Employment Opportunities at YEA!
Tour Merchandise Assistant (The Cadets)
The Cadets travel the country each summer with a merchandise
operation that offers our alumni, friends and fans to show their support
for the corps at any show they attend.
This operation is usually stationed on the concourse of every stadium The Cadets visit, from Boston to San Antonio and everywhere in between.
And while The Cadets' merchandise team always provides quality T-shirts, hoodies, corps-wear and accessories to spectators around the country, this year's "Barber Shop" will play an important role in other areas as well:
- A recruiting center for The Cadets of 2014 and beyond
- A welcome center for fans and alumni
- An information center
- The central contact point at every event for anyone interested in The Cadets or Youth Education in the Arts
The Cadets are looking for one more merchandise assistant who travel with the corps for the entire summer. The assistant will be responsible for sales, set-up and tear-down. Customer service and general kindness are the name of the game.
Compensation
The
pay for these three positions is not much, but compensation will be a
bit more substantial if the successful candidate is able to work for the entire
summer.
Other Information
- Candidate must be at least 21 years old.
- The merchandise team will travel on the staff bus or in The Cadets' souvie truck, depending on the travel situation for the day.
- Normal hours will be 2 p.m. to midnight.
- At the larger shows, YEA! and The Cadets will supply additional sales staff.
- If you cannot commit to the full summer tour but could be there for the majority of the time, write to us.
- We will have to do a background check on everyone accepted for these positions.
To Apply
Please send a letter of interest, a resume and a few references to George Hopkins at hopkins@yea.org. If more information is required, please feel free to e-mail Mr. Hopkins as soon as possible.
Merchandising
Manager
We
are looking for a results-oriented manager! We need a believer in what we do who has a burning
desire to succeed -- someone who is ready to work long and hard to create the
next generation of YEA! and USBands merchandising.
This is not a job for the meek. Think of it as if it were your franchise, consisting of mobile stores, open only at events. You will manage them, recruit and train the staff and be responsible for the bottom line. You will have support from the Marketing Department, but it will be your responsibility to maximize the return from our many events in the marching band world, as well as our drum corps sales opportunities.
Start date: As soon as possible
Location: The YEA! Office in Allentown, PA with travel to event locations nationwide
This is not a
work-from-home position.
Essential Duties
- Implement event merchandising plan and strategy
- Train and lead event sales teams
- Manage inventory of all items for sale or resale
- Manage point of sale, inventory and sales data systems
- Work with Marketing Department to grow customer base through all available media
- Manage the creation of new items and lines of business
Requirements
Education: Bachelors or Associate degree preferred
Qualifications
- Merchandising or retail management experience
- Experience managing mobile operations is a plus
- Passion for detail and customer service
- Proven management and leadership capabilities
- A can-do attitude and flexibility
- Strong partnership and team-building skills
- Basic computer skills
To Apply
Please e-mail your resume and cover letter to George Hopkins at hopkins@yea.org.
Assistant Director
of Fundraising/Alumni Coordinator
The Assistant Director of
Fundraising will work as a member of the Youth Education in the Arts
fundraising team to raise unrestricted support for the organization through
organized and coordinated fundraising efforts.
Efforts will be centered upon the alumni of The Cadets, Cadets2 and eventually USBands, as the organization works to grow philanthropic support at all levels.
This position is available immediately and does require the candidate to work out of our Allentown office unless traveling for business.
Essential Duties
- Actively participate in the goal-setting process and implement effective fundraising programs for each assigned class or constituency. Fundraising programs include personalized written campaigns such as anniversary and leadership-level giving letters, phone-a-thons, social media, direct mail and E-mail during strategic times of the year.
- Special events are also a part of the assistant’s responsibilities. Such events range from dinners, to stadium activity at competitions, to small gatherings across the country.
- Recruit, train, and motivate a substantial group of alumni and fan volunteers for the purpose of assisting in these donor-driven events. The assistant director may be asked to draft communications to volunteers, supervise mass-mailings to volunteers, inform volunteers of updated information and deadlines and provide other personal support as needed. NOTE: YEA! does have a volunteer coordinator, but specific effort in this area is crucial to the success of each and every campaign.
- Advise, educate and solicit potential alumni donors as well as friends and fans of our programs through face-to-face meetings, phone calls and written communications.
- Monitor annual giving solicitation strategies as well as participation and dollar goals for all Cadets and Cadets2 campaigns on a weekly basis.
- Continually review alumni and fan donor profiles to identify potential top annual donors and determine individual solicitation strategies.
- Develop, foster and maintain positive alumni relations in order to keep alumni engaged and predisposed to give back to their alma mater. This includes attendance at northern New Jersey alumni meetings as well as the creation and maintenance of geographic chapters of alumni and fans in key areas of support.
- As assigned, coordinate special annual programs with a targeted focus.
- As needed, staff and attend YEA! fundraising and other events including championships and regionals, regional meetings, and other gatherings including some of The Cadets’ rehearsals and tour stops.
Requirements
Education and Experience
Bachelor's Degree and one year of direct fundraising, marketing, communications or volunteer management experience, or an equivalent combination of education/experience
Skills & Abilities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Outstanding organizational and interpersonal skills, including attention to detail
- Ability to handle diverse, simultaneous tasks and attend to follow-through
- Highly motivated and energetic, ability to show initiative and work independently
- Outgoing personality and ability to initiate and enjoy direct communication with alumni; customer-service orientation
- Preferred: Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Word; familiarity with fundraising/marketing databases and the ability to learn such
Other Considerations
- There will be some travel, primarily from Boston to South Carolina
- There are evenings and weekends involved. Since much of our work is volunteer- and donor-based, we need to be available when they are.
- Grant-writing experience would be very, very helpful.
- And rather important: At this time, much of our fundraising comes from the alumni and fans of The Cadets. We are working to expand this base, but with an eye to today, we would LOVE for this position to be filled by an alumnus of The Cadets. If not, the individual needs to have a clear love for drum corps, marching band and all things pageantry.
Benefits and Salary
- Salary will depend on past experience and ability. We view this as an entry-level to low-level position, and salary will align to such a position. On the other hand, there is a definite possibility for growth in compensation as our donor efforts grow.
- YEA! offers full medical/dental after six months of employment. Currently, YEA! pays 50 percent of the premium, and the employee the other 50 percent. Only the employee is covered through our plan, although it is possible to add spouses and children at the employee’s expense.
- We offer two weeks’ vacation after six months of employment. From day one, one half of a sick day per month is added to the employee’s time available.
- YEA! offers 15 paid holidays as paid time off. Of particular note, we are generally closed for the last week of the calendar year, as schools are closed.
To Apply
Write to George Hopkins at hopkins@yea.org. Please include
a resume, cover letter, and anything that may assist the hiring committee in
gaining a better picture of who you are.
YEA! Internships (seasonal)
Read more about YEA!'s seasonal internships.
Position: USBands Fall Show Staff
(September to November)Judges, Coordinators, Tabulators
Posted: Seasonal (fall weekends)
Read more.
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