Concerts Assistant

Please apply by downloading an application form from The Purcell School website and submit with your supporting statement. CVs will not be accepted.

The Purcell School for Young Musicians is looking for an outstanding Concerts Assistant to assist the Concerts and Events Manager with the management and organisation of all external and internal concerts. As part of a dynamic team in the music department, this is a rare opportunity to further a career in the arts.

If you are passionate about music and administration, have an excellent eye for detail, can demonstrate outstanding organisational and communication skills, and like working with young people, this could be the role for you. We offer a unique opportunity to work in an environment that is both a school and a professional concert promoter: we are a truly outstanding music school, and we have an ambitious and inspiring artistic programme. We give many performances every week in school and several times a year we appear at prestigious venues in London, around the UK and overseas. Some of the world's best musicians visit regularly to teach, perform or give masterclasses.

You will enjoy a busy role with many varied responsibilities, interacting with colleagues, students and parents, eminent guest artists, and major arts venues. You will be involved in the organisation and management of all internal school concerts, masterclasses, workshops and other musical events, as directed by the Concerts and Events Manager.

JOB SPECIFICATION

The Purcell School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All members of staff are ultimately answerable to the Principal.
Your line manager will be the Concerts and Events Manager.

This job specification sets out the principal duties of the post at the time of drafting. Specific responsibilities are as follows:

• Organising and managing all internal school concerts, masterclasses, workshops and other musical events, as directed by the Concerts and Events Manager.
• Arranging logistics and stage management of daily lunchtime concerts and evening concerts, preparing and publishing programmes for lunchtime and evening concerts at the School.
• Providing the Heads of Department with up to date registers for lunchtime concert attendance.
• Organising the moving of instruments and preparation of performance and rehearsal spaces at the School.
• Providing support for rehearsals when requested by the Concerts and Events Manager and Heads of Department, by setting up for orchestras, arranging for equipment to be moved, assisting the Music Librarian with the signing out of orchestral parts, and liaising with the Timetabler for scheduling of spaces.
• Assisting the Concerts and Events Manager with forward planning, including: taking minutes for Concert Panel meetings and distributing to appropriate staff members.
• Attending Programming meetings and Music Department meetings.
• Liaising with the Heads of Department and Staff Accompanists to co-ordinate the programming of events.
• Acting as the main point of contact for pupils, staff, parents and members of the public for concert enquiries.
• Looking after visiting artists for masterclasses, workshops and other events, by arranging travel, accommodation, meeting and greeting, and scheduling appropriate rehearsal/Green Room/concert spaces as appropriate.
• Assisting the Concerts and Events Manager with the organisation of external concerts, including: making transport and catering arrangements for concerts including for pupils attending as audience.
• Completing trip forms and risk assessments as appropriate.
• Obtaining permissions and notifying staff, pupils and parents of concert arrangements.
• Liaising with the Music Technology department to arrange specific recordings, and using Automatic Recording System to ensure all internal concerts are recorded.
• Managing the distribution of external concert recordings.
• Maintaining and updating concert performance and financial records, ensuring the timely invoicing of promoters for concert fees and payment to visiting artists.
• Keeping track of all student recharges and liaising with the Finance Office to ensure timely billing.
• Working with the Concerts and Events Manager to publicise concerts as appropriate on the School website, via social media channels and assisting in the preparation of printed flyers and the termly concert guide.
• Staffing an agreed number (approx. 10-12 per term) of internal and external concerts alongside other members of the Music Department, including evenings and weekends where required. This includes venue liaison and stage management.
• Liaising with the Estates department over the use of the school minibus and driver as required.
• Maintaining and editing pupil biographies.
• Maintaining concert archives, including programmes, photographs and audio/video recordings.
• Carrying out any other duties within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job, as requested by the Concerts and Events Manager, Heads of Department or Senior Leadership Team.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This is a full time post to start as soon as possible. Some home working within school holidays is possible.

The salary will be circa GBP26,000, according to the successful candidate's experience, with a contributory pension scheme.

Children of staff are not eligible to be educated at the School except through the normal admissions and audition process.

Lunch and supper (when there is an evening event) can be taken free of charge at School during term time.

The Purcell School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All applicants should read the School's Child Protection policy, which is available on our website, and are required to declare any criminal convictions or cautions, or disciplinary proceedings related to young people. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including records checked and processed through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The Purcell School is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes application from appropriately qualified people regardless of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, religion, disability or age. Candidates will be assessed against relevant criteria only (i.e. skills, qualifications, abilities, experience) in selection and recruitment.