Receptionist

Merit School of Music seeks a part-time receptionist to provide a friendly, welcoming, and patient presence in Merit's lobby. The right candidate will independently connect Merit families with the people and information they need.

Merit School of Music is a community music school located in Chicago's West Loop. Our primary goals are to help young people transform their lives and experience personal growth through music by providing access to sustained participation. For more than 40 years, we have been home to a diverse community of talented young musicians and have acted as a springboard for achieving full musical and personal potential. Our 125 passionate and experienced teaching artists provide access to high-quality music education, engaging over 3,000 students annually at our downtown location and in area schools and community centers.

Our students, who reflect Chicago's socioeconomic and ethnic diversity, have the rare opportunity to learn together, dream together, teach each other, and broaden their horizons as they build inspiring lives through music. Merit develops musicians and provides young people with the tools they need to excel in life, with virtually 100 percent of our graduates going on to conservatory or college.

Merit School of Music is committed to building a world where historically underrepresented groups can attain access to quality music education. Simultaneously, Merit is continually working towards becoming an organization that is truly reflective of the demographics of the city and the students we serve. Merit is dedicated to being an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and anti-racist organization and continually examining our efforts in this area.

The Receptionist reports to the Manager of Facilities.

Duties of the Receptionist include, but are not limited to:

•Greeting in-person guests

•Answering phone calls and redirecting to the appropriate team member; using MicrosoftTeams to communicate with off-site employees

•Monitoring security cameras and building access

•Accurately answering or escalating general questions related to programming, scheduling, staff roles, and policies

•Administrative support as assigned

The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

•Self-starter, communicative

•A friendly, outgoing, proactive, and helpful personality

•Outstanding people skills, including an instinct for patience, empathy, and understanding

•Proficiency with office technology (phones, email, calendars, Microsoft Office, and Teams)

•Desire to learn and retain basic knowledge of Merit's program offerings, space specifications, staff roles, policies, and procedures

•Commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism (IDEA)

•Saturday and evening availability

•Experience with Basic security duties

•Experience with CPR or other first response training

•Background in customer service or hospitality

•Bilingual in English/Spanish or English/Mandarin.

•Musical background, education, or training

•Not-for-profit experience

Please bring at least one year of customer-facing or administrative support or equivalent experience or education. No college degree is required.

16-20 hours per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday afternoon/evenings); weekday evenings and Saturday morning/afternoon availability required. This is an in-person role. Additional hours may be available as needed by Merit and if amenable to the candidate.

Merit School of Music requires all employees to provide proof of vaccination and booster shot against COVID-19; please plan accordingly. Face masks are required to enter the school until May 31, 2022, after which the organization intends to shift to a masks-recommended approach. Merit invested heavily in its HVAC system to improve ventilation throughout the building. Work that can be done remotely will continue to occur virtually to maintain employee flexibility so long as the quality of in-person instruction and support is maintained. This is an in-person role.

Compensation for this position is $15 per hour. Due to the number of hours scheduled, this position is not benefits eligible. To apply, please upload your resume detailing your relevant experience and qualifications for this role using this link. Applications will be accepted through May 22, 2022. Materials should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF. Further guidance and updates about the hiring process will arrive via email, with interviews provided for finalists.

ALAANA/BIPOC people, trans and gender-nonconforming people, and women are encouraged to apply.

For more information about Merit School of Music, please visit www.meritmusic.org.

Merit School of Music is committed to enhancing the diversity of our musical community, recognizing that by providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment for our students, we are preparing them for personal and professional success in an increasingly multicultural and global society. The Merit community recognizes that it has a responsibility to create and sustain a learning and working environment where difference is valued and where equity and inclusion are practiced.