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Box Office Supervisor - Part Time

Employer
Caryl Jenner Productions t/a Unicorn Theatre
Location
London Bridge, London
Salary
£13,250 (equivalent to £18,928 full time)
Closing date
27 Aug 2019

Job Details

Thank you for your interest in the role of Box Office Supervisor (part-time) 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 Vision

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.
 

What the Unicorn Is

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.

In August 2018, we welcomed Justin Audibert as our new Artistic Director alongside Anneliese Davidsen (Executive 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. To Spring 2019, the company has produced and presented 156 theatre productions, and toured 30 in the UK and internationally, to young audiences of over 400,000.  The theatre has just announced Justin Audibert’s first season, running from Autumn 2019 to Summer 2020, with another 12 shows in London and on international tour.

The Unicorn has a turnover of £3 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 plays to all ages from six months to adulthood.  We 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, a strong programme of activities out in the wider London community called REACH, and a resident Associate Company, the Phosphoros Young Company.  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 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 theatre’s next custodians.

Working at the Unicorn

The Unicorn is a fast-paced, innovative and extraordinary theatre with big ambitions and big ideas. We programme exceptional theatre for young audiences and work with the most exciting talent in the UK and beyond.  We share great theatre with 90,000 children and young people every year, and we work hard to reach the widest possible range of audiences.

Every role matters, every contribution is valued and needed. It's hard work but fun, it's fast paced but meaningful and rewarding.  We're a great team and you will get to work with, and learn about, most areas of the theatre and how it operates just by being here and taking part.  You will make a difference and your work will help the theatre maintain its artistic excellence and social and moral ambitions. 

As one of London’s busiest producing theatres, we work closely with artists and have a reputation for being welcoming, open and supportive.  We're a place where great ideas are generated and great art is made.  Working closely with artists, directors and writers is the fun part of our jobs.  We expect our staff to be self-motivated, ambitious people who enjoy the opportunity and freedom to shape their roles, to make a lasting impact, and to develop their skills and experience.
 

The Box Office team comprises a full-time Box Office Manager, a full-time Deputy Box Office Manager, a part-time Box Office Supervisor and approximately 4 – 5 Box Office Assistants (casual employment). The team is line managed by the Box Office Manager, with the Deputy Box Office Manager overseeing the team’s day to day duties. This team is part of the Marketing and Communications Department and works closely with Front of House and Development teams.

Box Office Supervisor (part-time)
Responsible to:
Box Office Manager
Responsible for: Work experience placements and other volunteers, occasionally
Working closely with: Deputy Box Office Manager (full-time, permanent) and Box Office Assistants (casual)

We are looking for an enthusiastic, committed and reliable individual to join our small and hardworking Box Office team in this customer-facing role. The successful candidate will have impeccable interpersonal skills and also be keen to work as part of a team to support audience growth and income.

You will take ticket bookings by phone and in person and act as the first point of contact for audience queries. You will facilitate ticket collection at performances, functions and events at the Unicorn.

As a Box Office Supervisor, as well as being confident at taking bookings and up-selling events, you will be a more senior member of the team, troubleshooting problems for others and supporting the Deputy Box Office Manager and Box Office Manager with some of the day-to-day administrative and training tasks. The Box Office Supervisor is often the most senior member of the Box Office team during their weekend shifts, and is responsible for managing the Box Office independently during these times.

The role is made up of five shifts a week usually comprising four 5-hour shifts and one 8-hour shift across weekdays and weekends. Usually there will be at least one weekend shift on either a Saturday or Sunday, and sometimes the requirement to work both weekend days.

The shift pattern will vary a little from week to week so some flexible working is offered as well as required. Shifts tend to be between 9.15am – 6pm Monday – Saturday and around 9am – 2pm on Sunday, occasionally we open earlier or later depending on our programme.

Key Responsibilities

  • Use the Box Office system, Spektrix, to sell, amend and refund tickets to families and school groups.
  • Provide an outstanding level of customer service to families, young people and schools on the phone, in person and in writing, in a clear and professional manner.
  • Troubleshoot problems and support the induction and training of Box Office Assistants.
  • Take responsibility for opening and closing the Box Office (and front doors) and for cashing up and recording takings and handover notes at the end of a shift.
  • Keep up to date with ongoing changes to the programme, procedures and general activity within the Box Office and Unicorn Theatre.
  • Undertake systems and admin tasks such as updating customer accounts, and other appropriate tasks set by the Supervisor and Manager.
  • Support the Supervisor in managing payments from schools’ and other group/event bookings from time to time.
  • Respond to audience queries and comments; resolving complaints in a sensible and sensitive manner and passing on any issues to the Supervisor or Manager where appropriate.
  • Cross and upsell events, promote the Unicorn’s membership scheme and encourage audience donations.
  • Liaise with other departments to ensure the smooth running of performances and events.
  • Confidently offer information about accessibility services to customers (training will be provided).
  • Handle and follow health and safety and emergency procedures, if required.
  • Take responsibility for the appearance and tidiness of the Box Office and front of house areas.

Person Specification

Essential

  • Highly reliable and responsible.
  • Consistent availability at weekends across the duration of the contract.
  • Able to speak to customers confidently and provide an outstanding level of customer service.
  • Warm, friendly and positive with excellent communication skills in writing, on the phone and in person. Able to engage with a diverse customer base.
  • Confident at upselling and cross-selling shows and merchandise.
  • Very organised with exceptional attention to detail.
  • Proactive and self-motivated team player.
  • Confident using Microsoft Office and database software.
  • A commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity.

Desirable

  • Experience in a sales or a customer facing role.
  • Experience using CRM systems, ticketing systems or even Spektrix.
  • An interest in or passion for theatre, especially for young people, and the arts in general.
  • Understanding or awareness of accessibility issues and services.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

This role is offered as a part-time (28 hours a week), Fixed Term contract for 12 months.  The salary for this role is £13,250 (equivalent to £18,928 full time) and is paid on a monthly basis. Staff work various days and hours and will need to be fairly flexible:  Monday – Sunday, mostly daytimes between 9.15am – 6pm. Occasionally we have evening performances and the Box Office will be open until around 7.30pm.

Holiday: 21 days, inclusive of Bank Holidays

Other:

  • Opportunities to take on further shifts above your 28 hours which would also be paid monthly.
  • Auto-enrolment into the NEST pension scheme
  • Complimentary tickets for Unicorn shows
  • Access to UK Theatre’s mentoring scheme
  • Use of available rooms at the Unicorn for personal projects where possible

Application procedure

To apply please complete the application form and return to [email protected]

Please note that only applications made in this way can be accepted; CVs will not be considered.

If you need this information in an alternative format, please contact [email protected] in the first instance.

The Unicorn Theatre is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.  We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applicants from the broadest range of backgrounds, with different skills and experiences to bring into our organisation.

All candidates who identify as disabled and demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria will be invited for an interview, in line with the Equalities Act 2010.

Closing date for applications: 10am, Tuesday 27 August 2019

First Interviews: Wednesday 4 September 2019

If you are unavailable for interview on these dates, a Skype interview would be considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Company

The Unicorn is the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences, producing an eclectic and surprising programme of work year-round for children aged 6 months to 18 years.

Based in our purpose-built home at London Bridge, we aim to connect artists and audiences through a broad range of work that is honest, refreshing and international in outlook, across a range of disciplines.

We present and tour around twenty shows each year, at home and abroad, to around 90,000 children and their parents and carers, and work extensively with schools and in the community to invite children from all cultures into a conversation about art and the world we live in.

Company info
Website
Location
Unicorn Theatre
147 Tooley Street
London
London
SE1 2HZ
GB

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