Associate Director of Choral Activities will collaborate with the Director of Choral Activities in the artistic, pedagogical, and administrative leadership of the Harvard Choral Program. This is a staff position at the Office for the Arts (OFA), based within Harvard College (Faculty of Arts and Sciences). The Associate Director reports to Director of Choral Activities (DCA).

The program consists of the Radcliffe Choral Society (soprano-alto ensemble), the Harvard Glee Club (tenor-bass ensemble), and the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum (mixed voices: SATB). Each choir is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as well as a curricular course. We seek a conductor with choral music expertise in both academic and community non-profit settings. As a non-faculty staff conductor, the Associate Director of Choral Activities will collaborate with the OFA, Music Department, and professional orchestras and artists in the Boston area. The annual budget for Harvard Choruses is approximately $500,000 a year, with $7 million in endowment funds supporting the choral program. The Associate Director of Choral Activities will be supported by, and work closely with, a full-time Administrative Manager for Choral Music as well as the student leadership boards of the choral ensembles and three separate 501(c)(3) alumni foundations that sustain the program’s mission.

The OFA is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment. Applicants from underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Teaching and Conducting

  • Serving as the primary conductor of the Radcliffe Choral Society (SSAA)
  • Co-conducting, with the DCA, the Glee Club (TTBB) and/or Collegium (SATB)
  • Leading large-scale works of the combined choruses and professional orchestras
  • Selecting concert repertoire
  • Commissioning composers
  • Directing the choruses on national and international tours

Student Mentoring

  • Supporting all activities of each chorus’s student executive committee
  • Overseeing the voice faculty and skill development curriculum of the Holden Voice Program
  • Participating in the planning of tours, residencies, festivals, and artistic partnerships
  • Mentoring student choral composers in the Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative
  • Designing community impact initiatives with student leaders
  • Elevating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as core values of the choral program

Program Administration

  • Connecting the work of the choral program to the resources our research university offers such as faculty counsel, innovative research centers, and relationships with community organizations across Greater Boston
  • Assisting the Alumni Choral Foundations with fundraising and event programming
  • Collaborating with staff in developing communication efforts for the choral program
  • Engaging with prospective students for Harvard’s admissions office
  • Curating the Bruce Humphreys Audio Archive of the Harvard Choruses

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Applicants should hold a master’s degree and a minimum of five years of conducting experience or the equivalent.
  • Experience in managing administration for choral ensembles, including concert production, tour planning, and community partnerships.
  • Commitment to both students and dynamic growth of the arts in higher education and the broader community.
  • Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communications skills
  • Conducting expertise in working with soprano-alto voices and SSAA choirs

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

  • Experience working with student and professional orchestras.
  • Conducting expertise in working with tenor-bass (TTBB) and mixed (SATB) ensembles.
  • A background in choral composition and/or vocal pedagogy is preferable.

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

  • Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
  • Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
    Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
  • Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
    Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
  • Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
  • Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
  • Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
  • Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

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Image Credit: Office for the Arts at Harvard