Careers at Merit
Join our mission to provide equal access to high-quality music education.
Music Transforms Lives... and You Can Too!
Merit School of Music transforms the lives of thousands of youth from across Chicagoland through removing barriers to high-quality music education.
We’re looking for passionate, music-loving team members to help make a difference in student’s lives and to grow in their careers.
Who We Are
For over 40 years, Merit School of Music has been delivering high-quality music programs to Chicagoland students through classes, lessons, and other programs. We are driven by a mission to remove barriers and bring music education to students of every age, level, and background.
Our Values
We Create
a culture of musical and personal excellence by igniting passion and nurturing persistence.
We Cultivate
a welcoming, generous, vibrant community of learning.
We Collaborate
with innovation, accountability, and empathy.
We Celebrate
diversity, equity, and inclusion—so everyone belongs.
Benefits & Perks
All Employees
- PPO & HMO Health insurance from BCBS ILFTE
- PPO & HMO Dental insurance from Delta DentalFTE
- EyeMed vision insuranceFTE
- Voluntary term life insuranceFTE
- Flexible spending account (FSA)FTE
- Vanguard 401(k) retirement plan, including a 3% safe-harbor contribution made by Merit after one year of service401
- Casual dress 👕👟
- Employee assistance program
- Commuter benefits
- Complimentary subscription to Headspace 🧘♀️🧘♂️
Faculty
- Competitive pay based on experience
- Being a part of a vibrant learning community focused on personal and musical growth
- Organizational tools/support for scheduling and billing 📅
- Up to 40 hours of sick leave per year
- Professional development opportunities
- Reimbursement for mileage/travel to offsite teaching locations 🚗
Staff
- Hybrid work and flexible schedules (for certain roles)
- Summer flex hours 🌞
- Generous paid time off policy
- Seven paid holidays
- Organization-wide winter break (approximately one week!) ❄
- Management training through The Management Center
- Antiracism training through Enrich Chicago
- Dog-friendly office 🐶
FTE Available only to staff working more than 30 hours per week and faculty teaching more than 780 hours per year
401 Available after one year of employment if over 500 hours were worked
Merit’s Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Antiracism (IDEA)
At Merit School of Music, inclusion, diversity, equity, and antiracism are a matter of mission.
Since 1979, we’ve been committed to building a world in which historically underrepresented groups have equal access to high-quality music education.
From the classroom to the conference room, we strive to create and sustain a learning and working environment where difference is valued, and where equity and inclusion are practiced.
All voices are invited to this organizational orchestra — all abilities, ages, cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, gender identities, immigration statuses, national origins, races, and sexual orientations.
We are committed to creating an environment where everyone’s voice is heard and respected, and team members are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work every day. In fact, we believe doing so is essential to our success.
