Community Engagement Manager

Ravinia Festival Association • Highland Park, IL

13h • Onsite

About The Position

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. The ideal candidate embodies Ravinia’s values of inspiration, purpose, love, curiosity, and integrity, specifically the commitment to providing access to music and ensuring a high-quality experience for every program partner. This role encompasses three primary programmatic areas: Plans and implements Guest Artist in the Classroom performances in schools and community settings; Manages Reach Teach Play’s ticketing programs to welcome community organizations to concerts at Ravinia; and represents Reach Teach Play at public-facing events and community gatherings, serving as a welcoming presence and liaison for organizations, educators, and community members.

Requirements

• 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.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Commuter benefits
• TeleDoc options
• Life insurance
• Employee well-being program
• Basic life insurance
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• 4 weeks of paid parental leave
• Comprehensive time off plans (holidays, vacation, sick, and personal days)
• Generous employer-sponsored 401(a) retirement savings plan
• Employee-elected 403(b) and Roth 403(b) retirement savings plans
• Learning and mentorship opportunities
• Ravinia lawn tickets for two (general admission) to the grassy areas, ideal for picnics (valid for all concerts, except the Gala day concert).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree