Program Assistant (Part-Time)
Reports to: Senior Program Manager, Ensembles
Organizational Background
At the Harmony Program, music changes lives every day. Through collective music-making, children from under-served communities explore new avenues and realize their full potential.
For over 15 years, the Harmony Program has distinguished itself by serving children in need, reaching them within their own communities, providing them with instruments and intensive, high quality musical training, and helping to develop in them the life skills that support their healthy development — musically, academically, and socially. The Harmony Program also recruits and trains accomplished musicians as its teachers and provides them with formal professional development training, observation and evaluation, access to a network of their peers, and competitive compensation for their services, with the goal of instilling in them a long-term commitment to community outreach and education.
The Harmony Program is inspired by Venezuela’s national youth orchestra system, “El Sistema.” Committed to improving society through music, El Sistema has gained international acclaim for the breadth of its reach, the quality of its musicians, and the power of its positive influence on the young lives it touches. In the spirit of El Sistema, the Harmony Program emphasizes the influence of music-making on social development, encourages learning through ensemble playing, fosters a supportive community for program participants and families, and requires of all involved a high degree of commitment to daily music study.
Role Overview
The Program Assistant is a key member of the administrative team who provides support for program activities, communication, data entry, inventory, registration, concerts and special events.
Key Responsibilities
- Communicate program information with families and teaching artists weekly via phone, email, and in-person interfacing
- Provide administrative oversight for weekly ensemble rehearsals as a primary on-site contact for students, families, teaching artists, and site partners
- Maintain accurate records and data collection for each student participating in programs, including student information, attendance and progress
- Organize and maintain digital and physical inventories of instruments, sheet music, and other materials
- Attend and assist with parent meetings and special events as needed
- Assist with creation, distribution, and collection of forms and materials
- Set-up and tear-down rehearsal spaces, events and performances
- Assist with event planning and management on concert days
Knowledge, Experience, and Skills Required
- 1-2 years of work experience in music, arts administration, or a related field
- Experience and/or passion for working with youth and youth programs
- Superior interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds
- Attention to detail, with strong organizational abilities and a clear, professional writing style
- Familiarity with orchestral and/or choral music education preferred
- Experience working with computers and data entry (Google Workspace, Canva, and Airtable preferred)
- Physical labor required; ability to move chairs, instruments, and supplies between locations and floors as needed
- A polite, positive, and professional demeanor
- Must be able to work in-office in Midtown Manhattan during the week, and on-site within an assigned borough on Saturdays throughout the school year
- Ability to speak another language (such as Spanish, Mandarin, French Creole, or Hindi) preferred
Additional Information
- The Program Assistant duties are performed from late August through early-June.
- In alignment with the DOE calendar, there may be weeks where this position is not scheduled to work based upon program needs and holidays
- Compensation: $25 per hour, average of 8-10 hours per week, with the majority of those hours happening on Saturdays. Additional hours may be needed during concert or gala season.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should email their resume to programs@harmonyprogram.org. Please include “Program Assistant” in the subject of your email.