Find & Apply For Music Director Jobs in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

Temple Israel is a vibrant and welcoming Jewish community dedicated to fostering connection, learning, spiritual growth, and support for its congregants, families, students, and staff. The Manager of Music and Family Engagement is a full-time, salaried-exempt role shared across Temple Israel's Early Childhood Center, Religious School and family programming, and Music Department. The position's primary responsibility is to create, adapt, direct, perform, and teach music. Working collaboratively with the Cantor and appropriate educational leadership, this person will use independent artistic judgment and musical talent to develop age-appropriate experiences, interpret repertoire, accompany worship and lifecycle events, direct rehearsals, and prepare participants. Administrative coordination supports these primary musical and creative responsibilities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES MUSICAL AND CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

Exercise independent artistic judgment in creating, selecting, interpreting, and adapting music for worship, educational, family, and congregational settings. Develop musical experiences appropriate to the age, ability, setting, participants, and purpose of each program or service. Direct rehearsals, coach participants, and make musical decisions needed for effective preparation and performance.

EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC

Serve as a music specialist within the Early Childhood Center and create developmentally appropriate Jewish and secular music experiences. Introduce children to Shabbat, holidays, Hebrew, and Jewish values through music. Collaborate with Early Childhood Center faculty and leadership on holiday and special programming and help connect Temple Israel's youngest families to congregational musical life.

MUSIC PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND COORDINATION

Coordinate music and rehearsal schedules, participant communications, rehearsal materials, musicians, and substitutes in support of the role's primary musical responsibilities. Support High Holy Day preparation and the administration of choirs, ensembles, concerts, worship services, and special musical programs. Assist with contracts, invoices, calendars, records, and coordination across clergy, production, education, and music personnel. Provide additional logistical support for programs operating across multiple spaces.

SHABBAT WORSHIP AND B'NAI MITZVAH

Serve as pianist for Shabbat services and B'nai Mitzvah as assigned, including additional coverage when simultaneous services or programs require another pianist. Interpret and adapt musical selections and accompaniments, rehearse with clergy, singers, students, and musicians, and make appropriate musical adjustments during preparation and performance.

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Provide musical leadership for Religious School assemblies and serve as Music Director for T'filah Kids. Rehearse and prepare students for services and special programs. Help create a musical pathway connecting the Early Childhood Center, Religious School, T'filah Kids, families, and the broader worship life of Temple Israel.

FLEXIBLE PROGRAM AND PRODUCTION SUPPORT

Support High Holy Day choir direction, Family and Adult Purim Spiel music, holiday programs, special rehearsals, family musical programming, concerts, congregational events, and other initiatives as assigned. Adjust hours among responsibility areas during intensive periods while maintaining the overall expectations of the position. Participate in supervision, team meetings, professional development, and organizational initiatives, and maintain regular attendance for scheduled evening, weekend, holiday, and High Holy Day responsibilities.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Strong piano, accompaniment, rehearsal, and general musicianship skills appropriate to worship, educational, and congregational settings. Demonstrated ability to exercise independent artistic judgment when selecting or adapting repertoire, interpreting music, developing musical experiences, directing rehearsals, and preparing performers. Experience providing developmentally appropriate music instruction or programming for young children. Experience accompanying worship services, lifecycle events, rehearsals, choirs, ensembles, or live musical programs. Familiarity with Jewish music, Shabbat, holidays, Hebrew, Jewish values, and synagogue worship practices. Strong administrative and organizational skills, including the ability to manage schedules, materials, communications, records, and multiple priorities. A collaborative, service-oriented approach and the ability to work effectively with children, families, musicians, clergy, educators, staff, and volunteers. Clear verbal and written communication, sound judgment, discretion, flexibility, and dependable follow-through. Bachelor's degree in music, music education, Jewish education, arts administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent education and relevant experience may be considered. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort using shared calendars, scheduling tools, and digital music or rehearsal resources. Availability for a schedule that includes Friday evenings, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, High Holy Days, and other seasonal programs.

WHY JOIN TEMPLE ISRAEL?

Temple Israel is one of the largest and most dynamic Reform Jewish congregations in North America - a large, multigenerational community rooted in the values of inclusion, innovation, and deep Jewish commitment. Our mission is to create an inclusive center for spiritual fulfillment and community building through the lens of Reform Judaism. With a non-hierarchical clergy team of seven rabbis and cantors, a Tyner Religious School, Early Childhood Center, robust adult education programming, a full social service agency, a thriving music program, active Temple Youth, and a congregation that draws more than 1,500 people to summer Shabbat services, Temple Israel is a community unlike any other. Our communications reflect who we are: warm, authentic, innovative, and deeply connected.

Benefits:

Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Parental leave Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person