Community Engagement Specialist Jobs in California

Job Title: Director of Education & Community Engagement

FLSA Status: Full-time, Exempt

Supervises: Associate Director of Youth Ensembles, Associate Director of Education & Community Engagement, Education Programs Manager, and Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Ensembles Conductors and Directors

Job Location: Santa Rosa, CA

Reports to: President & CEO

Overview: Santa Rosa Symphony (SRS) is one of the Bay Area’s leading nonprofit performing arts organizations. With a $6 million operating budget, SRS presents over 40 performances along with a robust portfolio of music education programs–offered through its Institute for Music Education (IME)–that inspire and engage 50,000+ people each season. A key member of SRS's senior management team, the Director of Education & Community Engagement provides strategic leadership and overall direction for the IME and its comprehensive portfolio of education and community engagement programs. The Director establishes departmental vision, priorities, goals, and standards; leads long-range planning and program development; oversees departmental financial and administrative performance; and ensures the quality, impact, and continued evolution of SRS's education and community engagement initiatives.

The Director leads a team of talented administrators responsible for major IME programmatic areas, and empowers these administrators to oversee the day-to-day planning, administration, and delivery of programs within their respective portfolios. The Director provides coaching, guidance, accountability, and coordination across these areas while maintaining overall responsibility for departmental outcomes.

The Director of Education & Community Engagement will also represent SRS with other arts, education, and civic organizations to promote effective working partnerships in the community.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

SRS’s Education Department oversees a vibrant, impactful, and expanding portfolio of musical enrichment and learning programs that serve music lovers of all ages from across the North Bay and beyond. These programs include:

· Music for our Schools, through which SRS offers programs for schoolchildren at their school and as field trips. Programs include It’s Elementary, In-School Performance Assemblies, Free Concerts for Youth, Elementary School Listening Program, and Youth Discovery Concert Cards.

· Training Young Musicians, which comprises six beginning to advanced ensembles, including two string ensembles, three orchestras, and a jazz ensemble; international touring activities for Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra; and a three-week Summer Music Academy.

· Simply Strings, a highly regarded after-school program inspired by El Sistema, a social action music network, provides daily music fundamentals and string instrument instruction to students from grades one through eight in the underserved Roseland neighborhood of Santa Rosa.

· Community Engagement Events, including the affordable, fun, and educational Snoopy Family Concert Series, pre-concert instrument “petting zoos,” and performances by both professional and youth ensembles at Sonoma County Library branches, senior residences, and other venues across Sonoma County.

· Adult Learning Programs, including the Discovery Open Rehearsals for each Classical Series concert set, pre-concert talks before every Classical and Pops Series performance, master classes with luminary guest artists, community-based music appreciation courses, and classes in beginning level strings.

Programs

· Provide strategic leadership and overall direction for SRS’s portfolio of education and community engagement programs, ensuring alignment with SRS’s mission, strategic plan, artistic priorities, and financial resources.

· In collaboration with direct reports, supervise the planning, administration, assessment, and continued development of programs within their respective portfolios.

· Establish department-wide goals, standards, priorities, and measures of success, and ensure accountability for achieving established programmatic and organizational goals and objectives.

· Attend youth ensemble rehearsals, performances, and events, as well as the Summer Music Academy, as needed, to ensure quality and successful running.

· Supervise the development of all support materials including the curriculum for the Summer Music Academy, Simply Strings, It’s Elementary, and other programs, as needed.

· Foster coordination and collaboration among program areas to ensure a cohesive vision and exceptional participant experience across the Institute for Music Education. Evaluate programs and identify opportunities for innovation, expansion, partnership, or strategic realignment based on community needs, organizational priorities, available resources, and demonstrated impact. Maintain appropriate high-level engagement with youth ensemble conductors and directors, faculty, teaching artists, participants, families, schools, and community partners while delegating routine program administration to direct reports.

Budget and Planning

· In consultation with the President & CEO and other senior staff, develop the budget for all educational activities/programs; monitor the progress of each, and adjust plans if necessary. Prepare budget projections, as needed.

· Oversee departmental financial performance and ensure systems are in place for the timely and accurate submission of income and expenses through the finance department.

· Maintain accurate records and tracking of finances.

· In partnership with the President & CEO and the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee, lead the implementation of education-centric strategies in SRS’s new five-year strategic plan, including those taking place during the centennial season in 2027-28.

· In consultation with the President & CEO and Music Director, establish educational and community engagement goals and policies for SRS, and develop a plan for achieving these goals.

· Stay abreast of recent research, trends, and emerging best practices in arts and music education, community engagement, and nonprofit management, and guide the department in applying such knowledge where beneficial.

Administrative

· Lead, mentor, support, and evaluate performance of education staff, seasonal faculty (coaches and instructors), and volunteers.

· Serve as part of the senior management team, and assist the President & CEO in setting and implementing administrative and other policies as established by SRS.

· Maintain effective communication with the President & CEO, Music Director, other department directors, the Board, youth ensemble conductors and directors, education staff, League, and other volunteers. Ensure strong coordination across the department and with other areas of the organization.

· Maintain overall accountability for departmental administration, program records, calendars, facilities and partner relationships, the Education Music Library, and the department’s inventory of musical instruments, while delegating day-to-day maintenance and tracking responsibilities appropriately.

