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LEAD HOUSE MANAGER

Posted October 30, 2024

Deadline November 22, 2024

LEAD HOUSE MANAGER

Position Type:               Part Time (variable hours), hybrid
Compensation:             $20 – 25/hour
Reports to:                      Operations & Community Programs Director
Posted:                              October 24, 2024
Application deadline: November 22, 2024

Chamber Music Northwest’s Lead House Manager oversees CMNW’s team of front-of-house staff and volunteers at concerts and events, providing excellent customer service for our family of donors, subscribers, and concert attendees.  They will do this by being the main contact for CMNW volunteers during the Summer Festival and running the front of house at all performances. While directly supervised by the Operations & Community Programs Director, they work closely with all staff to communicate jobs to volunteers and ensure a smooth concert experience for patrons. Most of the year will focus on supporting our Year-Round Season performances as Lead House Manager.  This will shift in the spring as we plan the logistics of the Summer Festival including taking the lead with volunteer recruitment, scheduling, training, and supervision over six weeks of concerts and events.

WORK AREAS

Audience Experience/House Management

  • Serve as Lead House Manager for concerts and oversee staff and volunteers in creating a welcoming, enjoyable, and safe experience for our audiences.
  • Communicate with box office, operations and production staff to ensure that house seating is set-up accordingly for each concert, and that front of house is working in sync with back of house.
  • Work with Operations & Community Programs Director to select, hire and supervise one or more Assistant House Managers for the Summer Festival.
  • Assist with assignment of reserved and VIP seating for donors and subscribers.
  • In collaboration with Operations & Community Programs Director, develop and communicate all front of house logistics for summer festival, including set-up, load-in, load-out and any other needs throughout the festival.
  • Oversee logistics, signage, shuttles, and other services that affect the audience experience.
  • Serve as a public face of CMNW, greeting, thanking, and assisting patrons at events.

Volunteer Management (Summer Festival Only: May – July)

  • During the Summer Festival, oversee our strong and loyal base of 100+ volunteers who serve as ushers, greeters and parking directors, and in other roles assuring the enjoyment, comfort and safety of our audiences.
  • Work in close partnership with Artistic Operations Coordinator to build rapport and positive relationships with our volunteers to ensure a smooth hand-off from the Coordinator to you after scheduling and successful fulfillment of their assigned duties.
  • Manage work assignments for volunteers, utilizing Salesforce tools for scheduling, confirming, reminding volunteers of shifts, and tracking volunteer hours.
  • Recruit, schedule, train, and supervise the volunteers (ushers, greeters, parking attendants and others) at concerts and events.
  • With Supervisor, schedule and run volunteer orientation in June and help with organizing appreciation event(s) during the festival.
  • Manage the volunteer email account and send communications to volunteers in advance of all concerts, and respond to any emails with questions or concerns.
  • Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Requirements:

  • Associate’s degree with customer service experience in front of house management and/or volunteer management in an event-oriented environment.
  • Demonstrated success in functioning and communicating effectively in a fast-paced environment working with a wide variety of people.
  • Professional, friendly and customer-service oriented demeanor.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, especially with those age 55+, and a communication style that employs discretion, tact, diplomacy and graciousness with different personalities.
  • High level of organization.
  • Ability to remain calm under pressure.
  • Flexibility and patience when things don’t go according to plan, and the willingness to go with the flow as needed.
  • Have the use of a reliable vehicle, clean driving record, and a valid driver’s license.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint), Google Suite, Slack and a customer relationship management database similar to Patron Manager/Salesforce.
  • Must excel at working both independently and collaboratively.
  • CPR/First Aid Certification, or willingness to become certified upon hire.

Preferred:

  • Background or interest in classical music or the arts, specifically classical music festivals.
  • Familiarity with the Portland metro area, audiences and arts volunteers.

Job Conditions

This position will be part-time, and with set hours that will gradually increase through the Summer Festival.  Schedule is semi-flexible outside of concert days and developed in consultation with supervisor.

Estimated hours/responsibilities will follow the below schedule:

  • September – April: responsibilities will follow the concert schedule for the Year-Round Season, typically one or two concerts per month with varying hours. This position will act as Lead House Manager only during this time.  The supervisor will communicate these dates and estimated hours when schedule is available.  Remaining dates for the 2024-25 Year-Round Season, include (hours will vary):
    • February 6, 2025
    • February 27, 2025
    • April 3, 2025
    • April 5, 2025
    • May 31, 2025
  • May: 16 hours/week; position will shift into Summer Festival logistics and take over Volunteer Management including all work in Patron Manager and communications.
  • June – July: 30 hours/week; position will continue all Volunteer Management tasks and act as Lead House Manager for the 5-week Summer Festival with two Assistant House Managers. Load-in, Load-out, and trainings for the Summer Festival will also occur at this time.
  • August off

On non-concert days, this position will be considered hybrid and can be worked in the office or at home as agreed upon with supervisor.  This position will be required to be onsite at all performances, unless previously communicated to supervisor.

Communication will be done via company email, phone and Slack.  When in the office, the workspace is lit with fluorescent and natural lighting. The position’s workstation, desk and other equipment are usually not shared for most of the year and can be adjusted to make them more ergonomically comfortable. The workspace may be shared with seasonal staff during the Summer Festival. Standard office hours on non-concert days are between 9am-5pm, and this position will schedule their weekly hours as needed with supervisor; evening and weekend hours will be required for concert days.

Physical Demands

This position requires extended periods of sitting and standing, and concentrated data entry or email communication using computer keyboard and mouse.  Occasional lifting of up to 40 pounds without assistance.

Compensation
The position is part time, following the above schedule. Compensation is commensurate with experience within the range of $20-25/hour.

Application
Interested candidates should forward a résumé and cover letter, along with three references to jobs@cmnw.org with “Lead House & Volunteer Manager” in the subject line.  All documents should be in PDF format and should not exceed 10 Mb total.

Chamber Music Northwest believes that our staff should reflect the diversity of our community. We welcome all qualified applicants, and encourage those who identify as Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color to apply.

Don’t meet every requirement?  At CMNW we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace – if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply.  You may be the right candidate for this or other roles.

Chamber Music Northwest a 501(c)3 organization and an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Please, no phone inquiries.

More Info
https://cmnw.org/about-us#join-our-team

Salary
$20-$25/hr

Location
Portland, Oregon

Contact Email
info@cmnw.org