Summary
The Old Town School of Folk Music's Community Ventures program is a portfolio of fee and grant-based programs that operate in partnership with Chicago Public Schools and community partners primarily located in Chicago's south and west side neighborhoods. The Director of the Community Ventures program is responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of high-quality programs across the portfolio, deepening Old Town School's engagement with our current audiences and broadening the School's reach to new audiences in neighborhoods across Chicago.

Qualifications

• Highly creative thinker with a solid track record of accomplishment in program development and execution.


• Entrepreneurial Leadership experience taking complex projects from conception through development, funding, coalition building, production, and assessment.


• Experience and solid track record of applying for grants and tracking activities, expenses, etc.


• Experience managing a budget.


• Ability to build relationships within Old Town School, as well as with community partners, funders teaching artists, and program participants.


• Articulate and persuasive in oral and written communications; comfortable as a public speaker.


• Passion for and knowledge of the arts (especially music and dance) and arts education.


• Familiar with the landscape of Chicago funders, arts programmers, and artistic communities strongly preferred.


• Committed and dedicated to justice, addressing inequality, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and using music, dance, and the arts to heal and grow.


• Adept with current web and social media platforms as well as MS Office.


• Experience supervising direct reports and overseeing program staff.


• Five years of related experience required.


• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.


• Direct experience working with the arts and/or education communities on the south and west sides of Chicago strongly preferred.


• Ability to work a flexible schedule including nights and weekends.


• Ability to travel to program locations.


• Bilingual Spanish/English a plus.

Examples of Duties:
Reporting to the CEO, this senior leadership position is responsible for conceiving, developing, and producing a variety of new projects, and coordinating innovation across departments. The director produces an extensive calendar of one-off and drop-in programs, residencies with visiting artists, special events, and ambitious extended thematic engagement programs.

The Director of Community Ventures fulfills several related roles:

• As a planner, looks for creative solutions to ongoing issues and new directions for innovative project development, and looks for new opportunities to grow programs, partnerships, and funding.


• As a sustainability engineer, builds fiscally sound programs with appropriate input from within the School and the community.


• As a researcher, pursues data collection and/or seeks outside assistance in assembling relevant information to inform program direction.


• As a facilitator, brings together and catalyzes the work of ad-hoc working groups necessary for success.


• As a visionary, conceives new ideas for engaging audiences, and adapts best practices from across the creative economy.


• As a partner and colleague, is an enthusiastic and inspirational change leader.

If interested and qualified, please submit a resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks a motivated Dance & Movement Coordinator to maintain a comprehensive dance and movement curriculum for adults, teens and children.

Qualifications: Expertise in the language and practice of music and dance required. At least two years of prior experience in administration of similar dance and music programs is highly desired. Must be computer capable including Mac and/or PC skills, ideally with Filemaker experience. Must also be an effective communicator in verbal, electronic, and written forms, and have experience working with diverse groups.

If interested and qualified, please email resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks voice teachers to teach private lessons at the Armitage and Lincoln Square locations.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree (Music Education or Music Performance
  preferred)


• Minimum two years of teaching experience preferred


• Experience teaching private voice lessons preferred


• High level of musicianship and personal responsibility


• Ability to teach beginning through advanced levels required


• Ability to teach adolescents through adults


• Candidate with a knowledge of diverse vocal repertoire preferred


• Multi-instrumentalist a plus

For consideration, please send resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org.

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks piano teachers to teach group classes in its
newest location in the South Loop in partnership with Columbia College Chicago.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree (Music Education or Music Performance
  preferred)


• Minimum two years of teaching experience preferred


• Experience teaching piano in a group setting preferred


• High level of musicianship and personal responsibility


• Ability to teach beginning through advanced levels required


• Ability to teach young children through adults


• Candidate with a knowledge of diverse piano repertoire preferred


• Multi-instrumentalist a plus

For consideration, please send resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org.