Community and Public Relations

· Provide overall direction for Education Department communications, ensuring their quality, consistency, and accuracy. Consistently present the image of the Education Department in a strong, positive way to youth ensemble musicians, parents, donors, and the broader community.

· Serve as SRS’s senior staff representative for education and community engagement with local school music teachers, school districts, college/university music departments, community organizations, civic leaders, and other external partners. Cultivate and sustain high-level relationships that advance SRS’s educational mission and community impact.

· In collaboration with the Marketing Director, be a resource in the design and creation of all marketing materials for Education programs, including concert program books, brochures, newsletters, concert programs, flyers, news releases, advertisements, and special promotions.

· Lead the development of significant community partnerships and new collaborative initiatives, delegating implementation and ongoing relationship management as appropriate.

Fundraising

· In collaboration with the development and marketing departments, play an integral role in the planning and implementation of all revenue generation activities, such as the practice-a-thon, SRSYO tour campaigns, merchandise sales, concert program advertising, and annual League events. Assist the Director of Development in the cultivation and stewardship of donors supporting education programming, as needed.

· Collaborate with the Development staff in developing institutional funding proposals, identifying funding opportunities, and ensuring accurate and compelling reporting on funded programs and outcomes.

Other

· Serve as staff liaison for the Board of Directors’ Education Committee. Attend meetings and work with the chair of the committee to provide reports, agendas, minutes, and planning of activities.

Qualifications:

· 7+ years of experience in music, arts, or education field, preferably in the nonprofit sector.

· Bachelor’s degree in music, education, arts administration, or a related field a plus.

· Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to work effectively with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.

· Experience as a department or program head, with excellent leadership, managerial, conceptual, and analytical skills, including the ability to facilitate the effective management of several distinct and diverse programs simultaneously.

· Experience in budget planning and management, with sound judgment and the ability to make responsible programmatic and fiscal decisions that satisfy educational and organizational goals while aligning with budgetary framework.

· Exceptional attention to detail and project management skills, including the ability to coordinate multiple tasks, set appropriate priorities, manage time, and meet deadlines.

· Proficiency with computers and cloud-based software, including Microsoft 365, CRM databases, and SaaS programs.

· Passion for classical music, music education, and the performing arts, and desire to further love of, and participation in, music in the community.

· Valid California driver’s license.

Working Conditions:

· Ability to sit or stand for prolonged periods of time.

· Ability to work on a computer in an office environment.

· Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds periodically.

Position:

The Director of Education & Community Engagement is a full-time, exempt position based at SRS’s office in Santa Rosa. SRS offers a hybrid work environment to its administrative employees. In addition to regular business hours Monday-Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm, some weekend and evening hours throughout the year will be required for performances, educational activities, meetings, and other events.

Compensation:
Salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000, depending on experience. Compensation package includes 100% employer-sponsored health, dental, vision and long-term disability insurance, 401k plan with employer match, and generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave.

To Apply:

Email cover letter and resume as a single PDF by Friday, October 23, 2026, to J. Andrew Bradford, President & CEO, at abradford@srsymphony.org. Include job title in subject line. No phone calls, please.

Santa Rosa Symphony is committed to providing equal opportunity for all persons employed or seeking employment with SRS. SRS will recruit, hire, retain, promote, and otherwise treat all employees and job applicants equally, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, medical condition, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

About Santa Rosa Symphony

Now in its 99th season, the Santa Rosa Symphony is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in the western states. Located in Sonoma County’s picturesque wine country, Santa Rosa, California has forged an identity as a place in love with arts and culture. Few cities in America of comparable size support a regional symphony association so vital, dynamic, and innovative.

Santa Rosa Symphony is the resident orchestra performing in Weill Hall at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center. The 1,400-seat Weill Hall is magnificent and impressive, featuring beautiful views of the rolling hills. One of the most acoustically-superb concert venues in the world, Weill Hall was designed to replicate the intimacy and acoustics of Vienna’s Musikverein and Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, where the Boston Symphony performs during the summer.

Santa Rosa Symphony performs seven classical concert sets – with three performances of each set – in Weill Hall from October through May. Other programs that reach diverse local audiences include a Pops Series, Snoopy Family Concert Series, Symphony Uncorked series of summer concerts at local wineries, a series of small ensemble performances at the Brannan Center in Calistoga, and Free Concerts for Youth.

Francesco Lecce-Chong, our Artistic & Music Director, joined the organization in 2018 and is now in his ninth season. A Solti Foundation Award winner, the Boulder, Colorado native began conducting at the age of 16 and graduated from the Mannes College of Music and Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Otto-Werner Mueller. His captivating command at the podium draws rave reviews.

Widely recognized as one of the area’s premier cultural institutions, the Santa Rosa Symphony is not only renowned for artistic excellence, but also acclaimed for our outstanding Institute for Music Education. Through ambitious community outreach, we nurture bright futures for 20,000+ youth annually. Music education programs include: six youth ensembles, an instructional summer music academy, in-school programs, and Free Concerts for Youth at Green Music Center.

The Santa Rosa Symphony Association is governed by a 36-member Board of Directors and run by a dedicated, professional staff. The Symphony is supported by active Emeritus Advisors, the Santa Rosa Symphony League, and countless other contributors: loyal and generous sponsors, donors, patrons, and volunteers. SRS is financially sound and has maintained a cash-positive position for over two decades. The Santa Rosa Symphony is a member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras and the League of American Orchestras.

For more information, visit www.srsymphony.org.

Pay: $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person