Festival Venue Operations Manager

Alliance for Arts and Culture; British Columbia; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alliance for Arts and Culture seeks a Venue Operations Manager to lead front-of-house operations during events. This pivotal role involves overseeing staff, ensuring customer satisfaction, and collaborating with various departments for successful events. Applicants should have substantial experience in event management and a passion for the arts.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in event and/or theatre management.
• Proven experience in a leadership position.
• Ability to lift 50lbs and work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Oversee recruiting and training of front-of-house staff.
• Collaborate with departments to meet event needs.
• Act as the front-of-house contact with Venue Partners.

Skills

Event management

Team management

Communication

Customer service

Decision-making

Tools

Microsoft Office

Scheduling software

Job description

Deadline:

Jun. 6, 2025

Organization Description:

ABOUT VIFF
The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round program at the VIFF Centre. We thank the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Na-tions for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place.

VIFF is the home of film and film culture in Western Canada. Driven by curatorial excellence, VIFF encourages understanding of the world’s cultures through the art of cinema. We produce screen-ings, talks and events as a catalyst for a diverse community to discover, discuss and share the crea-tivity and craft of storytelling on screen.

The Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is dedicated to accessible employment practices and committed to being an equal-opportunity employer. We value a diverse and inclusive workplace that is reflective of our community and encourage applications from members of com-munities that have been marginalized based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expres-sion, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, or status as an Indigenous person. Please feel free to advise us of any accommodation needs.

We believe that film has a unique ability to celebrate the complexity of the human condition and that it is our responsibility to steward that power toward creating meaningful change in our world. When you work at VIFF you are part of a friendly, dedicated team who are passionate about the transformative power of the cinematic experience.

ABOUT THE POSITION
We are looking for an exceptional team member to lead our front-of-house operations at festival screening and event venues. VIFF seeks a highly organized, process-oriented, experienced event manager, with excellent communication skills, and the ability to bring a team together. Supported by the Venue Operations Assistant Manager, this role oversees a large team of staff and volunteers including Venue Operations Supervisors, Venue Managers, Cashiers, and Front of House Volunteers. This role is tasked with ensuring that VIFF policies and processes are implemented and VIFF custom-ers, volunteers, staff, donors, and sponsors have the best possible festival experience at all VIFF venues.

Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities:
• Hire, train, and support the Venue Operations Assistant Manager.
• Oversee the recruiting, training, and scheduling of front of house staff including supervisors, managers, and cashiers.
• Collaborate with the Ticketing and Customer Service Manager to ensure ticketing training, and venue box office needs are planned for.
• Ensure Venue IT needs are communicated and planned for.
• Plan the logistics of front-of-house and event operations at festival venues.
• In collaboration with Marketing and Sponsorship, and with a focus on accessibility, develop a signage plan for each venue.
• Arrange for the rentals and delivery of front-of-house equipment and signage to venues.
• Plan and execute venue set-up and strike.
• Collaborate with the volunteer department to fill venue volunteer needs and plan and exe-cute the department volunteer orientations.
• Ensure that Festival Front of House staff members and volunteers have the support required to be successful in their roles. Check-in and support venue operations in-person as required.
• Participate in operational planning meetings.
• With a focus on clear communication and relationships, be the key front of house contact with Venue Partners.
• Ensure that the operations of the festival customer spaces meet the expectations of our cus-tomers, our clients, our volunteers, and VIFF Management.
• Work with various VIFF departments to define requirements for special screenings and events at venues.
• Act as a liaison between VIFF departments and venue operations team; establish clear com-munication processes.
• Anticipate and troubleshoot operational issues at venues.
• Working with the Senior Operations Manager, ensure each high-profile event is adequately supported including Red Carpet events.
• Offer exceptional customer service.
• Establish a positive team-focused environment.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience working in event and/or theatre management.
• 3+ years of experience in team and staff management.
• Proven experience working in a leadership position.
• Commitment to the principles of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong decision-making skills and a results-driven approach.
• Highly organized, focused, and able to work within tight deadlines.
• Experience leading large, diverse teams and maintaining grace under pressure.
• Fan of the arts; Passion for film, and filmmaking is an asset.
• Experience working with volunteers is an asset.
• Experience working with an arts festival an asset.
• Demonstrated commitment to the customer service experience.
• Familiarity with scheduling and ticketing software, and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to lift 50lbs.
• Availability to work evenings/weekends/stat holidays and extended hours as required.
• Valid Class 5 BC Driver’s license (please let us know if you have a valid license from outside BC).

How to Apply:

Deadline for application is June 6, 2025.
How to apply: Please submit a current CV, along with a cover letter to [e-mail] . Please in-clude “HIRING VENUE OPERATIONS MANAGER” in the subject line of the email. We thank all appli-cants for their interest and advise that only those requested for an interview will be contacted due to the volume of applications anticipated. No phone calls, please.

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To see more postings, see the full list at the right.

The BC Alliance for Arts + Culture is honoured to work on the traditional, unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and 240 other Indigenous communities across BC.