Interim Director of College Choirs

Interim Director of College Choirs


About College of the Holy Cross:

Founded in 1843 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the College of the Holy Cross is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,100 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition.

Holy Cross highly values the unique skills, perspective, talents and passion that each employee contributes to its learning community. To work at The College is to accept an invitation to participate in the growth and development of all campus members, students, faculty and staff. The College's commitment to diversity is an important feature of the Holy Cross education. Informed by the presence of diverse interpretations of the human experience, Holy Cross is building a community marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility. We seek others who support our values of diversity and inclusiveness. Job candidates of all diverse backgrounds who embrace the open and inclusive culture of Holy Cross are welcome and encouraged to apply.


Job Description:

The Department of Music at College of the Holy Cross seeks an energetic and skilled choral
conductor with excellent communication skills, a broad knowledge of the choral repertoire,
demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion in repertory, and a desire to work in a
liberal arts environment for the full-time staff position of Interim Director of College Choirs. The
Interim Director of College Choirs will plan the yearly schedule of concerts and activities for the
College Choir, typically 40-60 students, and the by-audition Chamber Singers ensemble
(typically 12-16 students), working in conjunction with the Chair and other members of the
Department of Music. Overall, we expect the Interim Director of College Choirs to have a
significant presence on campus, work within established schedules, and be readily accessible to
students. Some hours may be flexible and set by the Interim Director.

This is an in-person position at 40 hours a week. The appointment for this position begins on August 1, 2022, and extends through June 30, 2023 (11 months).

Major Areas of Responsibility

The major areas of responsibility for the Interim Director of College Choirs will include:

• Working with the Department of Music to coordinate all activities of the choirs
• Working with the Director of Liturgy and Music (Office of the College Chaplains) in planning the annual "Lessons and Carols" concert
• Managing the Choral Budget, in collaboration with the Department Chair and Office Coordinator
• Preparing and conducting weekly rehearsals and all performances with the College Choir and Chamber Singers (one dedicated concert per semester for each ensemble plus special events)
• Coordinating arrangements and extra rehearsals for all performances
• Meeting with elected student leaders of the choir weekly to facilitate and support the activities of the organization
• Holding regularly scheduled office hours to meet with and be available to students
• Coordination and oversight of the annual College Choir Student Conductor and College Choir Composer competitions
• Planning, coordination, and conducting of "Choir Week," held the week prior to the start of fall semester classes
• Departmental service, including participating in departmental meetings, review of supplemental application material submitted by prospective students and applications for the Brooks Scholarship, participation in special performance events in collaboration with the Department of Music, such as open houses for prospective students, student activity fairs, the Baccalaureate Mass, Commencement, and other service activities as needed.

Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in Choral Conducting
• Experience leading collegiate choral groups
• Relevant professional performance experience
• Evidence of being able to support an inspiring and productive teaching environment
• Willingness and ability to accommodate students' individual learning styles
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion in repertory, for example, music composed by women, historically and geographically underrepresented identity groups, and unfamiliar music's (old and new)
• Organizational and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of an active performance schedule
• Interest and/or experience in leading choral ensembles in a liberal arts context

Core Competencies

• Superb musicianship
• Professional understanding of music history
• Mastery of score reading
• Compelling musical interpretations
• Demonstrated skill in repertoire selection and planning
• Demonstrated skill in rehearsal planning
• Excellent communication and coordination skills
• Proficient problem solving
• Leadership qualities
• Understands, values, and respects diversity as an individual, in a team, and within groups while fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

To mitigate the spread and effects of COVID-19, and as an integral part of its public health and safety measures, College of the Holy Cross requires that all successful applicants show proof of full, up-to-date vaccination (including a booster dose once eligible) by an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine before beginning employment, unless an accommodation exempting the applicant from this policy has been granted. Applicants who wish to request an accommodation based on a disability or sincerely-held religious belief should inform Human Resources after an offer of employment is extended; please do not include any medical, genetic, or religious information in your application materials.


Additional Information:

College Description

The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit Catholic, undergraduate institution serving approximately 3,100 students. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and has a tradition of academic excellence. It is located atop Mount Saint James in Worcester, Massachusetts. The picturesque, 174-acre campus is an award-winning and registered arboretum.

Region Description

Worcester is a city of approximately 200,000 people centrally located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is approximately one hour from Boston, Hartford, and Providence, and three hours from New York City. Worcester is known as the Heart of the Commonwealth. Worcester offers many cultural and recreational opportunities which you can read more about here.

The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action in the workplace.

A member of the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (HECCMA).


Application Instructions:

Electronic applications only. Please submit the following application materials (PDF or MSWord) to Holy Cross interview exchange at the link below: CV or resume, teaching philosophy statement, documentation of commitment to diversity and inclusion in programming (e.g., list of previous programs for singers), links to websites and/or online resources with representative examples of your performances and/or teaching, and two letters of
recommendation. All materials must be uploaded to the interview exchange platform, including letters of recommendation. No materials may be submitted by email.

Please direct any questions to Daniel DiCenso, Department of Music, College of the Holy Cross,
ddicenso@holycross.edu.

Interviews will be conducted remotely. Review of applications will begin immediately and
continue until the position is filled.

Review of applications will begin as received and continue until the position has been filled.







To apply, visit https://holycross.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=149512

The College of the Holy Cross is a highly selective Catholic liberal arts college in the Jesuit tradition. It enrolls about 3,000 students and is located in a medium-sized city 45 miles west of Boston. The College seeks faculty members whose scholarship, teaching, advising, and on- and off-campus service demonstrate commitment to the educational benefits of a richly diverse community. Holy Cross aspires to meet the needs of dual-career couples, in part through its membership in Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts (http://www.heccma.org) and the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (https://new-england.hercjobs.org/) jeid-04b6638867189d4392a3522c1812a0e6