House Manager (Part-Time)

Job Title: House Manager
Job Status: Non-exempt part-time position
Rate: $15.50/hour 
Reports to: Audiences Services Manager

About TimeLine

TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, is a Chicago not-for-profit theatre company with an annual budget of more than $2 million. Since its inception in 1997, the company has garnered more than 50 awards for artistic excellence and business management. TimeLine is now also preparing for its next chapter with the establishment of a new home in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

Through 24 seasons dedicated to presenting stories that explore today’s social and political issues through the lens of the past, TimeLine’s stage has featured countless facets of that mission. From LGBTQIA+ experiences (The Normal Heart, Boy) to Jewish experiences (A Shayna Maidel, My Name is Asher Lev) to issues of cultures intersecting and intertwining (Chimerica, A Disappearing Number, A Walk in the Woods), TimeLine’s rich production history highlights a mix of perspectives. Our most recent in-person season investigated issues of humanity, legacy, and family in Oslo, Rutherford and Son, and James Ijames’ Kill Move Paradise. During a stoppage of live performances in 2020-2021, TimeLine showcased free online content, including public programs featuring Tyla Abercrumbie’s Relentless, Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady, and TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective. Our 2021-22 season will include full productions of Relentless and The Chinese Lady.

While our programming seeks to reflect and support our community, we acknowledge that TimeLine has more work to do to transform into a fully antiracist, multicultural organization. Our staff, Board, and Company are committed to instituting antiracist policies and practices, championing diversity and inclusion on our stages, and fighting back against the years of oppression that our BIPOC colleagues have experienced in the theatre and performing arts industry. You can read more about our ongoing work here: timelinetheatre.com/2020/11/everyones-history.

About the Position

If you are hired as a House Manager at TimeLine Theatre, you will enjoy a temporary, part-time (10-20 hours/week), non-exempt, hourly schedule. You will be responsible for providing excellent customer service with great sensitivity towards inclusion, access, and safety to our patrons at in-person performances and readings. You must have evening and weekend availability. You will report to the Audience Services Manager and collaborate with many other departments (both production and administration).

For the 2021-22 Season, all TimeLine productions will be presented at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Before and during performances, TimeLine House Managers will be staffed at Theater Wit to welcome patrons and guests and ensure a transformative and immersive experience that sparks curiosity and fosters lasting community connections for all.

Responsibilities/Duties

Customer Service

  • Act as TimeLine’s primary visible representative at Theater Wit
  • Engage with patrons as they enter the theatre and TimeLine’s space, be receptive to questions and curiosity
  • Listen to and address patron issues, questions, and concerns in a friendly and efficient manner
  • Establish a strong working knowledge of ADA guidelines in support of TimeLine’s Accessibility goals and assist Audience Services Manager in execution of accessibility events and special programs

Front of House Operations

  • Work with Box Office Associates, Stage Management, Production Assistants, and Wit staff to coordinate the smooth operation of the house before, during, and after performances, readings, and special events
  • Maintain the tidiness and accessibility of TimeLine-operated spaces
  • Collaborate with Box Office Associates to execute an accessible seating plan that meets our patrons’ needs while prioritizing safety and comfort
  • Prepare and distribute observant and detailed House Management Reports after performances, communicating any specific challenges and successes

Safety

  • Collaborate with Stage Management and TimeLine’s COVID Compliance Officer to ensure that TimeLine’s COVID protocols are being fulfilled
  • Ensure the safety of patrons and staff through a strong, working knowledge of Theater Wit emergency procedures

Company Culture

  • Be knowledgeable about the company, our mission, values, current productions, current season, and upcoming events
  • Advance the strategic marketing goals of the theatre through thoughtful collaboration with the Audience Services and Marketing teams
  • Create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere through honest, clear communication with patrons, staff, and teammates

Compensation

  • Seasonal, part-time hourly position (with the potential for off-season project hours)
  • Starts at $15.50 per hour
  • 10-20 hours/week during our performance schedule (December 2021—June 2022)

Qualifications/Skills

  • Must be available to work evenings and weekends, in particular Wednesdays – Sundays, with occasional Tuesday performances
  • Some prior experience performing high volume customer service-related work
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
  • Must be computer proficient, especially with a PC, Microsoft Office, and Google Drive
  • Experiences working in a performing arts environment or with emergency situation management are appreciated, but not necessary
  • First Aid and CPR certification is a plus

Personal Characteristics

  • You have demonstrated the ability to thrive and multi-task in a fast-paced, high energy, multicultural environment
  • You have comfort acting as a leader and taking charge in different kinds of situations
  • You enjoy working independently, assume responsibility, and take initiative using good judgment and strong attention to detail
  • You feel responsible for the environment around you and seek to improve it with every action
  • You get energy from new perspectives
  • You maintain a calm, professional demeanor in all public-facing situations
  • You can effectively identify and communicate issues or problems to your team
  • You are punctual and have a strong track record of showing up

Employment Policy

We would like you to commit to the 2021-2022 Season, which is planned to run from December 2021 through June 2022. Apply for this position if you are interested in obtaining a foundation in arts management at an award-winning theatre while supporting the theatre’s goal of being one of the best customer experiences in Chicago theatre.

TimeLine is committed to monitoring public health recommendations, as well as the best practices for wellness and safety of all of those we serve. If you have any questions regarding COVID safety plans or compliance, please do not hesitate to reach out. For more information on our public COVID safety protocols, you can visit timelinetheatre.com/health-and-safety

It is an essential practice of TimeLine Theatre Company to recruit, hire, train and promote individuals, based upon personal capabilities and qualifications and without regard to race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or ancestry, marital status, citizenship, disability, military status, creed, or any other trait or characteristic protected by law. TimeLine Theatre Company is dedicated to the goal of building a diverse staff and an inclusive work environment. This policy of Equal Employment Opportunity applies to policies and procedures relating to all terms and conditions of employment at TimeLine Theatre.

To Apply

  1. Please email, in one clearly-labeled document (PDF preferred), a resume and your answers to the short answer questions below. Your email should be to the attention of Kellyn Henthorn (she/her), Audience Services Manager, at HR@timelinetheatre.com with the subject line of your email, “House Manager Position”
  2. We will reach out to you whether or not you are called in for interviews. Please no phone calls. If you do have questions about your application, please email us at the above address.
  3. Applications will be accepted through Monday, November 22.

Short Answer Questions – REQUIRED

In addition to submitting your resume, please take the time to answer the following questions. You do not have to write a cover letter for this application, so we ask that you put your efforts into answering these questions in complete, thoughtful sentences (no need to write more than 3-4 sentences per question). Thanks!

  1. What is your customer service philosophy? How do you see yourself practicing it at TimeLine Theatre?
  2. Please choose one value from the list below, and tell us how you have used that value in a professional setting in the past? (If you do not have professional experience, feel free to tell us how you have used that value when you have worked with others on a large project.)

Staff members at TimeLine Theatre Company share the core values of the organization:

  • COLLABORATIVE: Valuing teamwork as a creative force
  • EXCEPTIONAL: Exemplifying excellence and innovation in everything we do
  • FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE: Managing resources effectively and appropriately
  • INCLUSIVE: Embracing diversity in all its forms
  • INTIMATE: Creating a close connection between art and audience
  • RESPECTFUL: Listening and being open to everyone’s perspective
  • HEALTHY & SAFE: Ensuring a clean environment and nurturing wellness
  1. How can this position and the skills you’ll learn at TimeLine contribute to your personal or professional goals?
  2. How did you find out about this position?