Box Office Treasurer

Type of Position: Full-time, Union Local 750

• Required to be on-site for performances
• Option to be hybrid 2x a week, on non-performance days

Salary: $35.74 hourly rate
Hours:
Monday – Friday, 9AM to 5PM
Weekends and evenings for
events and performances

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Box Office Treasurer is a contract role, employed by Music and Dance Theater Chicago (dba Harris Theater) and governed by a collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) with the Treasurers and Ticket Sellers Union Local 750, of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees of the United States and Canada. This role reports to the Harris Theater’s VP of Marketing and Sales, works alongside the Tessitura Administrator, and leads a team of part-time Box Office Associates.

The Harris Theater is a 1,499-seat multi-use performing arts venue located in Millennium Park and occasionally utilizes the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage for select performances, as well as the Harris Theater Rooftop. The Treasurer works closely with the Operations and Marketing departments on box office support for all their public, ticketed events including the Harris Theater Presents series, productions by the Theater’s 30+ local Resident Companies, and rental engagements.

In addition to scheduling, training and leading the operations of the box office team, the Treasurer is responsible for the ongoing management of ticketed events from ticket on-sale through post-show settlement, including creating discount codes, managing holds, processing incoming group sales, and tracking consignment. Keeping with the supportive, inclusive mission of the Harris Theater, applicants must possess a collaborative spirit. An ability to anticipate challenges and problem solve in advance – and in the moment – is crucial for
success in this position. The ideal candidate should have excellent communication skills, as they will not only work directly with audience members, but staff and board members of the Harris Theater, Resident Companies, and other external organizations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

60% Box Office Management:

• Supervise and manage overall day-to-day operations of the Harris Theater; additional spaces when required.
• Hire and train part-time, union Box Office professionals; supervise and schedule staff; conduct annual reviews and recommend additional training as needed.
• Establish and document procedures for staff absences.
• Ensure proper training is provided to Box Office staff based on production needs and/or new technologies.
• Lead monthly box office meetings, including preparing an agenda in advance, and bringing in guests from other departments on occasion for cross-collaboration.
• Provide the best-in-class customer service and sales to subscribers, donors, single ticket buyers, groups and others, both verbally and through written communication.
• Assist patrons with purchase decisions, which may include answering venue sightline and show content questions.
• Manage the resolution of patron complaints, escalated by the box office.
• Understand and relate purchase policies to patrons.
• Handle all incoming group sales inquiries, seating requests, purchases – includes follow-up on deadlines for payment and order fulfillment.
• Communicate with senior leadership on customer service trends and concerns, as related to the box office, guest experience, or ticketing procedures.
• Manage the box office budget and makes budgetary recommendations to VP of Marketing on needs, including additional staff, hardware and soft goods.
• Balance box office bank accounts and work with finance office as required to reconcile monthly and quarterly bank statements and merchant accounts.
• Post batches and run reporting, including the monthly Amusement Tax report for finance.
• Complete all ticketing reports needed for post-performance settlement.
• Stay abreast of ticketing and box office best practices, as well as local and national laws related to ticketing and theatre accessibility.

30% Ticketing Operations

• Update sales reporting for Harris Theater Presents, resident companies, rental companies, and box office / ticketing vendors after initial on sale, in collaboration with the Tessitura Administrator.
• Manage all promo codes and discounts requested after event’s initial on sale, in collaboration with the Tessitura Administrator.
• Monitor ticket holds and inventory, communicates with operations, development, and programming to issue timely release of inventory as contracted to maximize revenue.
• Manage emergency holds, wheelchair holds, and others for front of house troubleshooting seat needs.
• Manage comp requests through Airtable form or e-mail (artist, staff, company, VIP) as policy dictates.
• Act as the primary contact for all third-party ticket sales, such as HotTix and TodayTix, including fulfillment.
• Research fraudulent ticket sales and create plan for future prevention with Tessitura Administrator; follows up with customers as needed.
• Act as one of the primary ticketing contacts with Ticketmaster for commercial engagements.
• Attend meetings with resident and rental companies, alongside the Tessitura Administrator, to determine box office and ticketing needs during their engagement(s).

10% Additional Duties

• Work with IT staff as necessary to maintain regular operations and systems for box office.
• Attend monthly all staff meetings, as well as regular meetings concerning sales, marketing campaigns, and ticketing initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

EXPECTATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

As a member of the Harris Theater team, the Box Office Treasurer is expected to:

• Uphold the Harris Theater’s mission to be a home for music and dance, and embody organizational core values of artistic integrity, collaboration, belonging, respect, and resilience.
• Attend performances/events as required and share staffing responsibilities with the team for the welcome table, event logistics, and other areas as assigned.
• Participate in organizational and regular team meetings, share ideas, and communicate openly with peers and your supervisor about questions, challenges, and successes.
• Maintain professional conduct and represent the Theater positively in all interactions with artists, partner organizations, donors, and patrons

The ideal candidate should have:

• Attention to detail and the ability to see the overall picture of the customer experience.
• Highly motivated self-starter with willingness to work directly with audience and staff members.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism and service orientation in all circumstances.
• Possess excellent skills in customer relations, co-worker communications, and problem solving.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of computer programs including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• Proven success in customer service and staff management.
• 3+ years’ experience with an integrated ticketing system (Ticketmaster and Tessitura preferred)
• Availability for daytime, evening, and weekend hours based on performance schedules.

SALARY

The Treasurer is paid at an hourly rate of $35.74, with a regular work week of five days per week. All work for the Treasurer in excess of 40 hours per week shall be paid at the rate of 1.5 times the standard hourly rate. No overtime work may be performed without the express approval of the Theater.

To apply, please submit cover letter and resume to communications@harristheaterchicago.org. No calls, please.

The Harris Theater is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, veteran, national origin, or disability status or any protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, and local laws. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting access@harristheaterchicago.org