Audience Services Manager

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $69,000 - $75,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Production and Operations, the incumbent oversees Audience Services, event ticketing/registration, and front-of-house operations for the Lenfest Center for the Arts, a multi-venue building that incubates, produces, and presents educational and professional exhibitions, events, performances, screenings, and artistic projects developed by the School of the Arts, the Wallach Art Gallery, and collaborating partners. Responsibilities include maintaining high quality customer service for the Center's diverse audiences, students, faculty, and staff. Implements policies and procedures that ensure effective operations; recruits, trains, supervises, and assesses performance of staff; and manages budgets and related reporting. Attends performances and serves as the department representative at events. This position requires frequent evening and weekend hours and performs related duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary advocate for the overall visitor and audience experience, and contribute to the positive image of the Lenfest Center for the Arts as a welcoming and lively hub of activity for the School of the Arts and the Manhattanville campus
• Cultivate high quality customer service for the Center's diverse audiences, performers, students, faculty, and staff; foster a collegial, educational, and inviting environment that enables everyone to do their best work
• Oversee and administer front-of-house operations for Lenfest Center events. Coordinate with event production and stage managers; manage reserved and general admission seating; anticipate and resolve key event-related issues such as crowd management, ticketing problems, and late seating; and ensure compliance with ADA access regulations and venue capacity limitations
• Oversee the Visitor Services Desk which serves as the initial point of contact for all visitors, guests, and audiences, guests and visitors, including students, faculty, and staff
• Oversee and administer ticketing/registration services for events taking place at the Lenfest Center for the Arts. Operate and maintain the ticketing and patron management database; advise event producers on ticketing services, venue policy, and best practices; ensure compliance with University PCI/DSS guidelines for credit card handling and security of box office assets; and manage financial operations for events with paid ticketing
• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise, assess the performance, and mentor a team of 35-40 student and 6-8 freelance staff for the Visitor Services Desk, event ticketing/registration, and front-of-house roles
• Provide timely and accurate communications related to event ticketing and registration services with event producers and faculty; oversees responses to audience and patron inquiries
• Maintain attendance and sales records, develop and prepare reports to aid in budgeting, financial tracking, and projections, including point-in-time and year-over-year analysis; presents information to key stakeholders from the School of the Arts and Wallach Gallery
• In consultation with the Director of Production and Operations, ensure that the appearance and general condition of the lobby, restrooms, and other public spaces are appropriate
• In consultation with the Director of Production and Operations, implement safety and emergency procedures
• Certified as NYC Fire Guard for Lenfest Center venues

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or its equivalent is required
• Two to four years of related professional experience is required
• Ability to lift and move boxes and equipment weighing up to 20 pounds across the office and venues, and to frequently climb flights of stairs within and between venues during performances
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time while staffing events and performances
• Ability to operate office productivity machinery, such as two-way radios, phone, ticket and point of sale scanners and printers
• Must have demonstrated skills in customer service, event management, financial management, and staff supervision
• Exceptional planning, organizational, and team-building skills necessary
• Superior written and verbal communication skills are required, as is the ability to interact with a highly diverse group of constituents within and outside the University and performing arts community, utilizing savvy, tact, and discretion
• A high level of energy, initiative, and creativity is essential
• Strong knowledge of computer applications (MS Office, Google Workspace), databases and box office software is required
• Ability to work nights and weekends is a must

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using performance venue ticketing systems is strongly preferred

Other Requirements

• This position works in-person at Columbia University's Manhattanville Campus.
• A resume and cover letter must be submitted to be considered for the position

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.