DIRECTOR OF PATRON SERVICES at City Theatre Company – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

City Theatre Company, Pittsburgh’s leading professional theater dedicated to new plays, seeks to hire a DIRECTOR OF PATRON SERVICES. This full-time, exempt staff position oversees all ticketing and front-of-house operations for the organization. This is a critical revenue-generating and hospitality position that will oversee an external-facing department consisting of both full- and part-time employees.

Principle responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to:

• Overseeing ticketing operations including season, performance, and special event build and management in Tessitura and on the organization’s website; reporting and daily sales and financial management tracking; reconciliations; and development and implementation of box office policies. The Director should expect to work some box office shifts, including on occasional weekends and evenings. This position works closely with the organization’s rental program to ensure ticketing is available when requested by partners.
• Overseeing front-of-house operations including house management, parking, and bar/concessions; set policies; manage customer relations, including resolving complaints; ensure safety for guests; and create a hospitality-forward environment.
• Supervising three full-time departmental staff and indirectly supervising up to 10 additional part-time (hourly) employees working across house management, the parking lot, bar/concessions, and box office. This includes setting and managing departmental schedules and calendars and submitting bi-weekly payroll.
• Serving as in-house “expert” with Tessitura and participating with the local Tessitura consortium (attend cohort meetings, participate in trainings, serve on committees, etc).
• Working closely with marketing, finance, and development departments to provide reporting, data, and other functions needed for their success and daily operations. This can include building discount codes, pulling lists, collaborating on subscription planning, reconciling deposits and transactions, and assisting with gift entry and other fundraising tasks within Tessitura.
• Serving on the senior staff team to ensure that patron experiences and relationships (along with departmental staff needs) are represented and advocated for in organizational strategy.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• At least five (5) years of dedicated and successful experience working in ticketing or audience services. Be passionate about customer service and patron satisfaction.
• Experience working in a CRM, preferably Tessitura. Love data and what it can teach us to grow audiences and revenue.
• Responsiveness, reliability, and thoroughness.
• Diplomacy, discretion, and a commitment to confidentiality as this position will work closely with sensitive information about patrons and organizational finances. Be ethical and trustworthy.
• Ability to collaborate, and build rapport, with team members and stakeholders from a wide variety of backgrounds, work-styles, and professional experiences.
• Strong communication skills. Politeness. Patience. Be affable with customers, artists, and your colleagues. Be a leader.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and Office 365 – including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and SharePoint – and comfort with web-based software, including project management technology.
• Ability to initiate, self-start, multi-task, problem-solve, and meet deadlines with strong attention to detail.
• A commitment to collaboration and the organization’s values, which include a dedicated focus on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility. Engage in professional training and self-reflection related to the organization’s anti-racism commitments.
• Humor and humility are useful tools for any frontline theater staff member, as is a willingness and ease in meeting and conversing with individuals from diverse backgrounds in a confident, professional manner.
• An enthusiasm for the arts and artists. Love the work.

Requirements of position:

· Position requires operation of computers and other office equipment in a stationary position, frequent movement in the theater and box office during events and performances, and occasional evenings and weekends, reflective of the dynamic schedule of the theatre.

· Ability to work most hours onsite (some work-from-home opportunities are possible if/when coordinated around performance and box office hours). Therefore, must be local to Pittsburgh upon commencement of full-time duties.

· Current with all CDC-recommended and eligible COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

What does success look like?

In two to three years, this position will have helped City Theatre expand its ticketing revenue and already-positive customer service reputation. Programming and public performance schedules will have grown, therefore resulting in a larger, smoothly operating and efficient patron service department.

For the individual in the role, this position will provide critical leadership opportunities for someone interested in supervising a staff, engaging with members of the public, and excited by the prospect of learning about all administrative operations of a professional theater. City Theatre is not a siloed organization – everything eventually flows through the Patron Services department which creates a unique exposure to management, fundraising, promotions, production, and more. This position will require becoming a super user of Tessitura and, as a result, be connected to a supportive peer community of colleagues throughout Pittsburgh. Finally, City Theatre’s managing director began his career running a box office; the importance of this department is deeply valued and trusted. Lean into that opportunity to develop skills that could lead to other paths in theater management.

Reporting & Compensation:

The position reports directly to the Managing Director (James McNeel). It is a full-time, exempt position and has an annual salary range of $54,000 - $59,000, plus a competitive benefits package, including a 100% employer-covered health plan and life insurance, optional vision, dental and FSA plans, paid vacation and holiday leave; some work-from-home flexibility is available.

To Apply:

Submit cover letter and résumé through the City Theatre hiring portal available under “Auditions & Employment” on the organization’s website; or, alternatively, send materials via email to Finance@CityTheatreCompany.org. For more information about City Theatre, visit CityTheatreCompany.org. No phone calls.

Please use your cover letter – which may be addressed to Managing Director James McNeel - to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role, and how your background and experience responds to the desired skills and qualities.

Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you're returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.

ABOUT CITY THEATRE:

City Theatre is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to building a culturally diverse and equitable environment and we strongly encourage applications from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) candidates. In building an equitable work environment, the organization values diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skill sets. City Theatre does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. City Theatre is committed to building a team that reflects its values and encourages all interested candidates to apply.

Founded in 1975, City Theatre is in its 51st season as Pittsburgh’s home for bold new plays. Located in the historic South Side on its four-building cultural campus, the company produces a season of regional and world premieres; its renowned Young Playwrights Festival, now in its 26th year; a season-long reading series of new works in progress; and the annual Momentum Festival. City Theatre’s mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays that engage and challenge a diverse audience. Its vision is to be the finest mid-sized theater in America. Organizational core values are: Community; Collaboration; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility; and Creativity. With an annual average operating budget of over $3.3M, City Theatre is the largest performing arts organization not located in Pittsburgh’s downtown Cultural District and is a constituent and core member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT), Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the National New Play Network (NNPN). Clare Drobot serves as Artistic Director alongside Managing Director James McNeel. The current full-time staff numbers 23 with over 125 additional part-time, artist, and contractor staff employed each season. City Theatre is governed by a board of 22 community volunteers (Barbara Rudiak, board president). Learn more at CityTheatreCompany.org