Audience Experience Assistant

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Part time

Job summary

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is seeking an Audience Experience Assistant to provide essential administrative, logistical, and operational support for the Audience Experience Department. The role assists with scheduling, financial tracking, departmental coordination, and a variety of FOH logistics to ensure smooth daily operations.

Working closely with leadership, the position reinforces a high-quality audience experience, supports accessibility services, and helps

Qualifications

• Preferred experience in customer service, hospitality, or live event environments.
• Familiarity with accessibility tools or willingness to learn.
• Experience in fast-paced public-facing settings.

Responsibilities

• Administrative & operational support: schedule shifts, calendars, FOH coverage, and records.
• Financial & reporting: process invoices, expenses, budgets, and reports.
• Front of House operations support: assist FOH daily operations and House Management coordination; accessibility services support.
• Training & usher coordination: onboarding, training logistics, and usher communications/exchanges.
• Cross-departmental collaboration: coordination with FOH system and departments; support VIP and donor event logistics.

Skills

Customer service

Hospitality

Public-facing role

Job description

Department: Audience Experience

Status: Overhire / Per Event

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Department Head: Senior Director of Community Engagement and Audience Experience

Reports to: Associate Director of Audience Experience

Who We Are

Arena Stage is the voice of American theatre resident in our nation's capital. Focused on American artists, our productions are innovative and representative of stories from across the country. We nurture new plays and reimagine classics. We celebrate our democracy and diversity through a multitude of voices in our productions and community engagement programs to inspire people to action.

What We Value

A work culture that values experimentation and collaboration.

Excellence in all aspects of our endeavor.

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion throughout the Organization and within our audience and the community.

Community Service through education and public engagement.

Lead effective partnerships and collaboration to serve artists and arts professionals.

What You Will Do

The Audience Experience Assistant provides essential administrative, logistical, and operational support to the Audience Experience Department, ensuring the efficient day-to-day execution of front-of-house operations.

Working closely with the Associate Director of Audience Experience, this role assists with scheduling, financial tracking, departmental coordination, and operational logistics. The Audience Experience Assistant increases departmental capacity, allowing leadership to focus on staff supervision, patron experience strategy, and cross-departmental collaboration.

This position also supports Front of House operations as needed, including occasional shifts as a House Manager, reinforcing a seamless and high-quality audience experience.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Administrative & Operational Support

• Maintains departmental scheduling, including House Manager and Audience Experience Associate shifts
• Coordinates internal calendars, meetings, and FOH coverage needs
• Maintains departmental records, documents, and shared systems
• Support communication between Audience Experience and internal departments

Financial & Reporting

• Assist with processing invoices, expense reports, and departmental purchases
• Track departmental budgets and reconcile expenses
• Generate and maintain reports related to staffing, attendance, and operations

Front of House Operations Support

• Support the execution of daily FOH operations as needed
• Support House Management Team as needed
• Assist in coordinating accessibility services, including captioning and assistive devices
• Help maintain FOH materials, supplies, and wayfinding signage

Training & Usher Coordination

• Support usher onboarding and training logistics with House Management
• Assist in scheduling and coordinating training sessions
• Assist with usher emails and processing exchanges and cancellations

Cross Departmental Collaboration

• Coordinate with Front of House system and departments
• Support VIP, donor, and special event logistics in collaboration with Associate Director of Audience Engagement

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous experience in customer service, hospitality, retail, visitor services, or live event environments.
• Familiarity with accessibility tools or willingness to learn.
• Experience working in a fast-paced public-facing environment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Must be able to stand and move throughout the building for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to navigate stairs and public lobby spaces during active performance periods.
• Must be able to lift, carry, or move light materials related to guest service and lobby support.
• Work is primarily performed in public-facing theater and lobby environments with high guest volume and frequent activity.

The Washington Drama Society, Inc., Arena Stage does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at [e-mail].

Salary: $21 per hour