Artistic Operations Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

The New England Conservatory, an independent not-for-profit institution, is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools, educating and training musicians of all ages from around the world. With approximately 750 music students representing more than 40 countries, NEC cultivates a diverse, dynamic community for students, providing them with performance opportunities and high-caliber training by 225 internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of making and teaching music through college-level musical training in classical, jazz, and Contemporary Improvisation. It offers unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships that empower students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC's mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Division of Expanded Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, and adults.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Dean and Chief Artistic Officer, the Artistic Operations Coordinator will be primarily responsible for providing essential administrative support for the Office of the Dean and Chief Artistic Officer, as well as the Conservatory’s performance departments, including Jazz & CMA, Voice/Opera, Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Piano, and Composition. The Coordinator will support the Dean and Chief Artistic Officer with managing calendars and workflows, ensuring that projects and tasks are completed in a timely manner and at the highest level, and will have the ability to focus on the day-to-day coordination of departmental needs and events – coordinating schedules, processing payments, and maintaining the internal communication flow for faculty and students. A successful candidate will have keen attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and a collaborative spirit in working with various departments, including Production and Venue Operations, Scheduling, Marketing and Communications, Advancement and Engagement, and the Office of Executive Leadership. This is an in-person position, with occasional evening and weekend hours required. 

Key Responsibilities

1. General Administrative & Scheduling Support

• Provide comprehensive administrative and general scheduling support for the office of the Dean and Chief Artistic Officer to ensure efficient daily operations and timely follow-through on strategic initiatives.

• Serve as an administrative liaison between the Dean’s office and various stakeholders, including faculty, staff, and external partners, and ensure that crucial information and details are communicated to the appropriate parties.

• Maintain project management timelines for the Dean’s office and ensure that deadlines are met.

• Serve as administrative coordinator for the Composition department and Early Music program.

2. Contracting and Financial Administration

• Support the Associate Dean of Artistic Administration with guest artist activities and residencies, ensuring an organized and successful experience for guest artists and students across multiple departments.

• Issue and track all contracts for guest artists, visiting faculty, and outside designers, in close coordination with performance department administrators.

• Coordinate with the Business Office to ensure timely payment of fees and honoraria, including international payments for non-U.S. citizens.

• Maintain, revise, and distribute departmental handbooks and ensure both paper and electronic files are updated regularly.

• Create and update regular reports and schedules of concerts, events and guest artist visits, and distribute to administrative departments, including Marketing and Communications and Advancement and Engagement.

• Monitor budgets related to guest artist activities, including travel and lodging expenses.

3. Scheduling & Event Logistics

• Provide season planning support to the Dean and Chief Artistic Officer, Associate Dean of Artistic Administration, Director of Performance and Venue Operations, and their respective teams. 

• Work closely with the Production and Venue Operations and the Recording and Performance Technology Services staff in ensuring that all logistics and production elements for major events and concerts are executed at the highest levels.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

• 1 to 2 years of experience in an administrative role, preferably within an arts or educational environment.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel) and Google Workspace; experience with ArtsVision, and room scheduling software is a plus.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for managing complex data and schedules.

• Exceptional judgment and discretion in time-sensitive situations; ability to work nights and weekends for concerts and production weeks.

• Some evening and weekend hours will be required to support events. 

NEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

Annual Clery Report

In accordance with the federal Clery and Campus SaVE Acts, New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) commits to providing all current and prospective students and employees with access to the annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report. This report will provide the reader with a record of statistics regarding crimes that were reported in the NEC community during the previous three years as well as College policies and procedures, in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. This report may be accessed here. A paper copy can be requested by contacting NEC's Director of Public Safety at 290 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115.