Front of House Manager

Woodruff Arts Center employees play an integral role in creating and supporting great art and education initiatives at the nation’s third largest arts center. Comprised of three Art Partners—Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and High Museum of Art—there’s a role for everyone at The Woodruff.

Reports to:

Director of Marketing and Communications

FLSA:

United States of America (Exempt)

Employment Status:

Regular/Full time

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE THEATRE

The Tony Award® winning Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theater in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually.  Over 140 productions have premiered at Alliance Theatre, including 11 that went on to Broadway. The theater performs on four stages: The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre, Hertz Stage at Alliance Theatre, Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families, and the Selig Family Black Box. 

 

Off the stage, Alliance Theatre is dedicated to education and community engagement. Through performances, classes, camps, in-school initiatives, online programs, and more, Alliance Theatre reaches over 90,000 students and community members annually. 

 

Alliance Theatre’s mission is to expand hearts and minds on stage and off. 

Annual Salary: $45,000.00

 

Position Description

From the moment patrons walk through our doors until the final bow, the Front of House Manager makes sure their experience is welcoming, safe, and memorable. You will lead the Alliance Theatre’s showtime patron experience, overseeing part-time front of house staff and a dedicated corps of volunteer ushers to deliver hospitality at every touch point before, during, and after each performance.

Sitting within Patron Services, you will partner closely with the Box Office, Stage Management, departments across the Alliance, and Woodruff Arts Center Special Events and Facilities teams. We produce approximately 12 shows each season, with audiences ranging from about 100 seats in the Selig Family Black Box to 650 seats on the Coca-Cola Stage. This role is a great fit for someone who is highly organized, genuinely loves people, and stays calm when the house is full and the clock is ticking.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Patron Experience

• Serve as the Alliance’s primary point of contact with patrons during every performance, welcoming each guest with warmth, respect, and professionalism.
• Lead on-site patron services at special events and opening nights, making sure patrons feel welcomed and recognized.
• Design and deliver loyalty-building moments, including patron recognition, “surprise and delight” touches, special amenities, and events.
• Partner with Patron Services and Sales to ensure subscribers receive the full value of their subscription, including seating priority, discounts, and access to special events.
• Work with the Box Office to resolve seating issues quickly, graciously, and fairly.
• Collaborate with Alliance and Woodruff Arts Center colleagues to improve accessibility for patrons of all abilities.

Team Leadership

• Train, schedule, and supervise the front of house team, including part-time House Managers, contracted support staff (such as ShowPros), security staff, and volunteer ushers, in partnership with the Associate Director of Patron Experience.
• Coach and motivate staff and volunteers to consistently deliver an exceptional level of customer service.
• Manage the volunteer usher program, including maintaining the usher database and keeping the corps informed through email newsletters, the usher hotline and website, and mailings.

Operations and Safety

• Oversee all front of house operations to ensure the comfort, safety, and security of patrons across Alliance Theatre programming.
• Ensure safe and orderly seating for every performance.
• Partner with Woodruff Arts Center maintenance, housekeeping, security, and events teams so patron spaces are safe, clean, welcoming, and fully operational.
• Make sure the front of house team is trained and ready to support evacuations and security procedures in an emergency, in coordination with Woodruff Arts Center staff.
• Complete a detailed House Manager Worksheet after every performance, documenting any issues affecting patron or staff safety, comfort, or satisfaction, and share it with Alliance and Woodruff staff.

WORK SCHEDULE

This is a full-time role built around the rhythm of live theater, so evening and weekend availability is essential. Your schedule will shift depending on what is on stage:

• During productions: Wednesday through Friday, approximately 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, approximately noon to 10:00 p.m., with breaks. Hours may vary with each production’s schedule. Some weekday mornings, roughly 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., will support Theatre for the Very Young performances and student matinees.
• Between productions: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., spent preparing for upcoming shows (such as organizing volunteers) and supporting the Box Office. Box Office support includes answering calls, returning voicemails and emails, processing ticket, class, and camp requests, selling memberships, and processing donations.

WHAT YOU BRING

Experience

• At least three years of experience in patron services and house management, ideally at a theater or performing arts venue.
• Experience supervising staff and collaborating effectively within a large organization.
• A strong background in public-facing customer service, preferably in an arts setting.

Skills and Strengths

• Outstanding customer service instincts and a genuine sense of hospitality.
• The ability to juggle many priorities calmly and efficiently, anticipate problems, and solve them with minimal supervision.
• Strong self-direction and motivation, with sound judgment about priorities.
• Comfort as both a team player and a team leader.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
• Experience with Tessitura CRM is a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regular standing and walking, with some bending, stooping, and frequent use of hands.
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Duties may change based on the needs of the organization.