Job Description / Duties

Director of Choral Activities and Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Music

Type: Full-time
Date Available: August 1, 2021
Status: Review start date is March 1, 2021, but all applications will continue to be received and reviewed until the position is filled

Position Summary
Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA), a private Christian institution located in West Palm Beach, Florida, seeks an inspiring and strategic Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities who will provide musical leadership, creative vision, and artistic direction to the choral program. Demonstrating strong interpersonal and communication skills, the successful candidate will be responsible for the artistic leadership and administration of all aspects in the choral program, including artistic direction, all choral ensembles, event planning and tours, community outreach and collaboration, student personnel, and budget management. The entrepreneurial candidate will further enhance the excellence and vitality of the Department in accordance with the University mission. The Department of Music is currently located in the School of Music & Fine Arts, which includes the Departments of Art, Dance, Music, and Preparatory Department. However, Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Board of Trustees recently voted to merge the School of Music & Fine Arts and the School of Communication & Media to form the College of the Arts, effective August 2021. Programs of study in the College will now include Cinema, Communication, Dance, Digital Media, Gaming, Graphic Design, Journalism, Music, Preparatory Department, Public Relations, Sports Broadcasting, Theatre, and Visual Art. This position reports to the Chair of the Department of Music and rank is commensurate with credentials and experience.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Required Qualifications
• Record of excellence in university-level teaching, scholarly/creative activity, and recruitment
• Demonstrable history of successful, compelling, collaborative, and interdisciplinary programming and community engagement
• Excels in the highest levels of choral teaching, artistic excellence, rehearsal and conducting techniques, current knowledge of diverse choral repertoire, and administrative skills
• Commitment to shared governance and consensus building within a university setting

Preferred Qualifications
• An earned doctorate with an emphasis in Choral Conducting, Choral Music, or closely related field
• Proven administrative leadership experience, financial management, fundraising, and organizational skills

Additional Information

Summary of Job Duties

• Lead assigned choral ensembles, choral conducting, choral technique and methods courses, as well as other courses related to choral music education and/or in the area of personal expertise
• Maintain an active and sustained engagement in professional activities and present clinics, workshops, and/or festivals to enhance the stature and reputation of the Department of Music
• Vigorously support student recruitment, retention, and persistence in collaboration with appropriate offices, according to established policies within the School and university
• Provide support and leadership for University functions and events
• Work collaboratively within the Department, School, University, and external performing organizations
• Regularly interact with current and prospective students, current and prospective faculty members, University personnel, representatives of external organizations, and friends of the University
• Oversee and coordinate all aspects of planning and execution of choir tours
• Represent and promote the choral program to the Chair, Dean, University, and external community
• Advise students
• Other duties as assigned by the Dean

The successful candidate will possess the soft skills and hard standards to work effectively with an increasingly diverse array of students and colleagues and will have a demonstrated commitment to creating, fostering and sustaining a culture that celebrates entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration in and out of the classroom. This person will excel in attention to detail, effective oral and written communication, consensus building, creative problem solving, professionalism, and intrinsic work ethic. As the Director of Choral Activities, the self-motivated person will bring the inspiration and enthusiasm required to advance creative momentum, ensuring the Department’s achievements are broadcast widely and strategically.

The Department of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music with Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts curricular specializations in music education, performance, composition, music industry, and worship leadership. With more than 43,000 square-feet of performance, classroom, practice, and studio space, the Department of Music is located in the four-story Vera Lea Rinker Hall. Internal performing opportunities include involvement in a variety of ensembles including Concert Choir, Oratorio Chorus, Symphony, Symphonic Band, Pop Rock Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, String Ensemble, World Music Ensemble, and Opera Workshop.

The Institution
Founded in 1968, Palm Beach Atlantic University is an interdenominational Christian institution with over 3,400 students in 60 academic undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. PBA’s programs are framed by a Christian worldview that is guided by accomplished experts and delivered in the breathtaking setting of West Palm Beach, Florida. PBA’s graduates launch lives of character, meaning, and accomplishment. From its presence in the academic curriculum, to weekly chapel, to service learning and mission trips, the faith-based foundation shapes the student experience and prepares them with the kind of ethical, principled outlook that today’s employers value.

Palm Beach Atlantic University’s offerings are proven and respected by top employers and elite graduate institutions. Its programs, such as the Frederick M. Supper Honors Program, offer distinctive, elevated learning opportunities. In addition, PBA’s six Centers of Excellence deepen students’ knowledge and skills and add dimension to the learning experience through distinctive programming, travel, fellowship, internship and networking opportunities. Through PBA’s unique Workship Program, students are able to improve communities locally, around South Florida or in countries across the globe by building homes for those in need, assisting with natural disaster recovery efforts, tutoring and mentoring students in after school programs, and packing meals for families living in underserved communities. To date, PBA students have volunteered 3.3 million hours of service through Workship. Additionally, in Fall 2020 the Wordship Program joins the PBA traditions of Worship and Workship to cultivate a practice of using our words wisely to edify others, including those with whom we disagree, as a form of worship. These three practices are the foundational, three-legged stool upon which the integration of faith and academics rests.

Students attending PBA find a fun, energetic and opportunity-rich destination with 40+ student-run clubs providing the chance to develop important teamwork and leadership skills. PBA offers some of the finest learning resources and facilities with state-of-the-art medical simulation labs; an 86,000 square-foot Warren Library; the John & Sheila Rinker Sports Center, which was completed in 2017 and is part of PBA’s 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Complex, and Watson Hall, a 163,000 square-foot, eight-story residence hall opened in Fall 2020.

For more information about the university go to www.pba.edu

Location
Living in West Palm Beach, Florida, residents are surrounded by the unparalleled opportunities of South Florida. In addition to the natural beauty of its location on the Intracoastal Waterway, PBA offers endless professional opportunities, world-class cultural outlets, and exceptional shopping districts just minutes from campus.

One can find outdoor recreation at the Everglades, Lake Trail or MacArthur Beach State Park and more than 50 miles of pristine beaches nearby. Residents can also play a round of golf at any of the area’s more than 160 golf courses, catch the pro sports action of the NFL’s Dolphins, NBA’s Heat, MLB’s Marlins and NHL’s Panthers or take in a concert at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. West Palm Beach is also home to an eclectic and appetizing food scene, with cuisines representing everything from Caribbean and Cuban to Asian, German and Portuguese. With nearly 20 churches of various denominations located just minutes from the PBA campus, employees have an outstanding opportunity to become involved in a local faith community.

West Palm Beach is a city of approximately 100,000 located within Palm Beach County, which has 1.5 million residents. Located along Florida’s Atlantic Ocean coast, West Palm Beach offers appealing weather and year-round access to smooth-sand beaches and some of the nation’s most enticing waterways and is located a short drive to some of Florida's fabulous cities: Fort Lauderdale is 1 hour away; Miami is 1.5 hours; Key Largo is 2 hours, and Orlando is 2.5 hours away. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is located less than three miles from PBA’s campus, and was recently ranked #1 in the U.S. for shortest overall wait times at TSA checkpoints. West Palm Beach is also a stop on the Brightline passenger high-speed rail system that connects Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and eventually Orlando.

Contact Information

Application process
Applications for faculty/academic administration positions must include:
• A letter of application
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Unofficial copies of all transcripts
• Three letters of professional reference or a list of three professional references
• Statement of your teaching philosophy
• Statement indicating how you have previously or intend to intentionally integrate a Christian theistic worldview in the teaching/learning process
• Completed & signed Faculty Applicant Questionnaire


Please visit https://www.pba.edu/human-resources/faculty-admin-positions.html to complete the application process.