Associate Director, Patron Services

Canadian Opera Company; Toronto; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Canadian Opera Company, based at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, seeks an Associate Director, Patron Services for a 12-month fixed-term contract. This in-person role requires some evening/weekend work and provides a target salary of $85,000–$95,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Reporting to the General Manager, you will lead Patron Services, oversee staff and vendors, and drive exceptional guest experiences while ensuring financial performance and

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–7 years in a similar leadership role.
• Business degree or diploma required or equivalent.
• Strong leadership, communication, and customer service skills.
• Financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and price strategy experience.
• Proficiency with MS Office, BC, Arts Vision, and event software.

Responsibilities

• Lead Patron Services team, including hiring, onboarding, training and coaching.
• Collaborate with Senior Leadership Team to ensure organizational excellence.
• Oversee staffing, F&B, and related vendor/partners.
• Act as Manager on Duty as needed; oversee F&B, Front of House, safety, and patron issues.
• Drive revenue optimization while controlling costs and ensuring safety standards.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Customer service

Strategic thinking

Team development

Education

Business degree or diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Business Central

Arts Vision

Social Tables

Job description

The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (FSCPA) is a 2000-seat + performance venue in the heart of downtown Toronto. The Centre is the home of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada, and hosts a variety of other events including galas, meetings, corporate functions, film screenings, and social events.

We are now accepting applications for the fixed-term, full-time position of Associate Director, Patron Services, reporting to the General Manager.

This is a twelve (12) month contract position, available due to the incumbent taking a leave of absence, with the potential for extension to eighteen (18) months. The target annual salary for this position is $85,000–$95,000 and will be commensurate with experience.

OVERVIEW

Reporting to the General Manager, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, this position plays a critical role in ensuring patrons and guests have an exceptional experience when attending performances and special events at the FSCPA. Success requires effective leadership and development of colleague and vendor/partner relationships, as well as robust strategic and financial management aptitude and skills.

This is an in-person position, with limited ability to work remotely, and will require some evening and weekend shifts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership:

• Senior leadership and oversight of all Patron Services colleagues, including hiring, onboarding, training, mentoring, and coaching colleagues as required.
• Participate, support, and collaborate on the Senior Leadership Team within the Four Seasons Centre, ensuring organizational excellence and sound management practices.
• Oversight and development of all vendors/partners related to staffing, Food and Beverages and related.
• Act as designated Manager on Duty on occasion; responsible for all F & B, Front of House, Fire & Safety, building and patron issues.

Financial:

• Proactive and strategic management to ensure public sales and third-party event revenues are optimized, while costs of goods and labour are minimized.
• All financial planning and management, including pricing strategy, forecasting and budgeting.
• Ensure Food & Beverage offerings are well designed, appealing, desirable to the markets served, and are financially sound.
• Ensure that all government guidelines, bylaws, etc., related to health & safety, workplace safety, and the service of food and alcohol are followed, and ensure brand and financial risk for the organization are minimized.

Service:

• Ensure that service excellence is delivered at all client/guest/patron touchpoints within the Front of House and Food & Beverage department. Collaborate and support successful third-party and partner events.
• Maintain and build on employee presentation standards (uniform, appearance, training, etc.)
• Support the Facility Management team by ensuring that all physical components of Front of House and Auditorium areas are inspected, and deficiencies communicated and corrected.

Experience and Skills

The ideal candidate has a minimum of five (5) to seven (7) years’ experience in a similar leadership capacity, preferably within the Performance Arts, Venue, or Hospitality field, combined with a business degree or diploma. Preference will be given to those candidates with both Food & Beverage/Special Event and Front of House experience.

Successful Candidates will need to demonstrate:

• The ability to model and develop professional, positive, courteous, and effective relationships with peers, partners, and our patrons/clientele, as well as a business approach that prioritizes integrity.
• Top-level written and oral communications skills, combined with the ability to present to and influence various stakeholders.
• Exceptional leadership, intrapersonal, and colleague development skills.
• The ability to listen, process, and reinterpret pertinent information and communicate effectively, combined with problem-solving and prioritizing skills.
• Strong business acumen, with an entrepreneurial spirit and high level of ownership/initiative.
• Superior time and organizational skills, with the ability to balance high level attention to detail with the need to manage on a larger scale.
• Financial fluency, combined with the ability to track and interpret data, as well as make appropriate business decisions.
• Exceptional customer service skills, combined with a positive demeanor and the ability/willingness to provide a warm, proactive/solutions-based approach to Guest & Patron service.
• Curiosity, awareness, and critical thinking skills required to support a dynamic approach to managing and strategy planning.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams etc.), Business Central, Arts Vision, Social Tables, and ability to learn new software/programs.
• Affinity to work in a diverse, inclusive, and artistic environment.
• Must be Smart Serve and Food Safety certified.

ABOUT THE CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY

Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. General Director Ian Derrer joined the company in 2026, forming a leadership team alongside Artistic Director Roberto Mauro and Music Director Johannes Debus. The COC enjoys a loyal audience, including a dedicated base of subscribers, and has an international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation. Its diverse repertoire includes new commissions and productions, local and international collaborations with leading opera companies and festivals, and attracts the world’s foremost Canadian and international artists. The COC’s purpose-built opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, is hailed internationally as one of the finest in the world.

As Canada's largest opera company, the COC deeply values equity and diversity across all levels of the organization and believes in fostering an inclusive, discrimination‑free environment that fully supports our team’s personal and collective success. We are committed to building a workforce that reflects our community, our city, and our country and, in turn, the COC welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and abilities who share and embrace these values of anti‑racism and inclusion.

The COC is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in all parts of the hiring process. If you require an accommodation, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.