In March 2011, Carnegie Hall and Canada’s
Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) partnered to create The Carnegie Hall Royal
Conservatory Achievement Program. The Achievement Program will establish
a nationally-recognized standard of musical achievement for people of all ages
studying music privately in the United
States, offering a sequential course of
study for students to follow from beginner through advanced levels.
Modeled on the internationally-renowned program and examination system
developed by RCM in Canada,
The Achievement Program is designed to motivate music students (children and
adults) to strive for excellence through participation in periodic individual
student assessments with professional adjudicators, enabling them to celebrate
their accomplishments and track their progress. With younger students, it
will assist parents who seek a better understanding of their children’s level
of performance and musical growth. The
program also supports and empowers independent music teachers by providing
opportunities for high-quality professional development and innovative teaching
resources, including sequential program guides, repertoire lists and online
educational resources. Teachers and
students can participate in The Achievement Program anywhere in the United States
with assessments held several times a year. Students of all ages are able
to take assessments in up to 90 U.S.
locations, with the number of locations expected to grow as the program
develops.
About the Partners
Founded in 1891, New York City’s Carnegie
Hall presents exceptional performances by the world’s finest artists on its
three stages – the renowned Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, the intimate Weill
Recital Hall, and the innovative Zankel Hall – ranging from orchestral
concerts, chamber music and solo recitals to jazz, world and popular music. Extensive music education and community
programs developed by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI) play a
central role in Carnegie Hall’s commitment to making great music accessible to
as many people as possible. The Weill
Music Institute’s school and community programs and online initiatives annually
serve more than 350,000 children, students, teachers, parents, young music
professionals, and adults in the New York metropolitan area, across the US, and
around the world. For more information on Carnegie
Hall or other Weill Music Institute national/international music programs,
please visit carnegiehall.org.
The Royal Conservatory
is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the
world. Providing the definitive standard
in music education through its curriculum, assessment, performance and teacher
education, the programs of The Royal Conservatory have had a substantial impact
upon the lives of millions of people globally. The Royal Conservatory has helped to train a
number of great artists, including Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, David Foster,
Sarah McLachlan, Angela Hewitt and Diana Krall.
Motivated by its powerful mission to develop human potential through
music and arts, The Royal Conservatory has emerged over the last two decades as
a leader in the development of arts-based programs that address a wide range of
social issues. The Toronto
home of The Royal Conservatory, The TELUS Center for Performance and Learning,
is Canada’s
leading facility for performance and music education. The 1,135-seat Koerner Hall of The Royal
Conservatory has been built without compromise and with a mission to provide
acoustic perfection for music of all genres. For more information, please visit rcmusic.ca.
BASIC
FUNCTION
Reporting to the Board of Directors,
the Executive Director will ensure the development and expansion of The
Achievement Program and its establishment as the national standard for music
study in the United States. Bringing a strategic perspective to the initiative,
this person will continue to develop and execute a comprehensive business plan
for the operation and growth of The Achievement Program.
The Executive Director will exercise
internal and external leadership to secure The Achievement Program’s mission
and objectives, while furthering, in partnership with Carnegie Hall and The
Royal Conservatory, the initiative’s curricular and programmatic integrity. This will be done through the constant review of adjudicators,
processes and materials, while ensuring that the assessment experience is of
the highest quality, remaining beneficial and aspirational for teachers, students
and their parents alike.
It will be part of the Executive Director’s job to build on the
organizational structure of the company currently consisting of 7 fulltime and
5 halftime employees and 10 Regional Leaders in the field. Directing a $4 million budget, this person will set benchmarks for
staff, balance internal management with external priorities and relationships, and
build support for The Achievement Program’s engagement and adoption.
This position is located in New York City and will require some initial time in Toronto.