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks piano teachers to teach private lessons at
the Armitage and Lincoln Square locations.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree (Music Education or Performance preferred)


• Minimum two years of teaching experience preferred


• Experience teaching private piano lessons preferred


• High level of musicianship and personal responsibility


• Ability to teach beginning through advanced levels required


• Ability to teach young children through adults


• Candidate with a knowledge of diverse piano repertoire preferred


• Multi-instrumentalist a plus

For consideration, please send resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org.

The Old Town School Music Store is seeking an outgoing and enthusiastic part time sales associate. We are looking for a gear-head with excellent customer service skills who has experience selling instruments, accessories, books, and other music-related items.

This person must be proficient at playing guitar and one other instrument, be able to restring guitars, answer technical customer questions and have excellent customer service skills. Must have a minimum of 2 years retail experience, preferably at a music store.

Experience with RAIN retail P.O.S. software is a plus, as are bilingual skills and back room experience restocking packing and shipping. Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends, is required.

Discounts at the school and some voluntary benefits are available for part-time employees. If interested and qualified, please email resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org.

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks a part-time teacher available on weekend and weekday mornings for its acclaimed early childhood music program, Wiggleworms® Classes are for children newborn to 5 years old accompanied by an adult and are taught by one teacher who accompanies themselves on guitar.

Qualifications:

• At least 3 years of experience teaching young children in a classroom setting


• Teachers must be creative, passionate about music, and be able to enthusiastically lead grown ups with their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in musical learning


• Must play guitar and be a strong singer


• Must have background in music and/or degree in music


• Experience working with infants, babies, and toddlers preferred


• Proficiency on another instrument preferred


• Fluency in Spanish a plus

Qualified candidates will be invited to audition. If interested and qualified, please email resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org. Please, no phone calls.

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks a part-time teacher available on Saturdays and weekday mornings for its acclaimed early childhood music program, Wiggleworms, which will soon be offered on the South Side through the Music Moves program. Classes are for children newborn to 5 years old accompanied by an adult.

At least three years of experience teaching young children in a classroom setting is required. Teachers must be creative, passionate about music, and be able to enthusiastically lead grownups and kids in musical learning with culturally responsive material. Must be an intermediate musician, a strong vocalist, have a background and/or degree in music, and open to a co-instructional teaching model. Performance experience singing for children is a big plus, as is fluency in Spanish.

Qualified candidates will be invited to audition. If interested and qualified, please email resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org.

Cleans and maintains buildings and facilities, usually during the night and early morning when the buildings are unoccupied. Must be available weekends and evenings.

Must be capable of basic physical labor such as mopping, sweeping, and hauling trash. Must be able to work unsupervised and complete set tasks in the time allowed. Basic mechanical and repair skills preferred. Able to address a wide array of physical and mechanical tasks and repairs.

This work can be physically demanding, requiring the following physical activities: reaching, bending, stooping, kneeling, crawling, lifting objects up to 50 pounds, standing, walking, climbing, grasping, feeling, and visual acuity. This work may include exposure to strong smells such as paint and thinners.

Examples of Duties:

• Mopping, dusting and sweeping.


• Emptying trash and moving to outside dumpsters.


• Cleaning and sanitizing restrooms.


• Returning equipment, supplies, and furniture to appropriate locations prior to the start of the business day.


• May perform minor repairs to facilities and equipment.


• May work on outside maintenance, shoveling snow, spreading salt, etcÉ


• Other duties as assigned.

If interested and qualified, please email resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org. Please, no phone calls.

The Old Town School of Folk Music seeks a part-time teacher available on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons/early evenings for its early childhood piano classes in Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree (early childhood education, music, or related field preferred.


• Minimum two years of teaching experience in an early childhood classroom setting preferred.


• Exceptional communication skills required.


• Must be a seasoned pianist and a tuneful vocal model with a background or degree in music.


• Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of developmentally appropriate early childhood education.


• Candidates must demonstrate a creative and energetic teaching approach rooted in singing games, active music making, and experiential learning.

Qualified candidates will be invited to interview and audition. If interested and qualified, please submit a resume and cover letter to hiring@oldtownschool.org.