Front of House Manager - Hamilton Fringe

Hamilton Festival Theatre Company; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Front of House Manager for the upcoming Hamilton Fringe Festival. This pivotal role involves leading front-of-house operations, enhancing community engagement, and managing a team of volunteers. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational and communication skills, with a passion for arts administration and community outreach. You will be at the forefront of a vibrant festival, ensuring a seamless experience for both attendees and volunteers. Join a dynamic team committed to making the arts accessible and fostering a love for theatre in the region. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a celebrated cultural event while developing your leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Passion for community outreach and volunteerism with strong organizational skills.
• Experience in event planning and logistics is essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead front-of-house operations and volunteer coordination for the festival.
• Supervise and train Venue Captains and volunteers.

Skills

Community outreach

Event planning

Volunteer recruitment

Leadership

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Education

Experience in arts administration

Tools

Connecteam volunteer database

Job description

Front of House Manager - Hamilton Fringe

Reporting to the Managing Director, this individual leads Front of House (FOH) operations while supporting and coordinating with the team that supervises and coordinates Volunteer operations for the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival. With a focus on strengthening ties to the local community, broadening the diversity of our summer team, and encouraging participation in the cultural activities produced by the Hamilton Fringe, the Front of House Manager will develop skills in clear, empathetic, effective communication as a key public-facing liaison for the organization.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Work with the Managing Director to lead all front-of-house preparations at the festival’s venues leading up to the festival, including site visits and updating the venue database.
• With Box Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, responsible for selecting, supervising, and training our team of Venue Captains and volunteers.
• Acts as first point of contact for Venue Captains during the daily operations for each venue’s box office location during the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival.
• Assisting in-person ticket-buyers in troubleshooting any online ticketing issues that may arise with support from the Box Office Manager.
• Supervising daily creation and tracking of FOH paperwork and reports from Venue Captains.
• Responsible for health and safety training of volunteers assigned to Box Office positions.
• Helming outreach, recruitment, training, and deployment of the volunteer team with support from core staff and the Volunteer Coordinator.
• Working with Volunteer Coordinator to plan and oversee volunteer safety and well-being; identifying and implementing individual accessibility accommodations as needed.
• Working with Volunteer Coordinator to ensure volunteer schedule is complete; working with volunteer staff team to ensure adequate volunteer coverage throughout the 12-day festival.
• Building and maintaining the Connecteam volunteer database associated with FOH operations.
• Actively recruiting volunteers by helping to plan, staff, and attend Outreach Events at street festivals, in schools, etc.
• The responsibilities listed above address the key duties of this position. Additional related tasks may be assigned at the discretion of the Executive Director and Managing Director.

Professional Qualities and Skills:

• Hardworking, organized, and motivated individual with a passion for community outreach and volunteerism.
• Experience with event planning and logistics.
• Experience working with and recruiting volunteers.
• Interest and/or experience in arts administration and management.
• Leadership skills and the ability to self-direct as well as work well with supervisors and peers.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to problem-solve under pressure while maintaining a friendly demeanor.
• Ability to accommodate a schedule that will sometimes require work on evenings and weekends.
• Working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Valid driver's license is an asset.
• Valid first aid certification is an asset.
• Valid Smart Serve certification is an asset.

To apply: Please send a resume via email by April 18, 2025 to [e-mail] with ‘Front of House Manager’ in the subject line and in the body of the email, let us know in a few sentences why this job caught your attention. Please attach your resume as a PDF using the following naming format: your first name_your last name_job title.pdf. Only email submissions will be accepted. While we thank all applicants, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.

About HFTco & Hamilton Fringe:

Hamilton Festival Theatre Company (HFTco) strives to make theatre accessible to both audience members and theatre makers and is committed to fostering both the development of professional artists and an appreciation of the arts in the region. HFTco public arts programming includes the flagship 12-day unjuried Hamilton Fringe Festival, the community-embedded winter festival Frost Bites, and year-round Artist Development programs and public workshops.

Hamilton Fringe Festival is the Hamilton, Ontario’s biggest, boldest 12-day performing arts festival, running July 16-27, 2025, activating indoor and outdoor locations across the city. Welcoming 50+ performance companies from the local, national, and international arts community, presenting more than 400 performances, the annual summer festival draws 17,000+ attendees and engages 150+ volunteers each year.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Management and Manufacturing

Industries

Theater Companies