Senior Research and Humanities Manager

About Us:
At heart, we are storytellers. Through meticulous research, we curate meaningful stories that breathe new life into America’s greatest songs so that we can share why music matters and how it connects us all. Under the leadership of Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby, we create world premiere arrangements and orchestrations, blending genres and new ways of seeing and hearing the worlds. We collaborate with the most vibrantly talented artists from Los Angeles and across the county and present our shows in the most iconic cultural institutions to give every performance power to ignite our collective imagination. We emphasize membership over ticket sales because you should feel that live music is something you are a part of, and that you are a part of all we do. We don’t want anyone to be left out of this story. We welcome audiences that are too often excluded or believe they don’t belong. We take inspiration from our shows and deliver adapted versions to classrooms and beyond, partnering with social service and education agencies regularly to bring the transformative power of music to our diverse community.

Position Summary: 
The Senior Research and Humanities Manager strategizes, researches and pitches storytelling threads across live programming, digital platforms, and visual exhibitions. This role requires deep, scholarly expertise in music history, cultural connections and research, and narrative development. Working closely with the Artistic & Music Director and Director of Artistic Production, this position contributes to MUSE/IQUE’s storytelling through music, narrative, and visual design and exhibitions. 

Key Responsibilities:

Scholarly Research and Storytelling
* Manages the development and strategy of storytelling narratives that explore the intersections of music, history, art, and American culture, providing in-depth scholarly and applied research on artists, genres, cultural history, and relevant social contexts to support programmatic content.
* Compiles musicology that illuminates both the musical and social influences and legacies of the repertoire and artists featured in MUSE/IQUE programs.
* Acts as a creative storyteller, translating complex research into relevant and engaging content that provides context and resonates with audiences. 
* Develops narrative outlines, show scripts, and visual storyboards in collaboration with the Artistic and programming staff.
* Manages, in collaboration with artistic colleagues, narrative cohesion and alignment across all storytelling elements — musical repertoire, visuals, and educational content. 
* Gathers and synthesizes data from diverse sources tailored to the needs of artistic, education, and communication departments, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and audience engagement  
* Oversees rights and reproduction policies related to curatorial content, working with leadership to maintain ethical and legal standards. 

Exhibition Content Strategy 
* Strategizes visual and digital exhibitions that enhance live programming, offering deeper insight into performance themes, artists, and historical contexts.
* Develops the design of stage visuals, pre-show exhibitions, and interpretive materials to ensure they align with established storytelling. 
* Manages digital asset strategy, including the selection, organization, and archiving of visual collateral for current and future use, maintaining high standards of documentation and rights management. 
* Collaborates with production teams to ensure the seamless visual execution of live performances. 

Qualifications 
* Advanced music literacy and strong working knowledge of musicology in a wide range of genres (please see past MUSE/IQUE seasons for examples), with an appetite for deep research in art, culture and history. 
* A familiarity with music, either as an instrumentalist, vocalist, conductor, composer, or scholar is highly encouraged. 
* Excellent writing, research, and interpersonal skills.  
* Must enjoy and thrive in a collaborative working environment, navigating diverging points of view with an open mind while maintaining effective professional relationships and communication.
* Experience supporting and fostering a variety of voices, perspectives and ideas through projects and initiatives that align with the company’s mission.
* Prior experience with an educational, arts, or cultural organization is preferred. 
* Strong project management skills across program planning, administration and implementation. 
* A deep understanding of and passion for MUSE/IQUE’s mission and belief in art, creativity, and knowledge-building as a powerful engine for positive social change. 
* Advanced degree in Musicology, Dramaturgy, Performance Studies, American Studies, or other related field preferred.

Compensation:
$76,000.00 – $88,000.00 per year

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To Apply:
Please submit a resume and cover letter to employment@muse-ique.com. Please include “Senior Research and Humanities Manager” in the subject line.