Audience & Marketing Specialist, Events & Experiences

Audience & Marketing Specialist, Events & Experiences

The Events Audience & Marketing Specialist is a key team member supporting KQED Live, which presents programs that inform, inspire, and involve audiences at its own multipurpose venue for civic engagement and live events, and at spaces across the Bay Area.

A hands-on guest services professional and promotional content coordinator, the Specialist works closely with the Marketing & Audience Manager to execute front-of-house operations and audience-facing marketing for all public KQED events. On event days, they serve as the point person running box office and house management per the Manager's operations plan, handling ticketing transactions, guest needs, and volunteer coordination with care and precision. Beyond FOH, the Specialist executes audience email marketing campaigns and supports marketing content operations, acquiring and editing video content and designing supplemental assets (via Canva) to promote KQED Live events before and during the events themselves.

In serving as a first and last point of contact for our event audiences, and as a storyteller capturing those experiences, the Specialist conveys the spirit and values behind KQED Live's work to create shared experiences of culture and issues vital to the Bay Area.

Essential Functions:

Front of House Operations (Execution):

• Run front-of-house operations for KQED Live events on event days, following the FOH operations plan established by the Marketing & Audience Manager.
• Set up ticketing orders, prepare will-call and walk-up sales, monitor show seating capacity, and supervise any staff assisting with check-in.
• Supervise volunteers for ticket-checking, ushering, venue set-up and strike, and other audience-facing needs, per the staffing plan.
• Manage accessibility accommodations in accordance with ADA requirements and other KQED policies and procedures.
• Coordinate with external venues on frontline and house management logistics for remote events.

Ticketing & Box Office:

• Support day-to-day ticketing operations in Tixr, including processing transactions, maintaining accurate attendee records, and troubleshooting routine system issues.
• Handle transactions following KQED accounting policies and procedures for cash handling and reconciliation, as well as PCI compliance requirements.
• Provide superior customer service, fielding box office queries received at [email protected], including troubleshooting ticketing/registration issues and processing refunds, exchanges, etc.

Marketing/Communications Operations:

• Execute direct event email communications — reminders, updates, visit planning, and post-event emails — through ticketing database integrated email tools.
• Support the production of marketing emails to targeted lists, announcements, and the regular events newsletter to KQED subscribers.
• Work with KQED Creative and Corporate Sponsorship teams to ensure consistency of KQED Live brand and appropriate sponsor activation across communications.
• Cross-promote emails through social media and other channels in coordination with internal marketing staff and external partners.

• Acquire, ideate, shoot, and edit video content to advertise KQED Live events, both in advance of and during live events.
• Design supplemental promotional assets in Canva (social graphics, promotional toolkits, visual collateral) to support event marketing.
• Draft and edit promotional toolkits, organizing relevant links, handles, and copy alongside visual assets.

Other Job Functions:

• Must be available to work shifts that include weekend and evening hours for scheduled events.
• Represent KQED at events.
• Assume other event-related responsibilities as assigned.

Knowledge/Experience Required:

• 2+ years experience as a ticketing or box office agent for a live events venue or digital ticketing service, OR equivalent experience in event production/content creation with willingness to train on box office systems.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in customer service and ticket sales best practices for live events, including familiarity with ADA policies and PCI compliance processes.
• Working knowledge of ticketing and/or CRM products (Eventbrite, Salesforce, Tixr, etc.); experience with Tixr preferred.
• Demonstrated video production skills — shooting and editing short-form video for social/marketing use.
• Proficiency in Canva or comparable design tools for creating marketing graphics.
• Proficiency with content management and email marketing systems, especially WordPress and Marketing Cloud.
• Meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

Knowledge/Experience Desired:

• Portfolio of video/social content demonstrating storytelling for events or brands.
• Experience supervising volunteer personnel in customer-facing environments.
• House management or supervisory experience working with volunteers at a public events venue.
• Demonstrated exceptional editing and writing skills, specifically in persuasive copywriting.
• Familiarity with current social/short-form video trends and platforms.
• Ability to juggle many projects at once in a fast-paced environment; proactivity in pursuing new projects.
• Flexibility and ability to push through indecision and ambiguity to deliver results.