Director of People and Culture
Senior Manager of Artist and Industry Relations
Marketing & Communications Intern
Program Operations Intern
About Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock transforms lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in our schools. Our network of thousands of K-12 teachers across 45 states leads a national movement that brings innovative and inclusive music education to students.
Using genres including rock, pop, Latin, and rap, our program empowers teachers to build music programs as diverse as the kids they serve. Our students see themselves reflected in their classes, which strengthens their connection to their school, their peers, and their community. Little Kids Rock also donates necessary instruments, and curriculum, meeting a key need of many school music programs.
The world of music expands through innovation. We ensure that music education does as well.
More than 500,000 kids currently participate in Little Kids Rock programs nationwide. Since 2002, the organization has reached more than 850,000 students with highly-inclusive and culturally relevant music education. We aim to reach the 1,000,000th student in our history this year.
The Director of People and Culture will collaborate with all team members as the primary stakeholder of the lifecycle employee experience. You will develop, implement and maintain talent-related strategies and systems that make Little Kids Rock a high-performing, rewarding, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Additionally, you will develop and support career growth, sustain a positive organizational culture, develop and manage talent sourcing and retention practices for the best people, facilitate employee performance and engagement, and oversee HR-related functions.
You would be responsible for overseeing and developing professional growth and development, employee performance, organizational Culture and Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB), HR operations, talent strategy, and talent acquisition.
These include but are not limited to the following:
Work with all departments to support the development and delivery of effective professional development programs that support employee performance and growth
Lead organizational culture building initiatives
Identify opportunities for job-related and career path learning and development for all staff
Facilitate the annual employee performance management cycle to include periodic reflections on performance goals and personal growth
Provide coaching, training, and other forms of support to both promote success and address underperformance throughout the workforce
Develop and manage an internship program to provide effective training opportunities for interns (with a focus on engaging local Little Kids Rock alumni), support for team members and a pipeline for team growth
Primary point person for team member questions, concerns and guidance on HR matters
Identify talent-related needs and develop key talent initiatives informed by best practices
Work with search partners and colleagues to develop and implement processes to evaluate candidates through interviews, demonstrations, work assignments, and other elements of a comprehensive selection process
Lead cross-functional internal teams to implement innovative talent initiatives and sustain them over time
At least eight years of progressive experience in a social enterprise, mission-driven corporation or nonprofit organization in a talent and culture operations position
Experience successfully helping define, create, and perpetuate a high-performing, rewarding, diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture
Excellent at providing timely feedback, managing conflict, and coaching through challenges
Experience working with remote employees
Comfortable developing and implementing new ways of working and managing change in a fast-paced environment
Deep knowledge of HR processes, including sourcing and retention, performance management, benefits administration, federal and state employment laws and regulations
Optimal discretion and sense of confidentiality, serving as a trusted advisor to leadership and employees
Can work independently with minimal supervision, but can also respond to critical immediate requests
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, HR systems, and database systems, preferably Salesforce
Must thrive in an innovative environment, show grace and positivity under pressure, and display a sense of fun, wonder and humor
Bachelor's Degree required with a preference toward an advanced certificate or degree in a related field
An undeniable passion for the work of Little Kids Rock; music maker a plus!
Little Kids Rock is committed to its team and strives to offer employees a competitive compensation package that reflects the organization's values, culture and mission. Salary is in accordance with Little Kids Rock's competitive compensation and career path plan, and the organization's array of benefits include medical coverage (health, dental, vision, AFLAC) with significant employer contributions, short and long-term disability, life insurance, matching 403(b) plan and pre-tax spending accounts (FSA, commuter). Perks include unlimited vacation, flexible work arrangements, professional development, fun staff events and reimbursements for music lessons and experiences.
Apply Here.
Little Kids Rock is located in Verona, NJ (near Montclair). Occasional travel will be required.
Working at Little Kids Rock – Our Workplace Values
We are committed to kids and teachers and passionate about the power of music to impact their lives.
We are one team, with one mission, and one groove, and together we make good things happen.
We are creative, entrepreneurial, positive and playful.
We are inspirational.
We are respectful.
We support personal and professional growth.
We work to lead the field – thoughtfully, strategically and with urgency.
Little Kids Rock is committed to recruiting and maintaining a diverse staff; individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We promote equity, diversity and inclusion in order to create a healthy and safe work space as we work together to foster success for future generations. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parenthood, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
The Senior Manager of Artist and Industry Relations will build and manage the organization's Artist Relations strategy, with key tactics designed to reach goals determined by and in conjunction with the Director of Major Gifts and Partnerships and the Chief Development Officer. The Senior Manager is responsible for nurturing and stewarding all of Little Kids Rock's artist relationships, and making asks for auction items, school visits, event participation, campaign partnership, social media promotion, curricular support, etc. This position reports within the Development department, but also supports the Marketing and Program departments.
Ideal Attributes
A shared passion for Little Kids Rock's mission, pedagogy and the unique value of arts education to serve underserved youth
Ability to think big, while providing tangible, constructive suggestions to improve the organization and support its growth objectives
Inspirational, with a talent for leading by example, as well as motivating and empowering others to reach goals
A desire to grow with the organization
Passionate about popular music and actively connected to popular culture
High energy, enthusiasm, and a can-do attitude
Create and execute an organization-wide Artist Relations strategy that achieves key goals that are in line with the organization's strategic plan
Establish new and nurture existing relationships with artists, artist management, labels, brand partners, festivals and industry professionals across all genres
Manage and create scalable, fun, and meaningful events and programs that solidify personal bonds within the artist community, including, but not limited to school visits, instrument deliveries, pop-up concerts, soundcheck meet-and-greets, donor cultivation events, etc.
