WORK WITH ECHO THEATER Co.

Echo Theater Company is a fun, supportive and highly productive work environment. We are a small team, and rely on mutual support and respect for smooth and proper operations. We look forward to talking with you about your interest in joining our team.

CURRENT OPENINGS

OUTREACH MANAGER

Reports to: Executive Director

Supervises: Outreach Coordinators (4), Coaches

Employment Status: Year-Round, Regular, 0.8 FTE Exempt

Benefits: PTO and paid holidays, health insurance (Providence)

Salary: Starts at $24/hour, with three-month review and raise potential

Echo Theater Company (ETC) is a long-standing not-for-profit circus and movement arts school with two locations; the Echo Theater on SE Hawthorne and Echo West in the Pearl District. We help learners of all ages and abilities discover their potential and embrace their humanity through movement, aerial arts, circus, and ensemble physical theater.

Our teaching philosophy emphasizes support, inclusion and bridging generational, cultural and economic differences while celebrating everyone’s collective potential. We provide scholarships to support low-income students, and an adaptive curriculum, interpreters and aids to support students who are neuro-divergent, disabled and Deaf.

For over a decade, ETC has offered Outreach Programming to serve K-12 students and young adults living with low incomes, at-risk youth, neurodivergent and disabled populations, and underserved communities.

Our outreach programming currently works in four school districts (PPSD/RSD/GBSD/DDSD), and has established partnerships with Latino Network, Impact Northwest, IRCO, p:ear, Metropolitan Family Services, Phoenix Rising Transitions, Manifest Independence, Portland Parks and Recreation, and a number of private schools and local businesses. Most of our outreach programming occurs offsite at schools and community centers. Through teaching physical skills such as juggling, stilt-walking, tumbling and aerial arts, ETC empowers students to take supported risks, build trust, gain confidence and cultivate essential life skills such as collaboration, agency, and teamwork.

Position Summary: The Outreach Manager oversees ETC’s far-reaching outreach programming including after-school classes, in-school residencies & workshops, onsite fieldtrips, and one-off workshops and events. The ideal candidate should be an excellent communicator, organized, patient, compassionate and collaborative. Experience/knowledge of local organizations engaged in service, especially those supporting marginalized and intersectional youth is likewise ideal. The Outreach Manager will serve as a hands-on front-line worker, communicating with administrators, educators and a diverse student body as well as overseeing macro-responsibilities like managing coaching staff, organizing schedules, keeping equipment organized, and creating strategic partnerships to expand our programming.

Primary responsibilities include:

Program Delivery:

  • In collaboration with Executive Director, creating and overseeing class/workshop/residency schedules, and staffing instructors

  • Maintaining a safe, welcoming and engaging educational environment, both on- and off-site

  • Communicating with students, families, instructors and community members about programming

  • Overseeing the safe use of existing equipment and rigging, both on- and off-site

  • Organizing, overseeing and marketing end-of-program performances and events

  • Supporting instructors and students by supervising, mentoring, assisting and when necessary, teaching outreach programs.

Program Oversight and Development:

  • Developing and maintaining relationships with organizations and individuals that make up the diverse constellation of ETC’s outreach programming

  • Working with Executive Director, Instructional Coordinator and instructors to create, maintain, and support engaging and culturally relevant curricular materials

  • Working with the Executive Director and Operations Manager to track and report expenses including instructor hours, training fees, and tracking and reporting income and grants.

Ongoing organizational training and outreach:

  • Designing and hosting training for instructors, specifically to develop skills for inclusion and classroom management

  • Helping maintain accuracy and a welcoming space on our website and registration system with attention to making sure that such communications are inclusive and accessible.

To apply, please send your resume and one-page cover letter highlighting relevant experience to hiring@echotheaterpdx.org or 1515 SE 37th Ave, Portland, OR 97214.

CURRENT OPENINGS

Instructor

LOCATIONS: Echo Theater & Echo West

REPORTS TO:  Education Director

SUPERVISES:  None

EMPLOYMENT STATUS:  hourly

SCHEDULE:  Year-round

PAYMENT: $18 – $30/hr, depending on experience  

POSITION SUMMARY

Experienced instructors and assistant instructors are needed for a variety of classes, camps, and special events such as birthday parties and community outreach. Instructors needed for youth, teen, adult and family classes in the following disciplines: Tumbling, partner acrobatics, hand-balancing, contortion, single-point dance trapeze, aerial fabric (silks), sling, hoop (lyra), dance, juggling, pole, straps, aerial yoga, parent/child circus,  physical theater, ensemble building, collaboration and performance skills, other skills as appropriate.

Echo teaching staff strive to foster an inclusive environment of mutual support, recognizing the individual strengths of each student and celebrating our potential as movers, creators, and collaborators. Instructors will ensure the safety of students at all times, following best practices for skill-progression, spotting, and safety procedures; as well as best practices for access and inclusion. As appropriate, teachers will communicate with parents or guardians to ensure best possible outcomes in the class environment and communicate with administrative staff regarding equipment, enrollment, logistics and administrative issues.

Qualifications needed:

  • Movement or circus experience as described above

  • Movement or circus teaching experience in any setting

  • CPR certification is desirable, required for solo teaching

  • Strong communication and collaboration skills

  • Excellent creative problem solving skills and adaptability

Qualifications preferred:

  • Ability to be active, including lifting up to 50 pounds, walking, squatting, jumping

  • Comfortable with heights and ladders

  • Experience working with diverse populations of students, including but not limited to neuro-divergent, disabled, underserved, and disenfranchised students. 

HOURS & PAY

Pay is $18-$30/hour depending on experience. ETC staff are able to attend staff training, open gyms, and conditioning classes free of charge and receive one free class series per term. Hours vary by term, but generally range from 2 to 15 hours per week. Classes may take place from 7 am to 9pm every day of the week, with the bulk of programming in the afternoon and evenings Monday to Saturday.

To apply, please send your resume and brief cover letter highlighting relevant experience or certifications to hiring@echotheaterpdx.org, call as at 971-267-ECHO, or visit us in person 1515 SE 37th Ave, Portland, OR 97214.