Lead Coach and Program Manager, Scales to Success

Description

Equity Arc is a national nonprofit working to expand equitable opportunities for the next generation of classical musicians. Through rigorous, identity-affirming mentorship, educational programs, and partnerships with leading artists and institutions, Equity Arc supports young musicians as they develop their skills, pursue opportunities, and chart their own paths toward professional careers in classical music.

About the Role

Scales to Success is Equity Arc’s new multi-year, identity-affirming coaching program in which young classical musicians build resilience, self-awareness, adaptability, strategic thinking, and personal agency through sustained, process-oriented goal setting and achievement. The program pairs musicians with professionally trained coaches and draws on a rigorously designed framework, structured tools, and ongoing assessment to support musicians as they direct their own growth toward professional careers.

The Lead Coach and Program Manager, Scales to Success (Lead Coach), will play a central role in launching and strengthening the program. Building on the program’s existing foundation and ongoing development, the Lead Coach will develop expertise in the Scales to Success coaching methodology, help implement and strengthen coaching practices, support the recruitment and development of the coaching team, and contribute to the program’s continued evolution through implementation and evaluation.

Central to this work is a commitment to student ownership of the developmental process. Rather than prescribing a path forward, coaches support participants in assessing their strengths and needs, setting their own goals, and navigating opportunities and challenges. The Lead Coach will bring firsthand experience in classical music performance and a strong understanding of youth development to this work, supporting participants and their families as they navigate the demands of pursuing a professional musical career.

The program is organized around six pillars: Wellbeing; Personal & Professional Networks; Habits of Self-Development; Audition Readiness; Financial Stability & Resource Navigation; and Career & Educational Strategy. Just as a musician returns to scales at the start of every practice, coaches return to these six pillars throughout the coaching relationship, providing a consistent foundation for each young musician’s development alongside their artistic training.

This is a remote, national role, with participants and fellow staff located across the country, with a preferred start date in mid-January 2027.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Development & Implementation

• •Develop resource plans in collaboration with senior leadership to ensure pilots are appropriately scoped and financially sustainable.
• •Partner with the Program Director to ensure a smooth transition of new initiatives from design and pilot phases into full program implementation, maintaining alignment with existing programs and organizational goals.
• •Develops a thorough understanding of the established Scales to Success coaching methodology and works with organizational leadership and external advisors to implement it consistently, maintaining fidelity to its student-centered principles.
• •Plays a central role in the iterative development of Scales to Success, assessing the effectiveness of coaching tools and practices and drawing on participant experiences, coaching observations, and program data to strengthen the model over time.
• •Establishes and maintains coaching protocols, assessment practices, and documentation standards that support consistent implementation, participant-directed goal setting, and program evaluation.
• •Partners with program staff on recruitment, selection, and onboarding of participants, including outreach and coordination with referring music teachers, schools, families, and partner organizations.
• •Leads the educational design and coaching content of in-person Scales to Success cohort retreats, collaborating with program leadership, colleagues, and external partners on planning and implementation.

Direct Coaching

• •Provides one-to-one coaching to participants using the Scales to Success framework, supporting their self-directed development across its six pillars.
• •Facilitates detailed assessments, including the Scales to Success self-assessment and other standardized assessments, to help participants reflect on their strengths, needs, and developmental priorities; supports participants in setting their own goals, identifying strategies for achieving them, and evaluating their progress over time.
• •Supports young musicians in developing the knowledge, judgment, and confidence to navigate educational and professional decisions, build relationships with teachers and mentors, and pursue opportunities aligned with their individual goals.
• •Draws on firsthand knowledge of classical music training and performance to help participants navigate auditions, setbacks, changing priorities, and the demands of a competitive field, while reinforcing their capacity for independent decision-making and self-advocacy.
• •Builds trusting, sustained relationships with participants from varied backgrounds, recognizing differences in access to resources, professional networks, and institutional knowledge.
• •Utilizes a trauma-informed, trust-centered, and strengths-based coaching approach appropriate for working with adolescents and young adults, maintaining clear professional boundaries.
• •Develops constructive relationships with participants' families, recognizing their important role in young musicians' development while respecting participants' autonomy and evolving independence.
• •Communicates effectively with music teachers, program staff, and external partners, and connects participants with appropriate internal or external resources when additional support is needed.
• •Maintains timely, accurate coaching documentation to support participant progress, program evaluation, and reporting, while adhering to organizational and funder requirements.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• •Collaborates with senior leadership to evaluate and strengthen Scales to Success coaching tools and practices, drawing on implementation experience, participant feedback, and emerging program data.
• •Partners with organizational leadership to recruit, select, and onboard additional coaches, contributing to the development of a strong and effective coaching team.
• •Supervises and supports additional coaches, providing ongoing guidance, feedback, and professional development to promote consistent, high-quality coaching practices aligned with the Scales to Success model.
• •Oversees coaching documentation and data collection across the team, ensuring that established practices are followed and that information supports program evaluation and reporting.
• •Collaborates with the Program Director and other program staff to share insights from coaching practice, connect participants with Equity Arc's broader programming, and support coordinated participant development.
• •Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• •Advanced college-level training in classical music performance and professional performing experience required. Candidates should bring firsthand understanding of the demands of pursuing and sustaining a career in classical music, whether through orchestral, chamber, freelance, or other professional performance work.
• •Substantial experience in youth development, coaching, teaching, advising, or mentorship, with demonstrated success supporting young people in setting and achieving their own goals. Experience guiding young musicians through artistic, educational, or professional development is particularly valued.
• •Strong familiarity with the classical music training and career pipeline, including pre-college preparation, summer study, conservatory and university admissions, auditions, and professional pathways.
• •Demonstrated excellence in relationship-building, w