We're Hiring: Box Office Manager
Job Title: Box Office Manager
Reporting To: General Manager
Responsible For: Box Office operations, systems, staff, and sales activity
ABOUT THE ROLE:
Dublin Fringe Festival is a year-round artist support organisation that is a home to artists and a platform for brand new work across every discipline. It is a thriving community that celebrates bold ideas and brave performing arts every September, marking its 28th edition in 2022.
As Box Office Manager, you are a key member of our festival team. The primary role of this position is the installation and operation of the systems necessary to sell all tickets and associated products, performances and events and training and management of staff. You’ll work closely with all other departments to ensure a cohesive strategy across all ticketing and sales efforts. Your job is tactical and enterprising. You connect artists with audiences. You will build a strong team of box office staff and work with volunteers to advance Fringe’s brand as a much-loved festival and engine room for new artistic experiences. Reporting to the General Manager, the successful applicant will be expected to maintain a high standard of excellence in all contacts with patrons, visitors and stakeholders.
Within this role, you will execute the strategy of creating and defining the ticket sales system. You will work with the team to communicate the festival programme, sell tickets, talk about the incredible artists we work with and how we connect with intrepid audiences. Dublin Fringe Festival presents brave, bold, joyful and rule-breaking work each September; our relationships with audiences reflects that.
We want you to put your stamp on Fringe. You’ll take initiative, work closely with the staff to lead the ticketing and concessions policies and procedures and contribute to the life of Ireland’s most exciting arts festival. You’ll do it alongside one of the most skilled, dynamic, supportive and hard-working teams in Ireland.
ABOUT DUBLIN FRINGE
Dublin Fringe Festival is home to brave ideas, bold performing arts and adventurous audiences. Each year we present a curated, multi-disciplinary festival focusing on new and innovative approaches to the arts. Dublin Fringe Festival is a year-round organisation; we support the development and presentation of new work by Irish and International artists of vision, nurturing artistic ambition and excellence across a range of art forms. An active curator, Dublin Fringe Festival provides an environment in which participating artists challenge, subvert and invigorate their disciplines and practice. Dublin Fringe Festival provides a context for work and demands audience engagement and dialogue. The scale and environment of the festival broadens arts participation, playing a vital role in the fabric of Dublin’s cultural life.
WHAT THE ROLE ENTAILS:
The efficient and comprehensive management of box office systems, accounts, and staff and will assist our collective goals of:
• Generating increased paid attendance, with a particular focus on advance sales, of the full range of events on the Fringe programme.
• Encouraging public interest and enthusiasm for the Fringe through friendly, helpful and reliable staff assistance.
• Continuing to reinforce the image of the Fringe as a professional, trustworthy operation.
Administrative & Technology
• Work with all members of staff to ensure that office and administrative systems work efficiently and effectively.
• To produce & distribute detailed sales reports as needed to internal and external partners.
• Adhere to stated staff policies and procedures, as set down in the staff handbook.
Box Office
• Build the box office system (Ticketsolve) within the guidelines with special attention to the details of each venue, production and pricing structures.
• Manage all satellite box offices and setup;•Hire and train box office staff, based on budgetary guidelines established with Festival management.
• Consistently deliver high levels of customer service with responsibility for answering or responding to all telephone calls when on shift, processing bookings and dealing with enquiries.
• Manage the weekly Box Office rotas ensuring maximum service is maintained.
• Liaise with venues and companies to establish ticket allocations, coordinate arrangements for ticket collection, and secure final attendance reports.
• Ascertain the proper allocation of complimentary and house seats for each production and work with them on the booking process providing training and guidelines.
Takings and Budgets
• Ensure end-of-day reconciliation between till transaction summary and the Festival’s online ticketing system reports, weekly close-out on a show-by-show basis of ticket sales activity, and end-of-Festival final transaction reports;
• Accurately handling, reconciling, and balancing all cash and credit transactions daily.
• Achieve targets as agreed with the Artistic Director & CEO and General Manager.
