Opportunities

House Manager
Guest Associate

Audience Experience Team | House Manager

Fine Arts Building, a historic landmarked building located at 410 S. Michigan Ave, home of the Studebaker Theater (a 600 seat proscenium), is seeking dynamic individuals to join our Audience Experience Team. We are building a talent pool to support our company’s growth and ensure our company is representative of the communities we serve. We view our employees and co-workers as equals who deserve our respect. It is important that we create and foster an affirming space for our employees to be seen as their full selves.

The right candidate will possess a general knowledge of arts and culture, safety and evacuation protocols, accessibility services, while also executing excellent guest service. House Managers will interact regularly with team members and guests while embodying and upholding Fine Arts Building policies.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Guest Experience Manager while under the supervision of the General Manager, House Managers offer leadership and stability to our Audience Experience Team. House Managers are the primary anchors responsible for ensuring the smooth operations of the front of house and supervising Front of House Associates.Primary areas of responsibility include the following:

Supervising venue preparation for events to ensure guests have a joyful, safe and memorable time at the theater
Primary point of contact at events for the Saints (volunteer ushers)
Active and creative problem solving with a focus on excellent guest experience
Unlocking concessions areas and generally being the safeguard to Studebaker assets while on shift.
Monitoring and initiating restocking of concessions
Maintaining communication with stage management to facilitate lobby and house openings
Facilitate a smooth ingress and egress by monitoring box office and concessions lines and assessing any accessibility accommodations needed.
Actively seek out guest engagement opportunities
Address any guest issues with a sense of empathy and authority
Be an ambassador for the Fine Arts Building by knowledgably communicating facts about the history of the space to guests while actively listening to personal stories related by the guests.
Dismiss associates at the conclusion of their shift/work
Monitoring & reporting inventory levels
Assist with training new associates
Other duties as assigned

Schedule

We present live theater and performance. As a rental company, we are guided by the overall schedule that is provided by clients of the theater. Since FAB/Studebaker Theater does not have a dedicated member base and only infrequently produces its own events, our theater schedule depends heavily on the schedule of our renters. This means that House Managers will be expected to be available:

Evenings and weekends
Some holidays
Fine Arts Building Second Friday open studio events (once a month)
Open House Chicago (annually, generally in October)

Shift and Office Hours

This role is offered with an average of 24 -30 hours per week, part time
Event shifts are usually 5 hours, with a call time beginning 2 hours prior to curtain
In-Office hours are scheduled around event schedules with an average of 4-6 hours/week
Required to attend all Manager Meetings (weekly Fridays 4:30-5:30pm). Attendance can be virtual or in person depending on other scheduled shifts.
Availability for all Studebaker events is required, however scheduling is not guaranteed

Candidates with previous experience in House Management, Theater Operations, Customer Service, or Arts Administration are strongly encouraged to apply.

Qualifications & Skills

- High School Diploma or equivalent required.
- Must be 21 or over. (working around alcohol)
- At least 3-5 years of experience in House Management of a live-performance venue required.
- BASSET certification preferred. (Certification is required for employment and will be made available at onboarding if you are not currently certified))
- CPR certification required. (Certification available and required with employment through Red Cross.)
- Able to stand and walk for extended periods
- Able to climb stairs.
- Ability to lift and carry at least 40lbs.

Weekend and Evening availability required

Ideal Candidates

Possess good knowledge of arts and culture, and have a passion for performing arts
Skilled in building teams and coaching entry level team members
Anticipate potential front of house challenges and create solutions in advance to ensure seamless service and event execution
Provide training, clear protocols, and decision-making autonomy so staff can confidently address customer needs while ensuring consistency in service
Confidently examples leadership to resolve challenges and enhance the audience experience
Contributes to a smooth event run by communicating effectively with other departments
Regularly collect, report, and create event data to drive and support operational excellence
Prioritize equitable customer service by ensuring all guests, regardless of background or ability, are welcomed and accommodated
Remain composed under pressure and pivot to strategies that maintain high service standards
Set the standard for exceptional service by modeling professionalism, patience, and attentiveness in all customer, renter, and public interactions.

Wage and Status
This is a part-time position with a starting hourly rate of $21.00.

Benefits

Eligible employees may participate in Fine Arts Building’s insurance/benefits programs. Benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401K. Part-time employees must meet minimum hours requirements to be eligible to participate. If eligibility requirements are met, further details will be provided.

