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Please contact Graham Cole, Executive Director, at graham@whitebird.org with any questions about employment with White Bird. No phone calls at this time, please.
 

Director of Patron Services and Communications

White Bird, a dance-presenting organization based in Portland, Oregon, is seeking a highly qualified individual to fill its full-time position of Director of Patron Services and Communications.

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
 

White Bird Mission Statement
White Bird is committed to bringing the best Portland-based, regional, national, and international dance companies to Portland, Oregon and to fostering the growth of dance in the region. Through presenting established and emerging companies and choreographers, commissioning and co-commissioning new work, as well as collaborating with other arts organizations in Portland and the region, we are able to make these dance performances possible.  White Bird strongly believes in making dance exciting, educational, equitable and accessible to everyone, young and old, of all social backgrounds, and through contributed income and sponsorships, is able to facilitate outreach to schools and keep ticket prices affordable. A passionate advocate for dance, White Bird strives to broaden audienceship and diversify its programming through the lens of its Equity Commitment.

 

White Bird Profile
White Bird was founded in 1997 in Portland, Oregon by Walter Jaffe and Paul King. To date, we have presented over 270 dance companies from around the world in 750 performances before a total audience of 525,000. Each season we present a subscription series as well as non-subscription performances.  We have supported the growth of dance by commissioning 40 new works. We are committed to expanding the audience for dance through extensive community engagement activities, including our Annual Outreach Project with Portland Public Schools. Through our innovative Equity initiative, the NEST (No Empty Seats Today) Program, we distribute hundreds of free performance tickets each year to Portlanders in need.

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JOB DESCRIPTION:

 

The Director of Patron Services and Communications (DPSC) will oversee ticket sales, subscriptions, and all customer engagement functions of White Bird to achieve both short and long-term budget revenue/retention numbers and customer experience goals. The DPSC will also work collaboratively with White Bird’s Executive Director to develop and execute a marketing strategy that effectively tells White Bird’s story and promotes its varied programming. The DPSC reports directly to White Bird’s Executive Director.
 

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Manage all sales, ticket inventory, patron accounts and customer service through its online ticketing platform and CRM, Arts People.  Provide outstanding customer service—by phone, online and in-person—at all times to subscribers, single ticket-buyers, donors, and all White Bird constituents.

  • Work with White Bird Executive Director and Co-Founders to set strategic goals for ticket sales, customer engagement (including customer satisfaction and customer service), and develop and implement the tactical plans required to achieve those goals.

  • Initiate and oversee annual new season set-up, renewals, and venue build.

  • Assist Executive Director and Bookkeeper with ticket sales reconciliations to prevent accounting and auditing discrepancies.

  • Manage Will Call Window/Table at all performances and troubleshoot all ticket and seating problems in coordination with theatre House Management staff.

  • Provide on-site support at all White Bird performances and outreach events, including managing Will Call, training and instructing White Bird volunteers, and troubleshooting ticket and seating concerns in collaboration with White Bird and performance venue staff.

  • Collaborate with Executive Director to develop marketing strategies, including email communications, advertisements, and all online web based promotional efforts.

  • Act as liaison between White Bird and the Portland’5/Lincoln Hall/Reser Center (Beaverton) Box Offices with regards to customer service and in-venue needs.  

  • Work with Executive Director on drafting all external messaging – including press releases, eblasts, advertising and website copy. Optimize the reach and clarity of all communications channels in tandem with media outlets, advertising partners, and vendors.

  • Stay abreast of latest relevant technology, trends, and best practices.

 

Successful applicants will be familiar with, and preferably have a documented fluency in, the following:

  • Database/Customer Relationship Management (Arts People experience a plus)

  • The Arts generally, and Dance specifically

  • Teamwork and collaboration tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook experience a plus)

  • Social Media Account Management

  • Anti-Racism, both in philosophy and in practice

  • Budgeting and Reporting (Quickbooks and Microsoft Excel experience a plus)

  • Customer Service and Communications Skills, both written and spoken

  • Volunteer and Intern Management

  • Basic Graphic Design and Video Editing (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere experience a plus)

  • Website Building Platforms, Search Engine Optimization, and Web Traffic Analysis (Wix and Google Analytics experience a plus)

 

SALARY, BENEFITS, AND WORK CONDITIONS:


The starting salary for this position is budgeted between $40,000-$45,000, depending on relevant experience of the candidate. Benefits include health insurance, vacation and personal/sick days. An additional, one-time allowance is available to successful applicants who would move from outside the Portland, OR metropolitan area to accept this position.

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The DPSC will work in close proximity to the Executive Director, Co-Founders, and Administrative Assistant, as well as numerous volunteers, interns, audience members, and theatre staff. Work will primarily take place at White Bird’s current offices in SW Portland, though White Bird will move into new offices within Portland in late 2021/early 2022. Additional work will take place at 3rd party performance venues: Portland’5 Center for the Arts and PSU’s Lincoln Hall in Portland, and the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton.

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The typical work schedule for this position is 8 hours per day M-F at the White Bird offices, including a paid lunch break. Reasonable requests for atypical work schedules will be considered. Availability to work during all White Bird performances is a condition of employment. These performances typically occur over several consecutive evenings; additional paid time off is granted in proportion to time spent working in venues, per White Bird policy.

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The safety of its staff, volunteers, and audiences is of the utmost importance to White Bird. All White Bird staff must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and willing to receive all future CDC-recommended vaccines or boosters with urgency, or alternatively present an objection to vaccination for medical or religious reasons. Applicants must be willing to comply with all COVID-19 policies both at the White Bird offices and at performance venues; these policies are created in response to local, state, and federal mandates as well as industry best practices, and are subject to revision as the COVID-19 pandemic develops.

 

APPLICATION PROCESS:
 

Please email a resumé, cover letter, and the contact information for three professional references to Graham Cole, Executive Director, at graham@whitebird.org.

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Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but early application is highly recommended. The anticipated start date for this position is in mid October.