Box Office Manager
- Employer
- Smith College
- Location
- Smith College
View more
- Administrative Jobs
- Institutional & Business Affairs, Clerical & Administrative Support
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Job Summary
This role is a 2-year fixed-term, part-time, benefits eligible role from September 2023-May 2025. Applications will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Oversee the overall day to day operations of the box office from the daily sales and office hours to scheduling student staff for daytime and evening operations. The Box Office Manager will ensure a hospitable, smooth and efficient operation. Responsible for programming and monitoring the ticketing system, tracking daily sales and deposits, ticket account management and fulfillment, supervise and direct student staff and volunteers, and troubleshooting in difficult situations. Work closely with Theatre and Dance department staff, SmithArts Publicity Manager, and the Director of the Smith Office for the Arts. Leads by example at all times and provides the highest level of customer service to all guests, vendors and clients. Provide box office expertise and conduct research to help build a more expansive box office model for future years, serving diverse departments and partners across the Arts at Smith.
Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment
Essential Functions
Box office website, systems and software maintenance (25%)
Building events in the box office system, including setting ticket prices, and setting up seating manifests
Communications including drafting confirmation and automatic emails to customers
Be responsible for checking boxoffice@smith.edu
Review and update box office manual as needed
Troubleshooting software issues, and working with box office software provider on implementation updates, bug fixes, and best practices
Develop, get approval for, and communicate an official comp policy, that can be adapted as needed per show upon consultation with the appropriate department (i.e., House tickets, VIP tickets)
Review current box office hours and ticket costs - adjust as necessary. Work with publicity to update the website accordingly
Work with publicity to supply emails and lists to support marketing/comms efforts
Replenish box office supplies as needed
Potentially implementing new system
Demonstrate excellent customer service skills, respond promptly to customer inquiries and requests, and train all Box Office personnel in customer service standards
Hiring, training, scheduling, supervising student employees (25%)
Hire, train, schedule and supervise up to 16 students as front of house staff consisting of; House Managers, Box Office Assistants and Ushers. (Note: Currently, 3-4 students will be needed each performance) and 4-6 TH200 students per semester making sure they meet the requirements of the course, in collaboration with Theatre Department
Define the range of student roles needed in box office and on show nights. Consult appropriate departments to see what staffing is currently planned for or is needed
Work closely with House Managers to oversee flow of operations on nights of shows.
Recruit students that are interested in working in a team, with staff, and faculty and with the public, sometimes under high pressure. Maintain a staffed work schedule of various hours including afternoons, performance evenings and weekends
Reporting: Show event reports, ticket counts etc., accurate daily reporting of transactions
Public interface, and dealing with difficult patron situations and accessibility concerns
Money handling, including implementing college policies, use of the credit card machine, cash and checks, troubleshooting under pressure
Electronic ticketing and reservations including accurate data acquisition (i.e., email addresses and sign ups used in publicity reporting)
Crisis and safety measures and policies, such as evacuations in an emergency
House Management including but not limited to leading, organizing and supporting the box office staff and coordinating directly with the stage manager during productions, taking responsibility to make spur of the moment decisions to assure safe and pleasant seating arrangements
Maintaining accessibility during all the box office working hours for questions and situations that may come up which could include being present on performance nights
Regular checks that the financial reporting and transactions are being done correctly and that policies are being adhered too
Making sure that work schedules are fair, consistent and the staff is dependable.
Setting expectations and providing clear communications with students
Budgeting (15%)
Oversee box office budget, including cash box, cash deposits, and ensuring that all monies are accounted for as required by Smith policies
Provide end of show budget and monthly budget reports
Track all box office expenses including supplies, student hours, software costs etc.
Reporting (15%)
Creating and/or approving nightly and end of show reports, and making sure all reports are submitted in a timely fashion
Research and Development (15%)
Work with the Director of the Smith Office for the Arts to design new box office model that serves SmithArts beyond Theatre and Dance Department
Conduct research of new box office software systems
Work closely with key stakeholders, departments and partners on campus to assess needs and current best practices, discuss shared goals and priorities
Work through budget and staffing proposals for new box office model
Other Functions
Other Duties 5%
Act as part of the publicity, marketing and communications team, providing necessary data for audience engagement work
Work with Publicity Manager to schedule box office students as needed to help with outreach related work around (calendar entries, postering, etc.)
Assist as needed for RSVP only events (non-ticketed.)
All employees are expected to participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.
Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses)
1-3 years of Box Office experience
Must be able to work well independently and to manage, train, and motivate others
Excellent verbal and written communication and documentation skills required
Position requires the ability to accommodate a flexible schedule, including evenings, and weekends
Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Preferred Qualifications
Management experience strongly preferred
Experience implementing next box office systems
Skills
Good problem solving and strategic thinking skills.
Ability to prioritize, identify critical issues and work towards results
Ability to work with multiple organizations and vendors proactively and professionally
Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 151B, it is the policy of Smith College to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our recruiting team at recruiting-u@smith.edu.
Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Organization
Working at Smith College
Founded in 1871, Smith College is the nation's largest liberal arts college for women. The reputation of the College as one of the finest in the country holds strong because of the dedicated work of our staff, faculty, and administration. We are a diverse group bringing to our community different talents, perspectives, and experiences. Our strength arises from this diversity and is sustained by a community value of providing an outstanding educational environment for our nearly 2,700 students. Smith College is located in Northampton, a lively town of 30,000 in the Connecticut River valley of western Massachusetts.
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