Solidify Little Kids Rock's reputation an organization with which artists love to partner, making us widely known in creative circles as a great place for artists to engage in local communities and have a direct impact on music education
Collaborate with the Marketing Department to ensure deep engagement with artists across social channels and traditional media
Be constantly on the lookout for new opportunities for Little Kids Rock to engage with the music industry, and work cross-departmentally to ensure seamless execution of artist-driven events and promotions
Create and deliver compelling influencer fundraising campaigns that drive revenue growth and brand appeal
Identify, create and execute revenue opportunities, including, but not limited to ticket add-ons, launch events, contests, raffles, etc.
Book appropriate artists for Little Kids Rock's largest annual fundraiser, Little Kids Rock Benefit in New York City, as well as Little Kids Rock's largest teacher conference, Modern Band Summit in Fort Collins, CO;
Work closely with the Marketing and Development teams to develop artist-driven campaigns, ensuring deep and credible brand exposure for Little Kids Rock, corporate partners, and the artists
5+ years working in a similar role within the music or nonprofit industries
Proven track record of successful long term client/account relationship management
Experience in building strong relationships with major artists/artist management; proven success in building relationships with new artists resulting in financial support and/or awareness-raising
Several strong, existing artist relationships that will come with you to this job
The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, team player, big-picture thinker, and adept at execution and meeting deadlines
Must have a strong understanding of the multi-faceted and ever-evolving music industry, including but not limited to artist licensing, label artist dynamics, touring, and the online music space
Budget management experience
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Spanish is beneficial
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, tech-savvy online, donor databases; Salesforce is a plus
Flexibility to attend evening and weekend development events on an as-needed basis
Prior experience working on major, national, artist-driven campaigns, especially in the fields of arts and culture and/or youth development preferred
Ability to travel is a must
Little Kids Rock is committed to its team and strives to offer employees a competitive compensation package that reflects the organization's values, culture, and mission. Salary is in accordance with Little Kids Rock's competitive compensation and career path plan, and the organization's array of benefits include medical coverage (health, dental, vision, AFLAC) with significant employer contributions, short and long-term disability, life insurance, matching 403(b) plan and pre-tax spending accounts (FSA, commuter). Perks include unlimited vacation, flexible work arrangements, professional development, fun staff events, and reimbursements for music lessons and experiences.
The Little Kids Rock team is a music-loving, hard-working, close-knit group of individuals. We're looking for a high-energy Marketing & Communications Intern with a can-do attitude. The candidate must be detail-oriented, have a strong work ethic, and be a creative thinker with excellent communication skills. Daily tasks will include keeping files and media organized through Google Drive and external hard drives, management of social media community engagement, supporting organizational marketing campaigns and events, database entry and management, and general administrative support for a small, nimble, high output team.
Creating consistency for the Little Kids Rock Flickr account and YouTube channel
Organizing video and photo assets across Google Drive and external hard drive platforms
Build community through engagement on Little Kids Rock's social media channels
Engage in Little Kids Rock's social posts or any mentions of Little Kids Rock across all platforms
Identify profiles on Twitter with high partnership opportunity with Little Kids Rock
Identify top-performing social posts and any trends among the channels
Offer recommendations for relevant potential social posts (e.g. relevant blog posts, research articles, etc)
Identify publications with mention of Little Kids Rock and the modern band program
Collect and compile recent organizational news for a bi-weekly staff internal newsletter
Knowledge of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and LinkedIn
Knowledge of G Suite
Experience with Adobe Premiere or other video editing software is a plus
An undeniable passion for the work of Little Kids Rock and helping grow a mission-based organization
A sense of fun, wonder, and humor
True love for working within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and results-oriented culture
Strong organizational skills
Strong written and oral communication skills
A desire to learn while doing
Quick learner and proactive problem solver
This position is scheduled for up to three days per week (10-15 hours per week) for a period of three to five months is preferred. The exact days and times of this position will be established in harmony with the candidate's schedule.
This is a learning opportunity with a stipend of $300 per month.
Please email a cover letter and resume to <="" a="">marketing@littlekidsrock.org. The email should include "Communications and Marketing Internship" in the subject line and also briefly state the following:
Relevant experience, including the number of years (if any) of experience
Distinguishing characteristic that makes you an ideal candidate for this position
Please submit your application early, and be prepared to provide references. For more information about our work, please visit our website: www.littlekidsrock.org and email marketing@littlekidsrock.org with any questions.
We are looking for a motivated and energetic individual to assist the Little Kids Rock program team with day to day operations. This is a great opportunity for a college student to learn what goes into the operation of a growing and leading music education nonprofit.
Assist the program staff with teacher customer service, i.e. registration and instrument order reminders
Data entry and clean up on Salesforce.com
Online evaluation compilation and organization
Provide affiliated teachers with modern band curricular materials upon request
Assist with event and travel logistics
Instrument Invoice sorting
Local errands as needed
Organized and with great attention to detail
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and Gmail
Positive "can-do" attitude and team player
Relationship building through customer service
Experience with data entry beneficial
Interest in music education greatly encouraged
Up to three days per week (10-15 hours/week) for a period of three to five months is preferred. Exact days and times will be established in harmony with the intern's schedule.
Please email a cover letter and resume to johncarrano@littlekidsrock.org. Please include "Program Operations Internship" in the e-mail subject line. For more information about our work, please visit our website: www.littlekidsrock.org. No phone calls, please.