Director of Music
Director of Music, Knox Church (Presbyterian, USA)
Position/Job Title: Director of Music
Start Date: January 1, 2027, or other date by mutual agreement
Job Classification: Lay, Part Time, Exempt
Scheduled Work Week: <20 hours, includes Sunday for worship and Thursday evening for choir rehearsals
Salary: $35,000 – $45,000
Qualifications: Master’s degree in Choral Conducting, Sacred Music, Church Music, or related field required; Doctoral degree preferred
Experience: 5 years of conducting professional and/or church choral ensembles with commensurate management of professional musicians and volunteers. Strong knowledge of sacred choral repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary composers with experience leading large works of classical sacred music.
Reports to: Pastor/Head of Staff
Direct Reports: Organist; Assistant Director of Music/Handbell Choir Director; Knox Choir soloists/section leaders; Collaborating Staff: Director of Fresh Spirit Ensemble
Overview: The Director of Music shapes the worship life and faith formation of Knox Presbyterian Church through excellent and meaningful music using his/her vision to influence the worship experience. With the assistance of clergy, professional, and volunteer leadership, the Director of Music ensures that diverse and high-quality music offerings are available to the congregation and the wider community. The Director of Music specifically provides inspiring, effective, and fiscally responsible leadership for the Knox Choir, the Knox Music Series, and the church’s professional music staff, while fostering a thriving, multigenerational musical culture.
The successful candidate will possess a vision for the future of the Knox music program, an understanding of music as a means of faith formation and spiritual inspiration, an eagerness to work in a collaborative and friendly environment with Knox staff and musicians, and the advanced musical education and conducting experience required for the duties described below.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Musical and Liturgical Leadership
Interested parties should submit the following for consideration:
About Knox Presbyterian Church and the Knox Music Program
Knox Church (Presbyterian, USA) – a 1,000+-member church in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati – is a vibrant and growing church which includes a number of young families. Knox is rooted in the Presbyterian tradition and possesses a strong belief in Jesus Christ. The church’s staff includes a pastor, two associate pastors, and director-level personnel in faith formation, music, facility and business management, communications, and preschool education. An annual budget of $2.2 million and an endowment of $8 million support an active and progressive congregation that welcomes and affirms all people. Knox’s mission, outreach, and social justice programs collaborate and partner with more than twenty local organizations. The church is characterized by a strong commitment to life-long learning and spiritual development and has robust education and music programs.
Music at Knox has a long history of excellence and is an integral part of worship. The music program includes the Knox Choir, the Fresh Spirit (contemporary) Ensemble, and Handbell choirs who participate throughout the year in worship and special programs. The Knox Choir consists of 40 volunteer members and eight professional soloists who lead worship from September-May. The choir possesses a large repertoire, ranging from a cappella miniatures to choral-orchestral works and commissions by leading composers. Knox maintains a collection of high-quality musical instruments, including a renovated and expanded 50-rank Holtkamp pipe organ, a Steinway concert grand piano, a Flemish harpsichord, a five-octave set of Schulmerich handbells, and a Juget-Sinclair continuo organ. A major upgrade of audio-visual and technical equipment across the Knox facility was recently completed to enhance the online and in-church experience for our congregation. Knox’s extensive choral library contains more than eight hundred works, including several significant collections and anthologies. As a service to the community, the church produces the Knox Music Series, offering major works for chorus and orchestra to the public free of charge. Music at Knox is supported by a generous endowment for special projects and the Earl Rivers Commissioning Fund, an endowment to advance Knox’s impressive legacy of commissions and premieres.
Knox is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.
Position/Job Title: Director of Music
Start Date: January 1, 2027, or other date by mutual agreement
Job Classification: Lay, Part Time, Exempt
Scheduled Work Week: <20 hours, includes Sunday for worship and Thursday evening for choir rehearsals
Salary: $35,000 – $45,000
Qualifications: Master’s degree in Choral Conducting, Sacred Music, Church Music, or related field required; Doctoral degree preferred
Experience: 5 years of conducting professional and/or church choral ensembles with commensurate management of professional musicians and volunteers. Strong knowledge of sacred choral repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary composers with experience leading large works of classical sacred music.
