Thank you for your interest in the role of Box Office Manager at the Unicorn Theatre.

Transcription

1 Thank you for your interest in the role of Box Office Manager at the Unicorn Theatre. The Unicorn is committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. The Unicorn The Unicorn is the UK s leading professional theatre for young audiences, dedicated to inspiring and invigorating young people of all ages, perspectives and abilities, and empowering them to explore the world on their own terms through theatre. Year-round, the Unicorn works with some of the world s most exciting theatre-makers to produce, present and tour a surprising, innovative and broad range of work that is honest, refreshing and international in outlook. At the Unicorn, we believe in: bringing art to young people and young people to art pushing the boundaries of what theatre for young audiences can be opening our doors to everyone speaking to the audience of today, not just creating the audience of the future diversity. Because the world is diverse. At the Unicorn, we strive to push the boundaries of imagination in everything that we do; welcoming families, schools, and young people for unforgettable theatrical experiences that will expand horizons, change perspectives, and challenge how we all see and understand each other. The Unicorn is committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Page 1 of 5

2 About the Unicorn The Unicorn was founded in 1947 by Caryl Jenner, with the aim that the best of theatre for children should be judged on the same high standards of writing, directing, acting and design as the best of adult theatre, a value which still holds very much true today. Since its early days as a touring company, the Unicorn has become a key player, not only in children s theatre in the UK but across Europe, and within the ecology of British theatre as a whole. The Unicorn moved into its current purpose-built home in Tooley Street in 2007 and currently stages around 15 shows a year, the majority in-house productions and commissions, and enjoys a reputation as a leading innovator in new work for young audiences. Since autumn 2011, the Unicorn has been jointly run by a Chief Executive team of Purni Morell (Artistic Director) and Anneliese Davidsen (Executive Director), working to a Board of Trustees. In August 2018, we look forward to welcoming Justin Audibert as our new Artistic Director. The theatre is subsidised by Arts Council England and is currently the fourth most highly-funded theatre in London, with 1.3m annually committed until 2022 following a 300,000 grant uplift in In 2015 the Unicorn was nominated for The Stage London Theatre of the Year alongside the Young Vic and the Almeida. Between 2011 and 2018, the company will have produced and presented 140 theatre productions, and toured 30 in the UK and internationally, to young audiences of over 400,000. The Unicorn has a turnover of 2.8 million, with over 20% coming from Box Office with almost all tickets being sold to children at concessionary rates and a similar amount from fundraising. The theatre s audiences are broadly defined as families and schools, and the theatre currently plays to all ages from six months to adulthood. We aim to have a show for each age group every season, and maintain a strong commitment to representing diversity in our audiences as well as on our stages. The Unicorn has a unique and in-depth Learning Programme in schools, a busy range of Accessible performances, and has developed a strong programme of activities out in the community. Commercial activities café, merchandise, events are growing fast. The Unicorn has strong relationships with a number of European theatre makers and companies, with a recent history of co-producing partnerships with and presentations of major overseas work. The Unicorn s business priorities are: To maintain the Unicorn s position as an artistic innovator in the cultural life of the UK and beyond To maintain a stable business model To build our reputation and brand, including abroad To work with schools to maintain access to the arts for all London s children To represent the diversity of London To ensure the future viability of the Unicorn, creating a strong rolling legacy for the Page 2 of 5

3 theatre s next custodians. The Post of Box Office Manager The Box Office Manager is part of the Marketing and Communications Department. The team is led by the Director of Marketing and Communications who oversees the Box Office Manager as well as: A Marketing Manager and a Marketing Officer A Schools Relationship Officer (maternity cover for the Schools Relationship Manager) An Events Producer Freelance Press Manager (who works offsite). The team also works closely with the Community Projects Director to support audience development initiatives. The Box Office Manager is part of a busy team who deliver ambitious sales targets, and are a vital part of the Unicorn s core income generation. The Unicorn s audience welcome is second to none, and this role is also part of ensuring that customers receive unparalleled levels of care and attention. S/he works closely with the front of house team to provide a consistently high level of customer service to our challenging and vibrant audiences, working alongside Marketing and Schools staff to support analysis and sales initiatives, as well as the distribution of our wide-ranging funded ticket allocations (over 10% of tickets distributed each year). Job Description: Box Office Manager Responsible to: Director of Marketing and Communications Responsible for: One full-time Box Office Supervisor, and a current rota of around six casual Box Office Assistants Key responsibilities To support the Marketing and Communications strategy by monitoring and improving systems for gathering and recording information and by implementing procedures to improve sales and customer service. To manage the smooth running and administration of the box office system (Spektrix) including by: setting up shows and offers; managing report schedules; updating ticket types, capacities and locks; maintaining a clean database; running and improving analysis and reporting; ensuring that up-to-date information on all events is available to staff and on Spektrix; staying abreast of and complying with the Data Protection Act and GDPR legislation. With the Director of Marketing and Communications, to devise creative data analyses providing insights to expand and retain audiences and improve sales. Page 3 of 5

4 To manage and rota staff and be responsible for the wellbeing of the team. To be part of the Unicorn s Access Group, helping to build attendance to accessible performances, and improving data collection, reporting and booking. To work closely with the Schools Relationship Manager to manage and streamline schools bookings, ensuring good customer relations and efficient invoicing. To liaise with ticket agents, Deputy Front of House Manager, Events Producer and Producer in managing house seat and guest allocations. To support the team in taking bookings, managing enquiries, and covering staff illness/emergency as necessary. To prepare weekly banking sheets and secure all cash, cheques, theatre tokens and credit card records, maintaining a cash float and ensuring that invoices and reservations are chased up in good time. To keep up-to-date with best practice and developments in Spektrix, and to train staff as appropriate. To promote and expand the sale of programmes and merchandise on and offline. To support the marketing team by attending meetings and briefings as required. Person specification Essential Experience in sales or marketing, working with a ticketing system, managing database administration, creating reports, supporting analysis, liaising with clients and colleagues, and selling to customers. A demonstrable track record in customer relationship management. Experience of building teams and managing staff. Proven ability in evaluating data and using this work to improve sales. Effective communicator, with the proven ability to handle complaints with sensitivity. Willingness to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends. Confident with Microsoft Office and database software. An understanding of and commitment to equality of access and opportunities. A strong interest in theatre or the arts. Page 4 of 5

5 Desirable Experience of Spektrix. Understanding and experience of accessibility issues and audience requirements. Good understanding of data protection issues. An understanding and interest in the needs of family and school audiences. Terms and conditions: Salary: 21,000-24,000 per annum Overtime: TOIL (Time Off In Lieu, as agreed by your manager). Holiday: 25 days per annum, rising to one additional day every year after the first full calendar year of service, up to a total of 30 days. Contract: Full-time following a three month probationary period. 40 hours a week. The usual hours are 10am 6pm Monday to Friday but you will need to work flexibly and be available some evening and weekends. Annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum, plus Bank Holidays, with one additional day to a maximum of 30 for each full year of service. Other: The Unicorn offers an opt-out stakeholder pension scheme. The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS (criminal records) check due to the cash and data handling inherent to this role. Notice periods: Two months (two weeks for probation period) Five years' or more continuous service: one week per completed year of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Application procedure: To apply please complete the application form and return to stagedoor@unicorntheatre.com, or by post to Stage Door Unicorn Theatre 147 Tooley Street London SE1 2HZ Please note that only applications made in this way can be accepted; CVs will not be considered. Closing date for applications: 10am Tuesday 3 April 2018 Interview date: Tuesday 10 April 2018 (with the possibility of a second round the following week). Page 5 of 5