Req #: 244012 Department: MEANY CENTER Posting Date: 03/05/2025 Closing Info: Closes On 03/19/2025 Salary: $3,749 - $5,010 per month Shift: Alternate Work Shift Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-summary-classified-staff-greater-than-half-time-20250130-a11y.pdf) As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. **The Departmentname has an outstanding opportunity for a Lead House Manager (Program Coordinator (NE S SEIU 925 Non Supv))to join their team.** Meany Center for the Performing Arts’ mission is to present performances that advance public engagement, cultural exchange, creative research and learning through the arts, focusing on the Meany Center Visiting Artist Series, UW academic performances and third-party rentals. The Audience Services Department is responsible for live show and event management of the performances, providing customer service, guest amenities, safety and relationship management for our guests and producing partners. The Audience Services team executes this work through a Director of Audience Services, House Managers and a team of student Ushers. Meany Center’s Audience Services Department operates the Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Mainstage Theater (1202 seats), the Studio Theatre (234 seat) and all Meany public lobby spaces. Meany Center houses approximately 150 public events each season. In addition, we provide House Management for the Department of Drama in the Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse (200 seats) and the Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre (150 seats). Diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) are priorities at Meany Center. We aspire to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment for everyone who works and engages with Meany Center. Staff members are expected to respect diverse ideas, races, genders, sexualities, abilities, cultures, religions and traditions, and they are encouraged to learn how to interrupt behaviors that hinder our work towards anti-racism and our DEIA efforts. Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities and people from other historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. We are also interested in learning about your professional growth goals connected to DEIA as they relate to this position. The Lead House Manager has three primary areas of responsibility within the Audience Services Department: the management of all audience spaces during events; staffing, coordination and development of the student usher team and assorted administrative and maintenance tasks. This position reports to the Director of Audience Services (DAS) at the Meany Center for the Performing Arts, with a dotted line reporting to the Program Coordinator at the UW School of Drama. This is a full-time 10-month annual position. **DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES** Staffing Management + Assist the DAS with the hiring of the seasonal student usher staff. Includes resume review, interview selection, interview and rating, reference checks. Post hiring includes gathering and storage of info from new hires. (e.g. pronouns, shirt size, dietary restrictions, etc.) + Send out reminders, share on site expectations and provide on-site oversight of School of Drama student volunteers. + Plan and administer annual usher staff training with input from DAS and Senior Director of Planning and Operations. Setting of agenda, timings and trainer selection of each section, order/delivery/setup of food and drink, etc. This training is held at the end of September, with an occasional fresher mid-season. + Review and revise usher, lead usher and house manager employee manuals annually in collaboration with DAS. + Disseminate monthly usher availability sheet with completion deadline. Assign ushers, lead ushers and cashiers for monthly staffing scheduling and notify ushers. + General staffing coordination such as usher questions/emails, substitutions, comp requests. etc. + Solicit input for usher performance reviews from AS leadership team and prepare and conduct reviews for all usher staff in January. + Administer the Usher of the Quarter selection and presentation as part of ongoing employee recognition efforts. + Training of new lead ushers and hourly house managers in conjunction with current staff (i.e. DAS, LU’s, HM’s) + Promote, foster and monitor a strong commitment to customer service and the mission of Meany Center among the audience services staff to continue to develop a strong and stable work force.House Management + Responsible for opening and closing of front-of-house areas of the theater. + Coordinate activities with backstage operations, concessions, and ticket office to ensure a timely event. Coordinate with development and artistic engagement around receptions, meet and greet and other ancillary events. + Oversee nightly Audience Services staff, including event briefing, assigning stations, event supervision, & time keeping. + Promote, foster and monitor a strong commitment to customer service among the audience services staff. + Interface with clients/performers as needed, solving any issues in a reasonable manner. Serve as FOH on-site contact for all rental clients. + Lead audience services staff in emergency situations, including medical responses & evacuations. + Foster an environment of equity and inclusivity for staff, artists and patrons, thinking especially of any guest accessibility accommodations needs. + Record Data & Prepare Show Reports including an “archival” (shift) report, an attendance report (using Tessitura Ticketing Software,) and merchandise reports as needed.Administrative + With the assistance of DAS and Department of Drama, build out and maintain policies and procedures for Drama performances regarding house management and FOH program. Develop job expectations and duties document for volunteer Drama 101 student ushers. + Assist DAS in event planning and preparation, such as seating charts for student matinees, gala planning and other larger events. + Planning and implementation of the end of the season AS department celebration. + Hold office hours (min 2 hours per week) in person, overlapping with DAS office hours. + Attend monthly touch base with DAS and Senior Director of Planning and Operations. + Attend monthly all-staff meetings as scheduled. + Attend any required staff training sessions. + Annually review and provide feedback on Meany safety, security and emergency plans. + Assist in planning and attend quarterly Audience Services leadership team meetings. + Ongoing management of Meany event space lost and found including a monthly clean out of items with inventory list and drop off to the HUB L&F. + Cleaning and maintenance of bar towels, tablecloths, and table skirting as needed. + Ensure Lobby and theater house space is maintained, show ready and welcoming. + Weekly check of Meany lobby lighting for burnouts, replace lamps if possible or submit service request to Facilities. This includes truss lights, fluorescent lights, aisle lights, exit lights, ceiling lights, exterior down lights, bamboo path down lights, east exterior staircase and west patio wall lights. Maintain inventory of lamps, order through facilities when inventory is low. + Prior to performance runs, check Drama theater spaces for lighting and other audience-facing facilities issues. + Maintain usher room supplies, bulletin board, evergreen signage, contact sheets etc. + Weekly check of scanners for operational readiness. + Assume additional department administration tasks as assigned. **MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS** + High school graduation or equivalent AND two years of experience in a professional concert/theater event environment. **ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS** + Demonstrated experience leading and training staff in event management operations. + Ability to work regular evenings and weekends and with changing weekly schedules based on event timing (such 1-4 nights a week 5-11 pm as well as changing daytime office hours). + This position requires moving equipment and supplies of up to 30 pounds throughout the lobby. Ability to climb 6’ ladder. Regularly move around lobby quickly during events and be present in the space for periods of 4-5 hours. Lobby includes several staircases throughout the space. + Current First Aid/CPR certifications and WA State Food Handler’s Permit required upon hiring or within the first month of employment. **DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS** + Knowledge of the performing arts and specifically Front of House management. + Strong customer service skills and familiarity with principles and methods of crowd control, demonstrated strong organizational skills and attention to detail. + Experience working with a wide variety of people, such as university faculty, staff, students and the outside community. + Experience leading student and/or volunteer staff in a professional environment. + Experience in hiring of event staff. + Experience in health and safety and emergency protocols for public events. + Ability to assess potential demanding situations effectively and make quick, tough decisions in a dynamic environment. + Ability to develop and maintain lasting partnerships with a variety of internal and external clients. + Experience with and respect for a diverse environment, inclusive of artists, students, faculty, staff and patrons of many social, economic, cultural, ideological, racial and ethnic backgrounds. + Demonstrated ability to multi-task and manage time wisely (experience prioritizing and managing deadlines) with effective communication and organizational skills in a dynamic environment. + Knowledge of University of Washington systems and procedures. + Experience with Tessitura ticketing software and/or NSCAN ticket scanning. + Knowledge of ADA rules and regulations regarding public spaces and arts venues + Ability to work both independently and as part of a team. University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.