• Ensure takings are banked daily, adhering to safe insurance limits and cash handling procedures.
• Work with General Manager and Bookkeeper to reconcile all sales and venue allocations for each production at the close of the Festival.
Marketing
• Ongoing reporting to Festival management to confirm various marketing details and deals, e-mail list requests, etc;
• Ensure all customer data is captured uniformly and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of all data.
• Oversee Box Office ticket allocation including Press, Friends and VIPs as required, monitoring complimentary ticket allocations.
General
• Maintain excellent communication between the Box Office and Festival Management team.
• Provide a comprehensive, customer focused ticketing and information service that is professional, informed and welcoming, as an initial point of contact for enquiries.
• Work with the ticketing system to ensure timely and efficient processing of individual and group bookings, advance bookings, enquiries and ticket sales through all sales channels and payment methods.
• Adhere to staff policies and procedures, as set down in the staff handbook.
• Abide by, support and implement the Festival’s Health & Safety Policy, and ensure that all members of Box Office staff are familiar with and comply with emergency and safety procedures.
PERSON SPECIFICATION – WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE
Essential
• A friendly, enthusiastic, professional and welcoming customer focused approach to sales.
• Strong IT skills and comprehensive knowledge of ticketing systems.
• Experience of working in / supervising box office operations and staff.
• Proven experience in delivering an exceptional standard of customer service in a high-volume environment to a diverse range of customers.
• Strong financial management skills and an understanding of budgetary control and management.
• Excellent organisational and administration skills and the ability to handle a busy workload at peak times.
• Rigorous attention to detail. You take pride in never missing a beat.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with experience of dealing with customers both in person and on the telephone and a proven commitment to high levels of customer service.
• Self-motivated with an ability to multitask and manage time and workload effectively under pressure.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Willingness to work irregular and flexible hours as required.
• A passion for connecting artists and audiences.
• You must have legal status to work in the Republic of Ireland.
Desirable
•Experience working with Ticketsolve box office system.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
• The position is a fixed contract full-time from Monday, 13 June to Friday, 30 September2022. Salary offered is €650 per week.
• All staff have access to the Workplace Wellbeing Programme.
• The normal working day is 10am to 6pm, however it is understood that throughout this term you will be expected to work such hours as are necessary to support the workload in question, with the flexibility to adjust your schedule according to your needs. You will be expected to work weekends, including Sunday, during Festival time.
• The position is based primarily at Fringe HQ on Sycamore Street in Dublin 2.
• Holiday entitlement is not available for the duration of this contract.
• You will remain available by phone throughout the term, and will establish a procedure for daily check-in with Festival management and box office staff (in advance of the standard close of business-day) for the period running from the Launch through the close of the Festival.
• Appropriate out-of-pocket expenses (including transportation/taxis, etc.) incurred on behalf of Dublin Fringe are considered exclusive of professional fees, and will be reimbursed at direct cost upon presentation of receipts or appropriate supporting documentation on a ‘Net 30 day’ basis. This budget will be agreed in advance.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this position please send a CV detailing your experience and a cover letter to recruit@fringefest.com and addressed to Dee Patton, General Manager with Box Office Manager in the subject line. Your application will be treated with the strictest of confidence.
1. Application closing date: Thursday, May 26 2022 at 5pm
2. Interview date: Week of May 30 2022
3.Intended start date: Week of June 13 2022
Only candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted. Dublin Fringe Festival is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
Dublin Fringe Festival is committed to a diverse workplace, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities. We particularly encourage applications from members of groups who are underrepresented in the cultural sector. Black people, People of Colour, people with disabilities, members of the Traveller community, LGBTQ candidates and candidates of all gender identities are actively encouraged to apply.
For further information about Dublin Fringe Festival, FRINGE LAB and our previous programme information, please see fringefest.com. If you wish to contact us for an informal discussion in confidence, please contact our recruit@fringefest.com with your questions. Dublin Fringe Festival is core funded by the Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Dublin City Council.