Community Engagement Manager

At Ravinia, we believe in the transformative power of shared, live-music moments and their ability to inspire individuals, strengthen communities, and foster a more connected world.

Beyond presenting outstanding performances by the world’s greatest musicians, our mission as a not-for-profit organization is to develop broader, more diverse audiences and performers in the music industry with our Reach Teach Play® community engagement and education programs, our Steans Institute’s collaborative and experiential artistic training programs, and more. Together, Ravinia’s initiatives serve tens of thousands of students, families, and emerging professional musicians.

Our 36-acre park is home to North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events, featuring a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers, make up a typical summer season across our open-air and indoor stages, including the annual residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The Community Engagement Manager advances Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education and community engagement programs by building and sustaining strong partnerships with schools, community partners, and cultural institutions. Serving as the primary liaison for new and existing program partners, this role manages engagement opportunities that deepen Ravinia’s connections among partner organizations, artists, and the diverse communities we serve.

Relationship-Building & Partner Stewardship (30%)

• Build new and sustain existing relationships with schools, community organizations, social service agencies, libraries, and cultural partners.

• Serve as the primary liaison for new and existing partners, ensuring consistent communication, coordination, and follow-through.
• Identify opportunities to deepen partner engagement and strengthen long-term collaboration.
• Represent the organization professionally in school and community settings as a trusted, responsive partner.

• Cultivate meaningful, diverse partnerships to expand access and deepen the impact of Reach Teach Play’s ticket distribution programs.

Program Administration (30%)

• Plan and manage scheduling, logistics, and coordination for community engagement programs across Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

• Prepare and communicate day-of logistics and run-of-show details to partner locations in advance, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and prepared; address questions and troubleshoot issues prior to the engagement.
• Serve as the internal point of coordination between guest artists, RTP operations, and external partners.

• Collaborate closely with the Director of Operations as the primary lead for ticketing program logistics and execution.

Program Execution (25%)

• Execute day-of-performance logistics and scheduling for guest artist appearances at schools, community sites, and Ravinia.

• Coordinate single-visit engagements across multiple locations
• Provide on-site support for performances (typically 45–60 minutes) to ensure smooth execution and artist readiness.
• Provide timely problem-solving and support for partners and artists during program delivery.

• Act as the dedicated point person for ticketing program groups, providing a warm welcome and on-the-ground support during Ravinia concerts.

Tracking & Reporting Engagement Results (15%)

• Track participation data, partner engagement, and program reach across all community engagement initiatives.

• Collect qualitative feedback from partners, artists, and participants.
• Maintain accurate records to support internal reporting, evaluation, and planning.
• Contribute data and insights to support grant reporting, institutional learning, and program refinement.

• Analyze ticketing data, including group type, request volume, and actual attendance, to track engagement and inform future outreach.

• Ability to provide clear and effective written and verbal communication tailored to diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to represent Reach Teach Play programs in public speaking opportunities to share program impact with community and partner audiences.
• Ability to cultivate and sustain strong interpersonal and community relations with diverse partners.
• Ability to manage the full lifecycle of community initiatives, coordinating everything from distribution logistics to pre-event communications to provide diverse audiences with equitable and seamless experiences.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating music programs, including multi-site logistics, detail-oriented program management, and adaptable problem-solving during live engagements.
• Experience developing tracking systems for participation experience to drive program analysis and reporting.

• Experience collaborating with artists, internal teams, and community partners to coordinate inclusive and mission-aligned programs.

• Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Community Engagement, or equivalent work experience

• 3-5 years of work experience in community engagement, arts administration, or related field

• Demonstrated focus on music, community engagement, and work with diverse communities preferred

• Relationship-Building & Partner Stewardship: Builds and sustains trusted community partnerships through clear communication and follow-through. Proactively identifies and executes opportunities to deepen long-term collaboration and maximize Reach Teach Play’s impact.

• Program Administration: Leads end-to-end program management for community engagement initiatives, ensuring seamless planning, stakeholder alignment, and execution that ensure smooth operations and strong partner experiences.
• Program Execution: Delivers well-organized, accessible live music experiences at schools, community centers, and at Ravinia.

• Tracking & Reporting Engagement Results: Drives program strategy by maintaining accurate participation and feedback data, and turning insights into stronger reporting, improved outreach, and continuous program refinement.