Spiegeltent Operations Manager

Over eight weeks this summer (June-August), Bard SummerScape, a multi-arts festival presented by the Fisher Center at Bard, returns with a full season of dance, theater, opera, music, and the beloved Spiegeltent, staged for in-person audiences from Bard’s idyllic 1,000-acre campus and its Frank Gehry-designed performing arts center while adhering to rigorous health and safety protocols.

The Spiegeltent Operations Manager is responsible for every aspect of the safe, efficient, and supportive day-to-day venue operation of the Bard Spiegeltent, striving to create guest and artist experiences that support the overall aims of the Fisher Center and the SummerScape Festival.

This role reports to the the Director of Artistic Planning and Producing, works closely with the Spiegeltent Production Stage Manager and Spiegeltent Hospitality Manager, and is part of the Spiegeltent team that includes the Fisher Center’s Director of Production, Facility Manager, Director of Audience Services, and Spiegeltent Site Supervisor. The Spiegeltent Hosts report to the Operations Manager. The Operations Manager also oversees contracted service providers, including security and food & beverage vendors.

This is a seasonal, exempt position from mid-May to August 10, 2022, compensated at $10,250.

Hours will be approximately 10-20 hours/week from mid-May to June 5 (remote) and approximately 40 hours/week (on-site) from June 6 to August 19.

Some site-visits and in-person prep meetings prior to June may be required - transportation and lodging costs will be covered if the incumbent is traveling here from outside the Hudson Valley region.

Local residence is required from June 6 to August 17; campus housing will be provided free of charge, if needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

General responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Oversee the installation, upkeep, and de-installation of front and back of house -facilities and systems. With the Spiegeltent team, create the desired atmosphere and experience for artists and audiences.
• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the Spiegeltent including event setups, changeovers, and takedowns.
• Coordinate and ensure clear communication and information flow between all functional departments of the Spiegeltent - Front of House, Box Office, Production, Food Service, and General Management.
• Ensure that all facilities and the venue site are maintained daily and presented to the public in a professional and welcoming manner; correct any issues in a timely fashion.
• With the PSM, create and distribute the overall and weekly venue schedules.
• Oversee shift schedules for the Host staff; ensure adherence to host staff labor budget.
• Lead weekly Spiegeltent operations meetings; lead daily Spiegeltent staff meetings.
• Advance operating schedules and call times with security staff, food & beverage staff, and environmental services staff.
• Direct daily venue operations, including audience services, food & beverage, merchandise, and security; open and close the venue daily and remain on site while venue is open.
• Manage and arrange, with Fisher Center development team, reserved parking for VIPs and Artists.
• With the PSM, generate and distribute daily venue reports.
• Ensure a safe performance environment and compliance with industry and legal standards for venue operations including alcoholic beverage control; ensure that safety practices are adhered to for all stage and front-of-house activities; coordinate safety and security issues with the Facility and Audience Services managers.
• Ensure seating setups and special seating requirements match box office planning. —Supervise VIP seating and hospitality needs in coordination with development and executive staff.
• Oversee the contracted security service.
• Supervise Spiegeltent hosts; ensure adherence to the standards of conduct in the Bard College Seasonal Employee Handbook when on-duty.
• Coordinate delivery of day-of-show artist fees with the Producing Office; coordinate artist merchandise setups, cash-outs, and venue merchandise commission settlements.
• Oversee and report complimentary food & beverage costs, track, create, and distribute all Spiegeltent meal and drink tickets.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for guest concerns, complaints, and compliments. Address and report as needed.
• Lead the response to any emergency situation that arises in the venue.
• Maintain compliance with ADA venue requirements.
• Oversee the strike and inventory at the end of the season.
• Create and submit end-of-season documentation and financial reconciliations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Company-Wide Responsibilities:

• The Fisher Center is currently undergoing an organization-wide process of change toward becoming an anti-racist, multicultural institution. All on staff are expected to:
• Commit to anti-racism and inclusivity at the Fisher Center. This includes participating in any trainings when scheduled, supporting departmental, company-wide, and cross-departmental collaboration in issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and furthering your own independent journey with anti-racism.
• Contribute in meaningful ways to the organizational culture.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Possess a supervisory level knowledge of operating a venue with a high level of guest experience.
• Be able to work in a fast-paced environment with frequent deadlines;
• Provide customer-friendly contact with the general public and visiting artists;
• Exhibit a collaborative outlook and work well with the Fisher Center team;
• Be available on nights and weekends throughout the summer.
• At least 3 years of professional and supervisory experience in theater management and/or the hospitality/customer service industry.
• A welcoming demeanor and positive attitude are a must.
• No two days will be the same; the ideal candidate will be flexible, have an all-hands-on-deck attitude, and possess a willingness to jump in to handle high-priority tasks.
• Excellent organization skills, communication skills, and superior attention to detail.
• Must be able to work closely with other team members, and be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and solving problems quickly.
• Interest or background in the performing arts is highly encouraged, with work experience and/or studies in the performing arts preferred, but not required.
• Must be available for evenings and weekends, as needed.

Proficiency with Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, shared Drives) and Microsoft Office (specifically, Word and Excel).

LOCATION

Bard’s beautiful 1,000-acre campus is situated on the east bank of the Hudson River, in Annandale-on Hudson, New York. Community life is defined by numerous cultural and recreational opportunities in the surrounding historic Hudson River Valley and by proximity to New York City. Nearby towns and villages include Rhinebeck, Tivoli, and Red Hook, New York.

TO APPLY

Complete the application form here: https://formfaca.de/sm/apDOFY0Wq.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

For any questions or issues with the application form, please contact fcjobs@bard.edu.

Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information. Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.

ABOUT THE FISHER CENTER

The Fisher Center develops, produces, and presents performing arts across disciplines through new productions and context-rich programs that challenge and inspire. As a premier professional performing arts center and a hub for research and education, the Fisher Center supports artists, students, and audiences in the development and examination of artistic ideas, offering perspectives from the past and present, as well as visions of the future.

Presenting more than 200 world-class events and welcoming 50,000 visitors each year, the Fisher Center supports artists at all stages of their careers and employs more than 300 professional artists annually. The Fisher Center is a powerful catalyst of art-making regionally, nationally, and worldwide. Every year it produces 8 to 10 major new works in various disciplines. Over the past five years, its commissioned productions have been seen in more than 100 communities around the world. During the 2018-19 season, six Fisher Center productions toured nationally and internationally. In 2019, the Fisher Center won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical for Daniel Fish’s production of Oklahoma! which began life in 2007 as an undergraduate production at Bard and was produced professionally in the Fisher Center’s SummerScape Festival in 2015 before transferring to New York City.

The Fisher Center demonstrates Bard’s commitment to the performing arts as a cultural and educational necessity. Home is the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, designed by Frank Gehry and located on the campus of Bard College in New York’s Hudson Valley. Building on a 161-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders.

ABOUT THE SUMMERSCAPE FESTIVAL

SummerScape is a world-renowned multi-arts festival presented by the Fisher Center at Bard. Over eight weeks this summer (June-August), Bard SummerScape returns with a full season of dance, theater, opera, music, and the beloved Spiegeltent, culminating in the 32nd annual Bard Music Festival, Sergei Rachmaninoff and His World. Productions will be staged in Bard’s Frank Gehry-designed Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, adhering to rigorous health and safety protocols while celebrating the joys of live performance.

ABOUT BARD COLLEGE

Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1000 park-like acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in nearly 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 11 programs; nine early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 159-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.