Career Center

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Salary Range: $66,300 - $70,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Arts Initiative?s Director of Programs and Finance, the incumbent oversees box office operations and program administration for the Arts Initiative at Columbia University. Manages the Ticket and Information Center (TIC), the Arts Initiative?s on-campus box office for the Columbia community. Responsibilities include maintaining high-quality customer service for the TIC?s diverse audiences of students, faculty, and staff. Recruits and leads a team of student box office staff. Oversees box office financial management and related reporting. The incumbent works to increase awareness of, and participation in, the Arts Initiative?s programs, services, and events amongst Columbia University students, faculty, and staff. Serves as department representative at events, in rotation with other staff. Performs related duties as assigned. Availability to troubleshoot by phone during box office hours, including nights and weekends, is a must.

About the Arts Initiative

Columbia?s Arts Initiative, founded in 2004, is a lively hub of artistic life, sparking arts interest and meaningfully connecting Columbians with incredible arts experiences on campus and with the larger arts landscape of New York City. The Arts Initiative offers programs in a range of price points, including many that are free, so that every Columbia student can find an arts opportunity that is accessible to them. Experiences are inclusive of a wide-ranging arts audience, all of whom can enjoy enriching experiences and go deeper, at varying levels of engagement.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the positive image of the Ticket and Information Center (TIC) as a welcoming and lively campus resource; cultivate high-quality customer service in contact with the students, faculty, and staff who utilize the TIC
• Oversee box office operations, financial procedures, and security of the TIC, ensuring compliance with University and department policies as well as optimal operations
• Recruit, train, supervise, assess the performance of, and mentor a team of 10-15 student box office staff; prepare related payroll; foster a collegial, educational, and inviting environment that enables everyone to do their best work
• Operate and maintain the computerized ticketing and patron management database; ensure compliance with University PCI/DSS guidelines for credit card handling; work with the software vendors and Columbia?s IT department to resolve problems
• Reconcile cash, credit card, and audit reports on a daily basis, maintain advance sales ledgers, and make ticket revenue deposits; reconcile performance sales figures and prepare related sales and revenue reports
• Oversee the On Sale at the TIC program; curate a wide diversity of offerings by genre and ticket availability throughout the semester; research, propose, and implement group sale ticket purchases for arts events sold at the TIC; ensure compliance with annual budget
• Oversee ticketing services provided for Music Humanities, student events at Lerner Hall, and student arts events on campus, including timely reconciliation of sales, financial reports, and inter-departmental transfers
• Develop and prepare reports to aid in budgeting, financial tracking, and projections
• Ensure security and cleanliness of the TIC offices, and monitor equipment inventory
• Serve as liaison with external ticketing service organizations, cultural venue box offices, and group sales services
• Serve as department representative at events, including University orientations, information sessions, and other events as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor?s degree or its equivalent is required.
• Two years of related professional experience is required.
• A resume and cover letter must be submitted to be considered for the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with OvationTix and/or other ticketing systems is strongly preferred, as is experience in higher education.

Other Requirements

• Must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of, or genuine interest in, the performing arts.
• Demonstrated skills in customer service, staff supervision, and financial management.
• Exceptional planning, organizational, and team-building skills are necessary.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills are required, as is the ability to interact with a highly diverse group of constituents within and outside the University and the performing arts community.
• Must be able to handle confidential information with excellent judgment and discretion.
• Strong proficiency in Excel is required.
• Availability to troubleshoot by phone during box office hours, including nights and weekends, is a must.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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