Year-Round Staff Positions
Media and Communications Director
Eastern Music Festival (EMF), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational/artistic institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina, seeks an initiative-taking, creative, entrepreneurial professional with a proven track record across all marketing areas. Reporting directly to Eastern Music Festival’s Executive Director, the Media and Communications Director will cultivate and maintain positive relationships with current and potential program participants, audience members, faculty and staff, donors, corporations, foundations, media, and public entities through the design, development, and implementation of multifaceted marketing and communications strategies.
As a member of the EMF leadership team, the Media and Communications Director will ensure the marketing strategies align to help promote EMF’s educational and artistic vision. This is a high-profile role requiring the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities in a demanding environment, have exceptional attention to detail, and a mixed approach to maintaining an enduring identity for the Festival as a welcoming, inclusive, and premier performing arts cultural destination on local, national, and global levels. The position hires and supervises two seasonal interns, is point person with various design and production sub-contractors, coordinates seasonal photography and video needs, and manages all advertising partnerships.
Duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating a multi-channel local and national marketing strategy for summer study recruitment, seasonal programming, and patron engagement
- Generate consistent communications strategies across multiple platforms connecting students, faculty, alumni, donors, and patrons to memorable musical experiences
- Responsible for overall brand visibility of EMF’s identity via print collateral, marketing outreach, and online content to drive contributed and earned revenue goals
- Lead the media and public relations for the organization, secure feature articles listings; radio, TV, newspaper, and magazine interviews; concert reviews and other editorial coverage; maintain strong relationships with media influencers, journalists, and editors
- Write, edit, and manage print copy, website copy and content, e-newsletters, social media content
- Coordinate with box office and front-line audience services staff; freelance graphic designers and photographers; and freelance copywriters and program note writers
- Oversee season publication collateral, including EMF’s annual 140+-page playbill, selecting and working closely with content, design, and print vendors; determining content and production deadlines; gathering and editing faculty, performer, and guest artist biographies, supervising production activities, securing purchased and trade playbill advertising
- Drive sales of annual inventory of 12,000+ tickets and generating audience for non-ticketed performances/events
- Collaborate with administrative and artistic colleagues to set and manage annual marketing budget. This includes strategic planning and management of the Festival’s advertising campaign
- Represent EMF at public events, speaking engagements, conferences, and student recruitment activities
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher is required. Post-graduate and/or arts administration degree is a plus.
- 5+ years of direct experience in media planning, communications, public relations, brand management, marketing strategies, arts administration, or related fields.
- Experience planning and executing marketing campaigns across multiple communications channels
- Availability and willingness to work long hours during the Festival season of June and July, as well as evenings and weekends, as needed, for special events and meetings throughout the year
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
- Personal and professional commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion in the arts
- Proficient in MS Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, WordPress, Mail Chimp, social media applications
- Experience with project management and online communication tools, Google Analytics
- Experience with photography and videography editing and production
- Knowledge of and passion for classical music and education; familiarity with performing arts and arts education
- Ability to mentor and lead seasonal interns in a fast-paced, dynamic, collaborative atmosphere
- Comfortable multi-tasking and working with a variety of teams and committees
EMF’s offices are located in downtown Greensboro, and the EMF Media and Communications Director must reside in the greater Greensboro/Triad region. Overnight travel is infrequent.
Compensation and Benefits:
$45,000 – $65,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience
Paid vacations and holidays
Health insurance plan
Flexible work hours
403(b) retirement plan (proposed)
About Eastern Music Festival
Founded in 1961, Eastern Music Festival’s mission is to promote musical enrichment, excellence, professional collaboration, innovation, and diversity through a nationally recognized teaching program, music festival, concerts, and other programs that will enhance the quality of life, health, and vitality of our region.
Eastern Music Festival is distinctive, set apart by our accomplished faculty, exhilarating repertoire, brilliant students, world-renowned visiting artists, and extensive community outreach. We provide an unmatched educational opportunity for talented, dedicated, young musicians between the ages of 14 and 23 from throughout the United States and around the globe.
Our core festival programming (presented during our five-week Festival each summer) features more than 60 concerts performed by an acclaimed faculty of professional musicians, guest artists of remarkable talent from around the world, and 265+ young artists. As budget and year-round calendar allow, EMF presents additional programs throughout the year that are designed to foster audience engagement, diversity, and growth.
We are global ambassadors for Greensboro and a visible and respected international arts and educational institution.
To Apply
To apply, please submit your résumé, a cover letter, three references, and a portfolio/writing samples to cwilliams@easternmusicfestival.org. Please include “Media and Communications Director” in the email subject line.
It is our sincere intention to have a candidate starting in this position in January 2022. Applications will be reviewed as received, and the position will remain open until a candidate is hired.
The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.
Summer Staff Employment
Come work with us next summer! Being a part of Eastern Music Festival is rewarding. Each position is highly valued and provides professional experience in each area of expertise. Summer staff positions for the 2023 season are now posted.
You may apply by submitting the EMF Application Form with the additional materials listed with each position. Email all application materials to info@easternmusicfestival.org with “EMF Summer Employment” in the subject line.
*2/17/23 – The White House announced earlier this month that the Federal government will be ending the COVID-19 health emergency in May. The EMF Board of Directors takes this as the signal for us to do the same and relax the festival’s strict vaccination policies that were established in 2021. Until further notice, Eastern Music Festival will STRONGLY recommend but not require that all participants, including staff and employees, be vaccinated. If and as guidance from the government changes, we will consider further changes to our vaccination policy, including possible reimplementation of the vaccination requirement. We continue to recommend that everyone follow professional medical guidance, vaccinate as recommended, and take the steps necessary to ensure their health and the health of those around them.
Counselor
EMF’s counseling staff ensures the physical and emotional well-being of EMF students and contributes to a positive learning environment. By consistently implementing established policies, addressing student concerns, resolving conflicts, and providing needed services, counselors play an important day-to-day role at the Festival.

