EMPLOYMENT
You can help us enrich lives through music!
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Are you a teaching artist, music educator, or passionate about working in music education?
The San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory is expanding and we would like to keep you informed as positions become available. If you share our passion for instilling the magic of music in students then one of the positions listed below may be the perfect match for you.
We also appreciate when you spread the word to your friends and colleagues. You can help us enrich lives through music!
For more information or to apply for a position, please send your resume and a thoughtful cover letter to the Hiring Manager at hr@keynote-music.org. No phone calls, please.
CURRENT OPENINGS
Opus Project Teaching Artist – Strings
- Position Type: Part-time, Non-exempt
- Compensation: $46-50/hr. for Teaching – $24/hr. for Preparation
- Schedule: Weekday afternoons at school sites in Santee and/or Chula Vista, with occasional evenings and weekends for training, events, and concerts. Schedule and hours dependent on program needs.
About Us:
San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) has been setting the bar for excellence in music education for more than 80 years. We are passionate about instilling musical and personal growth in young people through rigorous, joyful, and inclusive ensemble experiences. At SDYS, students grow not just as musicians but as leaders, collaborators, and citizens of their community.
Role Overview:
As an Opus Project Strings Teaching Artist, you will provide beginning instrumental instruction in strings to students in group classes and full ensembles. Working as part of a team in our after-school programs at public schools in the San Diego County region, you’ll create a joyful and holistic environment for musical learning and help students grow in confidence, leadership, and creativity through music.
Key Responsibilities:
- Teach beginning strings students in group classes and full ensembles at after-school program sites
- Develop and deliver engaging lesson plans, set clear learning goals, and assess student progress
- Create a safe, consistent, and inclusive learning environment with clear expectations
- Inspire students through your own musical curiosity, artistry, and constructive feedback
- Build collaborative relationships with students, families, colleagues, and school partners
- Record attendance, document student progress, and participate in meetings and professional development
- Maintain required work clearances, certifications (e.g., TB testing, LiveScan fingerprinting, CPR/First Aid), and training
Qualifications:
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in a music field, or equivalent experience
- Excellent musicianship and artistry as a teacher/performer on a string instrument
- Strong knowledge of string-specific repertoire, curriculum, and pedagogy
- Classroom management skills sensitive to students’ diverse experiences and needs
- Ability to work well with a team that is passionate about music education
- Spanish/English or Vietnamese/English bilingualism is an asset
Compensation & Benefits:
Compensation: $46-50/hr. for Conducting & $24/hr. for Prep
Benefits:
- Accrued Paid Sick Leave
- Optional 401(K), unmatched
Free tuition in SDYS programs for employee household and free employee instrument loans when available - Discounts at participating Balboa Park and NTC Liberty Station vendors and free admission to participating museums in Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo
How To Apply:
If you are passionate about music education and want to make a difference in the community, we would love to hear from you. Please email your resume and cover letter to hr@keynote-music.org.
SDYS is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, opportunities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws. Please reach out to hr@keynote-music.org with any request for accommodations.
Production Assistant
- Position Type: Part-time, Non-exempt
- Compensation: $20/hr.
- Schedule: Primarily weekends, with some weekday evenings, based on program needs
About Us:
San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) has been setting the bar for excellence in music education for more than 80 years. We are passionate about instilling musical and personal growth in young people through rigorous, joyful, and inclusive ensemble experiences. At SDYS, students grow not just as musicians but as leaders, collaborators, and citizens of their community.
Role Overview:
As a Production Assistant, you will help create a welcoming atmosphere and contribute to the success of rehearsals, concerts, and events across SDYS programs. Reporting to the Associate Director, Production & Operations, you will handle the many and varied jobs that keep a rehearsal day running, from setting the room before students arrive to loading out after a concert. This position is often the first face a family sees when they walk in the door, and it plays a vital role in making SDYS feel organized, safe, and welcoming to everyone who comes through it.
Key Responsibilities:
- Set up rehearsal rooms, including chairs and stands, for all SDYS ensembles every Saturday and/or Sunday and some weekday evenings, ensuring student safety at all times
- Set up equipment and instruments according to schedules, and move music equipment between buildings and spaces as needed
- Welcome students, families, and visitors to rehearsals and events, and answer questions
- Copy, prepare, and distribute music under the guidance of the Music Librarian
- Check out instruments and supplies, process broken instruments, and receive donations under the guidance of the Instrument Librarian
- Handle sales of SDYS merchandise, snacks, and instrument supplies as needed, following SDYS cash handling procedures
- Enlist and assist students and parent volunteers in setup and breakdown
- Assist with all elements of concert production and special events, including advance planning, dress rehearsals, load-in and load-out, stage setup, and student supervision
Qualifications:
- Experience with music and/or event production
- Personable and outwardly friendly, with the ability to deliver effective customer service to students, parents, visitors, and artistic faculty
- Positive, proactive, and creative problem solver
- Able to follow direction and also work independently
- Knowledge of orchestral and band instruments, with the ability to read music notation, including orchestral scores and part distribution
- Able to lift and move equipment weighing up to 40 pounds in and out of trucks and across rooms and buildings
- Availability to work Saturdays and/or Sundays during the rehearsal season, plus some weekday rehearsals, concerts, and events
- Local travel within San Diego County required
- High school diploma or GED required; some college preferred
- Bilingualism in English and Spanish, Mandarin, or Korean is an asset
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation: $20/hr.
Benefits:
- Accrued Paid Sick Leave
- Optional 401(K), unmatched
Free tuition in SDYS programs for employee household and free employee instrument loans when available - Discounts at participating Balboa Park and NTC Liberty Station vendors and free admission to participating museums in Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo
How To Apply:
If you are passionate about music education and want to be a part of the SDYS community, we would love to hear from you. Please review the full job description linked here and email your resume and cover letter to hr@keynote-music.org.
SDYS is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, opportunities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws. Please reach out to hr@keynote-music.org with any request for accommodations.