Seasonal Assistant, Auxiliary Board Operation - Highland Park, IL, US

Position Title: Seasonal Assistant, Auxiliary Board Operations · Department:  Development · Reports To: Manager of Ravinia Women's Board Operations · Range: $16.75/hourly wage · Company Description · At Ravinia, we believe in the transformative power of shared, live-music moments ...

Job description

Position Title: Seasonal Assistant, Auxiliary Board Operations

Department:  Development

Reports To: Manager of Ravinia Women's Board Operations

Range: $16.75/hourly wage

Company Description

At Ravinia, we believe in the transformative power of shared, live-music moments and their ability to inspire individuals, strengthen communities, and foster a more connected world.

Beyond presenting outstanding performances by the world's greatest musicians, our mission as a not-for-profit organization is to develop broader, more diverse audiences and performers in the music industry with our Reach Teach Play community engagement and education programs, our Steans Institute's collaborative and experiential artistic training programs, and more. Together, Ravinia's initiatives serve tens of thousands of students, families, and emerging professional musicians.

Our 36-acre park is home to North America's longest-running outdoor music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events, featuring a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers, make up a typical summer season across our open-air and indoor stages, including the annual residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Position Summary:

Gain an inside perspective into the many aspects of the Ravinia Women's Board and the Ravinia Associates Board. The Women's Board is a volunteer group of over 120 women who host the annual Gala, raising over $1 million annually, as well as several other events throughout the summer. The Ravinia Associates Board is a premier group of over 100 Chicagoland young professionals who both promote awareness and raise funds for the festival and its programs, primarily through the annual Music Matters Benefit.

While the primary responsibility of this position is providing assistance in all aspects of the Gala and Music Matters Benefit, this role will also help with other events throughout the summer, and will work periodically with the larger Development Department, as needed.  In this role, you are exposed to a variety of projects related to Ravinia's mission, serving as great experience for anyone looking to further a career in nonprofit performing arts administration.

Key Responsibilities

Function 1: Music Matters Benefit and Gala Experience (40%) 

• Provide all necessary assistance for the Gala and Music Matters Benefit, including entering names into our database, creating and revising check-in materials, and making any last-minute changes as necessary

• Manage the Music Matters Auction, including tracking all items solicited and confirmed and utilizing online bidding platform OneCause

Function 2: Other Summer Auxiliary Board Events (30%)

• Assist with event invitation and RSVP process

• Assist with the planning and execution of the Associates Board's audience development event, Beer Brats and Beethoven, including brewery solicitation, creating and revising check-in materials, and making any last-minute changes as necessary

• Coordinate set up and registration at several Women's Board and Ravinia Associates events, such as "Corner" lawn parties, CSO Musician's Dinner, and concert sponsorship dinners.

Function 3: Other Development Support (30%)

• Provide administrative support for the Auxiliary Boards Director and Managers, as well as Women's Board and Ravinia Associates members as needed

• Coordinate gift acknowledgements for all Auxiliary Board Projects, including event donations and the Tribute Fund

• Development assistance, including responding to donor requests via phone and email

Other duties as assigned

Knowledge and Skills Required

• The ability to communicate and collaborate with a variety of people from different backgrounds with professionalism and polish

• The ability to work remotely and onsite as needed

• Superior organization and ability to multitask without sacrificing attention to detail

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

• Driven with the ability to self-manage and effectively use downtime without supervision

• Must be available to work evenings and weekend hours outdoors (40+ hours per week) during the spring/summer season, especially between the dates of April 28 – May 9, 2026, and June 22 – July 11, 2026.

• Agility to learn new systems such as  and Audience View

• Passion for Ravinia's mission, particularly music, music education, and social services

Education and Experience

• Minimum of three years of event or administrative experience or equivalent

• Education in  arts administration, music, or business is a preferred

• Proficiency with Google Suites, including mail merge

• Proficiency in Zoom Meetings and related video conferencing tools 

• Experience with Audience View or a similar donor/ticketing CRM is preferred

Success Factors

• Auxiliary board events  are well-organized, thoughtful, and executed as planned.

• Auxiliary board communications are clear, timely, and demonstrate attention to detail.

• Works effectively with Auxiliary Boards, Events, Operations, and Front Desk teams.

Work Environment

• This is a seasonal, full-time position designed for individuals excited to collaborate and be a key member in the success of the Auxiliary Board team.

• Availability to work evenings and weekends throughout the late spring and summer concert season is required.

• Ideal availability is from February through September 2026, allowing for involvement in both advance planning and peak summer operations.

  • Position can be pre-season hybrid (remote and in-office). In office full-time throughout the summer season. 

• This role offers a distinctive professional experience at a world-class cultural institution at an exciting time in the organization's history.

Benefits

• May be able to use for class credit 

  • If you intend to use this opportunity for class credit, please indicate this in your application/cover letter.

• Opportunity to earn 1.5x pay for overtime

• Access to a season lawn pass (shared across a few assistants in development) to enjoy a wide variety of Ravinia's exciting summer programming with a guest

Additional Information:

Dates of Position: February 2026 – September 2026

• Qualified applicants must attach

  • Cover Letter (Upload as a PDF under the Additional Attachments option)

  • Resume 

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible but the deadline to apply is February 27, 2026. 

All hiring is contingent upon receiving an approved background check. Please, no phone calls or emails.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.