PRIORITIES
AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Executive Director will facilitate the program’s
growth and expansion, and be expected to:
- Thoroughly
understand The Achievement Program and how it operates; develop a comprehensive
knowledge of its history, culture, mission, programs and constituents, as well
as its base of financial support;
- Establish a strong working
partnership with the Board of Directors; gain their trust and confidence, and
forge relationships that will elicit their best ideas and support for The
Achievement Program’s outreach and activities;
- Serve as an enthusiastic ambassador
and spokesperson for The Achievement Program to a wide variety of
constituencies; interact with and motivate a group of leading teachers and
advocates to generate large-scale adoptions of The Achievement Program;
- Articulate the merits of The
Achievement Program and the benefits of regular assessments; effectively communicate
The Achievement Program’s excellence and strength of results to current and
prospective clients;
- Establish and implement short- and
long-term goals, objectives, and operating procedures; report on milestones and
maintain a strong and positive
relationship with the Board of Directors as a whole, as well as with individual
members;
- Build and lead an effective and
cohesive team; assess the infrastructure, staffing (recruitment and training) and
operational effectiveness across all regions on an ongoing basis; make changes
as necessary so that The Achievement Program can operate efficiently and
effectively;
- Work closely with the Chief Academic
Officer to ensure that academic programs and materials are supported, appropriately
resourced, and configured towards a U.S.-based audience; utilize and coordinate
the resources available from Carnegie Hall and The Royal Conservatory of Music
for the benefit of The Achievement Program;
- Deepen and refine all aspects of
communications – from web presence to external relations – with a goal of generating
increased brand awareness of The Achievement Program in the United States;
- Oversee the operating plan and
budget
Qualifications:
IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have the
following experience and qualifications:
- Senior-level
management and leadership responsibility in an institution known for quality
and excellence or comparable private sector experience, coupled with a
demonstrated personal commitment to music education and substantial volunteer
or nonprofit board experience;
- Highly-developed
sales, marketing and leadership skills; product development and customer
service oriented, with demonstrated success in generating earned income;
- A
track record of conceiving and implementing innovative sales and marketing
strategies, plans and programs; a broad-based knowledge of the full range of
marketing techniques and tools, especially, the use of new media, including
digital and other interactive technologies;
- Demonstrated
ability to plan, implement and manage at both strategic and operational levels
– willing to both lead at a high level and be hands-on as needed; a proven
track record of achieving growth and scale of programs and business;
- Strong background and knowledge of the U.S.
education sector and specifically of the music education arena;
- Strong
financial and business skills; experience in setting and managing a large
budget;
- A
track record as an effective communicator orally and in writing; presence and
credibility to serve as an effective spokesperson for The Achievement Program;
- Conversant
with IT and the Internet and know how to leverage same to sell directly to
teachers and consumers/customers;
- National/International
market experience;
- At
least five years of experience as a successful senior executive; master’s degree
preferred.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
The
Executive Director should have a passion for music and the performing arts, be
entrepreneurial and outcomes oriented, and excited by the opportunity to
leverage proven sales and marketing skills to build The Achievement Program.
Additionally, this person must be:
- Dynamic,
creative and energetic, with a strong
work ethic and drive to move the organization forward and attain growth;
- A
leader who listens well, flexible when appropriate and yet is firm and decisive
when necessary; able to delegate, handle and prioritize multiple activities and
responsibilities; a diplomat who is able to negotiate skillfully with an
open-minded, patient and consultative manner;
- A
confident, intelligent and articulate self-starter and finisher, who is
creative and entrepreneurial, yet collaborative and team oriented; a superb
manager with excellent interpersonal skills; comfortable relating to a wide
range of different personalities and styles;
- Highly
organized and able to prioritize tasks and responsibilities; a problem solver
with outstanding interpersonal skills;
- An
emotionally-mature person, with a sense of humor and the sensitivity to work
with diverse personalities.
The Achievement Program is an Equal
Opportunity Employer that encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for
this position.
Please send a cover
letter and resume to Mark Tarnacki
at: TheAchievementProgram@PhillipsOppenheim.com