Employment Opportunities
Youth Symphony of Kansas City is pleased to welcome applicants for a newly created part-time position: Communications and Marketing Associate.
Download this posting as a PDF.
Position Title: Communications and Marketing Associate
Structure: Part-Time, hourly, approximately 20 hours/week
Supervisor: Executive Director
Candidate Summary
Grammar commander. Branding maven. Polished writer and music lover. You appreciate writing, reading and telling a good story. You also have a bevy of red pens (and are unafraid to wield them). With an impeccable eye for clean lines, hierarchical design and a knack for conveying the right combination of images, words and videos, no story shall go untold on your watch.
Position Summary
The Communications and Marketing Associate is responsible for the implementation and curation of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City’s digital and print media messaging, ensuring brand and stylistic consistency across all communication channels. Responsibilities include content generation and propagation for the organization’s online presence; communication with members of the media; design/coordination of design of print advertising, external communications and all other collateral materials.
Organization Summary
Youth Symphony of Kansas City is a vibrant music education organization that provides enhanced orchestral experiences and builds the present and future classical music community. Through its four full orchestras and string programs, 450 students participate in the 2017-18 season, bringing live symphonic music to more than 15,000 annually in free concerts throughout the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The organization celebrates its 60th Anniversary Season in 2018-2019.
Students audition annually to participate in the program. In the most recent audition cycle, more than 700 musicians auditioned. Students perform concerts for community-wide audiences in cherished venues such as Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Folly Theater, Yardley Hall, the Gem Theater and others throughout the area. In April 2015, the organization relocated its administrative offices to the bustling Crossroads Arts District. In June 2018, 100 musicians participated in the Youth Symphony’s Austria Tour – its second international tour in three years.
At a time when some smaller arts organizations have struggled, Youth Symphony of Kansas City continues to thrive with steadily increasing interest in its programming, a commitment to engaging in new collaborations and a history of quality educational experiences and fiscal responsibility.
###
Youth Symphony of Kansas City
Position Description
Position Title: Communications and Marketing Associate
Structure: Part-Time, hourly, approximately 20 hours/week
Supervisor: Executive Director
Primary Duties
Communications and Public Relations (35%)
- Create a strategic communications plan in coordination with Executive Director and senior staff
- Write, edit, format and distribute content for digital and print including Youth Symphony eNews, website, program and concert descriptions, and other external communications
- Manage internal and external aspects for annual communications calendar and the production of collateral materials, including coordination of content with staff and production elements with vendors (designer, printer, mailhouse, etc.)
- Write, distribute and pitch media advisories and press releases; develop and maintain relationships with members of the media
- Manage YSKC photography archive and needs
- Create and distribute media kits and materials
Marketing (35%)
- With approval of Executive Director, appropriate marketing budget for media buys and advertising placements; manage contracts and negotiations with media and publication representatives
- Seek out area concert/event calendars and other outlets to promote YSKC concerts,
programs and special events - Oversee design, production and distribution of posters, postcards and other materials that promote YSKC concerts, auditions and other special events; personally design some materials in-house as needed (e.g. concert flyers, invitations)
- Manage and oversee ticketing aspects for concerts and special events
Social and Digital Media (25%)
- Create and manage digital media schedule and plan; keep abreast of trends and best practices in
order to guide organizational strategy - Generate, edit and curate content including, but not limited to, photos, copy, videos, audio and other elements for YSKC website, social media platforms and other digital channels
- Manage and monitor activity and presence of YSKC on social media platforms
- Adhere to and enforce the YSKC Social Media Guidelines
Miscellany (5%)
- Perform other duties as assigned
Desired Qualifications
- PREFERRED: Bachelor’s Degree or Associate’s Degree with 2+ years of previous experience
- PREFERRED: 1-3 years of experience within the field of communications
- Proactive, accountable and professional; ability to make sound judgment
- Excellent oral and written communication skills; excellent interpersonal skills
- Sense of humor and flexibility
- Creative thinker, with ability to receive and accept direction
Desired Skills
- Advanced ability in designing materials in Adobe Creative Suite – Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
- Advanced knowledge of social media trends and platforms
- Previous experience with WordPress, HTML, MailChimp (or similar platform), Formsite (or similar platform)
- Preferred, but not obligatory: Prior experience with Google Analytics and Google AdWords
Compensation/Workload
Compensation: $20/hour
Benefits: No benefits are associated with this part-time position.
Workload: Approximately 20 hours/week. Must be available to work in-office within regular hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday, ideally 4-8 hours per working day (days and start/end times are flexible within the aforementioned framework). Evening and weekend hours – in particular, Sunday afternoons – are required intermittently and counted as 1:1 hours from within the regular workweek.
Offers of employment are contingent upon the results of a criminal background check to be executed during the final stages of the hiring process. After six months of successful employment, a partial flexible/remote work schedule may be permitted, at the direct supervisor’s discretion.
To apply:
Send the following materials:
- Letter of application, resume, three references
- Professional writing sample
- One piece you’ve designed for print
- One piece you’ve designed for online/web
Please send all materials in PDF format to hr@youthsymphonykc.org using the email subject line: Communications.
Priority review deadline is Friday, July 20, however applications will be accepted until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.
EOE
Download this posting as a PDF.