Part-time employees are eligible for paid leave and paid sick leave as required by the City of Chicago. Employees begin to accrue leave upon hire and are eligible to use accrued leave after either 30 days (sick leave) or 90 days (paid leave)

Apply
Interested applicants should send a resume, cover letter and 3 professional references to jobs@fineartsbuilding.com.

This is a part-time position with an hourly rate of $21/hour. Interested applicants should send a resume, cover letter and 3 professional references to jobs@fineartsbuilding.com. All applicants should format the subject line of their email as follows:

All applicants should format the subject line of the email as follows:
House Manager: Your Name in the subject of your email. (Example | House Manager: John Doe)

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The Fine Arts Building was built in 1885, originally designed as the carriage assembly and showroom for the Studebaker Company. Situated on Michigan Avenue overlooking Grant Park, the building was immediately hailed as one of “Chicago’s architectural jewels.” In 1898, the building was repurposed to become the Fine Arts Building, Chicago’s first fine arts colony. From the beginning, the building attracted influential artists from all creative disciplines, becoming a cultural hub for some of the most acclaimed visionaries of their time – A home for art in all forms.

The Fine Arts Building acknowledges its place on the traditional unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Many other tribes such as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, and Fox also historically called this area home.

The Fine Arts Building strives to be an organization which embraces a commitment to Indigenous rights, racial justice, and cultural equity. As a home to some of Chicago’s most prominent artists, the Fine Arts Building strongly believes that art is for everyone and aims to be a driving force in showcasing art that is accessible to all. The Studebaker Theater, while not a producing organization, is committed to building, fostering, and maintaining an inclusive, accessible, affirming, diverse workplace that is an equitable and anti-racist environment for artists to thrive. By honoring our past as a home for art in all forms, we carry that legacy into the future through articulating these core values. This vision of being an intersectional home to today’s artists shapes the organization’s decision-making and institutional policies.

Fine Arts Building is an equal opportunity employer where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.

Audience Experience Team | Guest Associate

Fine Arts Building, a historic landmarked building located at 410 S. Michigan Ave, home of the Studebaker Theater (a 600 seat proscenium), is seeking dynamic individuals to join our Front of House team. We are building a talent pool to support our company’s growth and ensure our company is representative of the communities we serve. We view our employees and co-workers as equals who deserve our respect. It is important that we create and foster an affirming space for our employees to be seen as their full selves.

The right candidates will provide exceptional guest service at all times as they offer the first impression of our theater. Candidates should have the ability to assess and react quickly to guest’s needs, have superior cash-handling skills, and a genuine passion for theater. This position will allow the right candidate the opportunity to work within multiple departments of theater management.

Reporting directly to the Guest Experience Manager while under the supervision of the General Manager, you will be cross trained in multiple front of house positions but primary areas of responsibility will vary depending on your scheduled shift. Your duties may include assisting with will-call in the box office as well as facilitating the sale of tickets; greeting guests and scanning tickets; operating and maintaining bar and concessions.

Candidates with previous experience in Customer Service, Box Office, Audience Services, or Arts Administration are strongly encouraged to apply.

Requirements:

High school diploma or equivalent required
Ability to lift up-to 40lbs
Ability to stand, walk, serve food and drink for extended periods
Ability to climb stairs and multiple levels of the theater
Candidates should possess the ability to work calmly and clearly in high-paced settings as a supportive member of team
Weekend and Evening availability required
Ability to attend all scheduled dates of training

Ideal Candidates

Value accessibility, supporting public audiences who will express a range and variation of physical ability: wheelchairs, assistive listening devices, canes, walkers, blind, deaf, captions, ASL
Will elevate anti-racist practices and assist our team in dismantling the systemic racism perpetuated within arts and culture
Passionately brings an appreciation of inclusivity to their role, peers, and our theater audiences, while identifying barriers that prevent full, human participation
Extend grace, patience, and compassion as required by the start-up environment. You are joining a brand new company that is still building and growing – you must be excited by that.

This is a part-time position with a starting hourly rate of $17. Interested applicants should send a resume, cover letter and 3 professional references to jobs@fineartsbuilding.com.

All applicants should format the subject line of the email as follows:
Guest Associate: Your Name in the subject of your email. (Example | Guest Associate: John Doe)

Please note that Fine Arts Building joins the coalition of Chicago theaters in implementing safety policies and guidelines for our staff and audience to protect against the spread of Covid-19. Full vaccination is required to be considered for employment.

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