Reports to: Pastor/Head of Staff
Direct Reports: Organist; Assistant Director of Music/Handbell Choir Director; Knox Choir soloists/section leaders; Collaborating Staff: Director of Fresh Spirit Ensemble
Overview: The Director of Music shapes the worship life and faith formation of Knox Presbyterian Church through excellent and meaningful music using his/her vision to influence the worship experience. With the assistance of clergy, professional, and volunteer leadership, the Director of Music ensures that diverse and high-quality music offerings are available to the congregation and the wider community. The Director of Music specifically provides inspiring, effective, and fiscally responsible leadership for the Knox Choir, the Knox Music Series, and the church’s professional music staff, while fostering a thriving, multigenerational musical culture.
The successful candidate will possess a vision for the future of the Knox music program, an understanding of music as a means of faith formation and spiritual inspiration, an eagerness to work in a collaborative and friendly environment with Knox staff and musicians, and the advanced musical education and conducting experience required for the duties described below.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Musical and Liturgical Leadership
- Lead the Knox Choir (40 members, 8 professional soloists/section leaders) in rehearsals, worship services, and concerts.
- Provide feedback and guidance to the pastors and the Worship & Music Committee regarding the varied music offerings of the church.
- Develop and manage the annual Worship & Music budget in collaboration with the Worship & Music Committee and the Fresh Spirit Ensemble director.
- Oversee the care and curation of Knox’s musical instrument collection (organs, keyboards, handbells, and more).
- Manage the operations of the music program in collaboration with other Knox staff members.
- Other duties as assigned by the Pastor/Head of Staff.
- Oversees commissioning of new musical works.
- Supervise and manage members of the church’s musical staff, including the organist, soloists/section leaders, assistant choir director/handbell director, and others.
- Actively recruit and retain members of the Knox Choir, both volunteer and paid, in collaboration with church staff and volunteers.
- In coordination with other Knox staff and volunteers, plan, prepare, coordinate, lead, and fundraise for the Knox Music Series, a long-running and successful series of free concerts, open to the public.
- Promote concerts through communication channels and community partnerships
- Participate and lead in local or city-wide choral collaborations as requested
Interested parties should submit the following for consideration:
- A cover letter/letter of interest
- A resume or CV
- A list of three professional references
- Video links of both rehearsal and worship/performance footage
About Knox Presbyterian Church and the Knox Music Program
Knox Church (Presbyterian, USA) – a 1,000+-member church in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati – is a vibrant and growing church which includes a number of young families. Knox is rooted in the Presbyterian tradition and possesses a strong belief in Jesus Christ. The church’s staff includes a pastor, two associate pastors, and director-level personnel in faith formation, music, facility and business management, communications, and preschool education. An annual budget of $2.2 million and an endowment of $8 million support an active and progressive congregation that welcomes and affirms all people. Knox’s mission, outreach, and social justice programs collaborate and partner with more than twenty local organizations. The church is characterized by a strong commitment to life-long learning and spiritual development and has robust education and music programs.
Music at Knox has a long history of excellence and is an integral part of worship. The music program includes the Knox Choir, the Fresh Spirit (contemporary) Ensemble, and Handbell choirs who participate throughout the year in worship and special programs. The Knox Choir consists of 40 volunteer members and eight professional soloists who lead worship from September-May. The choir possesses a large repertoire, ranging from a cappella miniatures to choral-orchestral works and commissions by leading composers. Knox maintains a collection of high-quality musical instruments, including a renovated and expanded 50-rank Holtkamp pipe organ, a Steinway concert grand piano, a Flemish harpsichord, a five-octave set of Schulmerich handbells, and a Juget-Sinclair continuo organ. A major upgrade of audio-visual and technical equipment across the Knox facility was recently completed to enhance the online and in-church experience for our congregation. Knox’s extensive choral library contains more than eight hundred works, including several significant collections and anthologies. As a service to the community, the church produces the Knox Music Series, offering major works for chorus and orchestra to the public free of charge. Music at Knox is supported by a generous endowment for special projects and the Earl Rivers Commissioning Fund, an endowment to advance Knox’s impressive legacy of commissions and premieres.
Knox is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.