Temporary Mannes Sounds Festival Assistant

Join The New School 

At The New School, we redefine the boundaries of education, creativity, and innovation. Founded in 1919 and located in the heart of New York City, we are home to over 9,000 students from over 100 countries, offering more than 135 degree and diploma programs across our renowned colleges, including Parsons School of Design, The New School for Social Research, Eugene Lang college of Liberal Arts, Parsons Paris, and the College of Performing Arts. Our progressive, interdisciplinary approach has earned us recognition as one of the most forward-thinking institutions in the world.

POSITION/ROLE OVERVIEW

The College of Performing Arts at The New School seeks a Temporary Mannes Sounds Festival Assistant to support the Mannes Sounds Festival. The Temporary Mannes Sounds Festival Assistant will support the administration, operations, and production coordination for all concert presentations. The position will report to the Artistic Director of the Mannes Sounds Festival.

In 1999, Pavlina Dokovska, chair of the Mannes School of Music’s Piano Department, founded the Mannes Sounds Festival and serves today as its artistic director. The festival presents hundreds of Mannes students each year in more than 20 concerts at iconic venues across New York City and on the campus of The New School.

The Mannes Sounds Festival also features collaborations between the Mannes School of Music, The School of Drama, The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and Parsons School of Design. In addition, the festival presents master classes and lectures by distinguished faculty members and guest artists. The Mannes Sounds Festival provides unparalleled opportunities for students of the College of Performing Arts to be presented at a variety of notable venues and professional settings. The festival is also a key fundraising vehicle for Mannes School of Music.

This is an FLSA nonexempt hourly (on average, up to 19 hours per week) position with a desired start date of 8/10/2026 and end date of 6/30/2027. Working hours will vary depending upon the Mannes Sounds Festival’s season calendar and departmental need.

The position may be renewed pending available funding and continued need. 

CORE CAPABILITIES, PRIMARY DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Event Production 

• Support festival season programming and logistics, communicating with internal teams and off-site venue contacts to identify and address all production needs

• Coordinate artistic planning and with the Director, event curators, student performers, guest artists, and others

• Advance all Mannes Sounds productions. This includes but is not limited to creation of show documentation, contact sheets, rehearsals schedules, runs of show, cast and crew calls, rehearsal reports, and stage plots 

• Serve as on-site producer for festival events

• Lead and/or attend production planning meetings as needed

• Support pre-event season planning, and post-event season closeout as needed

Event Promotion & Donor Communications

• Generate festival programs including creating and/or reviewing program copy, and overseeing printing and distribution

• Assist the event promotions team at the College of Performing Arts to promote the festival through social media, mailchimp, flyers, posters, etc.

• Collate mailing lists to prepare targeted communications and personalized invitations to donors

• Generate document to track and secure donor RSVPs for all scheduled events on a semesterly basis

Miscellaneous

• Additional duties as assigned

• Provide administrative support to the Artistic Director

• Support additional projects related to the Mannes Sounds Festival

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience in arts administration or event production

• Ability to leverage University platforms including Splash, 25Live, Tableau, Google Suite, and MyDay to complete duties 

• Demonstrated commitment to Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, and the transformative power of the arts and education

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; can present complex information to various audiences

• Capability to manage competing priorities, navigate sensitive situations, and communicate with professionalism and tact.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience supporting student-facing initiatives that foster artistic and creative growth in a higher education environment

WORK MODE

This position is primarily in-person and is based on campus to support effective in-person collaboration and engagement.

Frequent nights and weekends for planning and event management will be required.

This position will work primarily throughout the duration of the academic year (August through May) – additional opportunities for work during the summer months will be determined and confirmed with advance notice if needed. 

Hybrid work arrangements will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of the role and operational needs. Any such arrangement must be discussed and approved in advance by the appropriate division lead or their designee.

SALARY RANGE

$25.00-28.00/hour

WHY JOIN US?

This is an extraordinary opportunity to work closely with a visionary leader and contribute meaningfully to a forward-thinking institution that’s reshaping the future of higher education. You’ll be at the nexus of strategy, operations, and innovation in a role that grows with your impact.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, marital or domestic partnership status, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. The New School recognizes and values the benefits of a diverse workforce.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS

Applicants should submit both a resume and cover letter outlining their interest, skills, and experience concerning this position.