Executive Assistant to the Music Director

About the Organization

The San Francisco Symphony is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard-setting education and community engagement programs. Established in 1911, the Symphony has grown in acclaim under distinguished music directors including Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Pierre Monteux, Seiji Ozawa, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

The Symphony presents over 200 concerts annually for nearly 350,000 audience members at Davies Symphony Hall and throughout the Bay Area. It offers extensive education and community programs, engaging over 25,000 students annually in the San Francisco Unified School District. The Symphony was the first American orchestra to launch its own in-house record label, SFS Media, and its radio broadcasts have reached national audiences since 1926. The organization has earned 19 ASCAP awards, France’s Grand Prix du Disque, Britain’s Gramophone Award, and 17 Grammy® Awards for its adventurous programming and recordings.

About the Role

The Executive Assistant to the Music Director provides executive administration for the San Francisco Symphony’s Music Director (MD). This position serves as the main point of contact for internal and external constituents and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Music Director’s Office. The role facilitates communication, troubleshoots, and maintains relationships with key stakeholders to support the Symphony’s and Music Director’s artistic goals. The position also provides project management and administrative support to the Artistic Planning team, especially when the Music Director is not present in San Francisco.

Location: Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA
Schedule: Hybrid, 9 am–5 pm with regular evenings and weekends
Reports To: Senior Director, Artistic Planning

Responsibilities

• Provides executive administration for the Music Director (MD), overseeing daily operations of the MD’s office and liaising with the MD’s management to coordinate calendars and schedules.
• Offers focused support at every SFS rehearsal, concert, and meeting involving the MD to ensure smooth participation.
• Maintains and coordinates the MD’s yearly calendar, including rehearsals, concerts, community appearances, fundraising events, receptions, and meetings with staff, board members, musicians, and guest artists.
• Prepares the MD for appointments, meetings, and rehearsals by managing schedule distribution among staff and departments.
• Acts as the primary liaison between the MD and all branches of the San Francisco Symphony, assisting with requests for appearances, interviews, auditions, and operational issues (e.g., staging, tour requirements).
• Prioritizes requests to ensure the most efficient use of the MD’s time and keeps the MD informed and updated, regardless of location.
• Manages administrative and personal support needs, including correspondence, record-keeping, ticketing requests, travel arrangements, and guest management.
• Liaises with staff of other major music institutions and the MD’s management, including organizations with which the MD has artistic and business relationships.
• Provides secondary administrative support to the Senior Director of Artistic Planning (SDAP) and the Artistic Planning team, primarily during weeks when the MD is not present in San Francisco.
• Arranges and facilitates seamless local ground transportation and travel logistics for the MD in connection with Symphony functions.
• Works with the symphony librarians to maintain the status of the MD’s orchestral parts and scores.
• Supports the Artistic Operations department on semi-staged programs and other MD initiatives as assigned.
• Performs musical research and production assistance on special projects as needed.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3–5 years’ experience working as part of an Artistic Planning/Operations Team or as an Executive Assistant to a CEO, Music Director, or equivalent high-level role, ideally in classical music.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to professionally and diplomatically interact with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Situational awareness and discretion in handling diverse personalities and potentially difficult situations.
• Valid California driver’s license preferred.
• Must be available to work flexible hours, including regular weekends and evenings.

Pay

$84,486 – $91,940 annually

Working Relationships

The position frequently interacts with:

• Artistic Planning team
• Artistic Operations, Development, and Communication departments
• Chief Executive Officer and their Executive Assistant
• All other SFS administrative departments
• Music Director and the MD’s management team
• Guests and visitors of the Music Director
• SFS Board members
• Guest artists