Head Counselor
The Head Counselor plays an leadership role in supporting the functions and morale of the counselor cohort. EMF’s counseling staff ensures the physical and emotional well-being of EMF students and contributes to a positive learning environment. By consistently implementing established policies, addressing student concerns, resolving conflicts, and providing needed services, counselors play an important day-to-day role at the Festival.

Associate Dean of Students
The Associate Dean of Students, as a member of EMF’s leadership, shares responsibility for the welfare of the student body. They will play a pivotal role in preparing, leading, supervising and supporting the Music Festival’s counseling staff and in ensuring that students are well-supervised and that issues, should they arise, are dealt with promptly and professionally.

Assistant Front of House Manager
Front of House staff work together to seamlessly produce and manage each public event, including all concerts, recitals and open rehearsals. You will be integral to making sure Festival audiences have a smooth experience in arriving, being admitted and seated at concerts, as well as handle behind the scenes planning and leadership work to manage student usher and parking crews.

Assistant to the Director of Education
The Assistant to the Director of Education will perform general clerical and administrative duties to support students, staff and general Festival operations. They will also play a leading role in assisting key administrative Festival operations for the Classical Guitar Summit and Euphonium Tuba Institute.

Assistant to the Director of Operations
The Assistant to the Director of Operations supports the activities of the Director of Operations in overseeing day-to-day operation of the Festival, guest artist logistics, and other key functions.

Guest Artist Liaison
The Guest Artist Liaison supports the Director of Operations and Assistant to the Director of Operations in overseeing day-to-day operation of the Festival, and is a key staff member for supporting guest artist logistics.

Outreach Performance Coordinator
The Outreach Performance Coordinator will assist the Director of Operations and Director of Education in supporting off-campus outreach events and performances. Duties will range from logistical and administrative management of selecting venues, being a point of contact between EMF and outreach locations, assisting operations with organizing transportation off campus, and more.

Assistant to the Executive Director
The Assistant to the Executive Director will have the opportunity to gain experience in many areas of arts administration. The position supports the Executive Director and will include duties such as assisting with planning and executive special events, board correspondence, and other clerical and administrative responsibilities.

Assistant Librarian
The Assistant Librarian will assist with the EMF music library, handling duties including marking orchestra parts as directed by the Music librarian, handle and distribute music for orchestra rehearsals and concerts, and more. The Assistant Librarian will gain and hone experience in operating the music library of a bustling professional orchestra and festival.

Assistant Stage Manager
The Assistant Stage Manager will assist with the management of a professional concert series and gain experience in the design, setup, and execution of lighting and sound needs for a variety of rehearsal/performance venues. Additionally, they will schedule and supervise the student work-study stage crew.

Media and Communications Associate
In partnership with the Campus Greensboro Fellows Program. The Media and Communications Associate serves EMF as a key summer team member, working under the close supervision of the Media and Communications Director and other EMF administrative staff. The Media and Communications Associate supports the Festival for ten weeks*: during pre-season (June 1st – June 23), during the five-week Festival (June 24 – July 29), and during post-season wrap-up (July 30 - August 4), all with flexible hours depending on Festival schedule, events, performances, and content needs.
Position Name
Lorum ipsum position description. Woof.