Director of Patron Services & Ticketing

  • Full-time

Company Description

Our Mission: The Nashville Symphony inspires, entertains, and educates through excellence in musical performance.

One of Tennessee’s largest and longest-running nonprofit performing arts organizations, the Nashville Symphony has been an integral part of the Music City sound since 1946. Led by music director Giancarlo Guerrero, the ensemble performs more than 150 concerts annually, with a focus on contemporary American orchestral music. It is one of the most active recording orchestras in the U.S. and has earned a total of 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 27 nominations.

Job Description

Position Overview: The Nashville Symphony seeks a Director of Patron Services & Ticketing to deliver world-class customer service to attract, delight and retain patrons, while achieving ticket sales goals. As an advocate for audience members, this role is critical to building lasting relationships between the Nashville Symphony and its patrons, which include subscribers, single ticket buyers, donors, guests, and visitors. Patron Services is the direct connector between the Nashville Symphony and our patrons. This department is responsible for building and growing patron relationships as the strategy to achieve long-term financial growth.  

Primary Duties and Responsibilities 

  1. In partnership with the leadership of the Marketing and Communications department, supports the Symphony’s overall strategy to build patron loyalty with an emphasis on both sales and service. Partners with the development team on cohesive strategies to further engagement.   
  2. Ensures exemplary customer service by communicating goals and directing the Ticketing and Customer Service Team. Coaches, mentors, and provides guidance to team in troubleshooting and resolving customer service issues. Sets guidelines for effective resolution of customer concerns and ensures follow up and documentation utilizing the Tessitura CRM. Responds to escalated customer service inquiries outside the scope of managers. 
  3. Leads the Ticketing & Customer Service Team in achieving or exceeding budgeted ticket revenue goals. 
  4. Sets policies and procedures to drive patron retention, development, and lifelong relationships with the Nashville Symphony.  
  5. Manages the recruitment, supervision, training, and development of Ticketing & Customer Service employees.  
  6. Oversees the Tessitura ticketing set up for seasons, sales campaigns, and concerts, ensuring that the database and associated technologies promote a patron-first and friendly approach. Advises on the strategic direction of the database to best serve patrons.  
  7. Manages Ticket Services training for season ticket campaigns, single ticket on-sales, and other sales initiatives, with support from the Managers. Guides team members on upselling, cross-selling, and requesting donations.   
  8. Represents the voice of the patron in providing vital feedback to the senior management team regarding patron experiences, requests, and customer service needs.  
  9. Partners with the Director of Security & Front of House to provide a welcoming, safe/secure, accommodating, and memorable experience for all concertgoers and guests at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. 
  10. Supports outbound calling campaigns performed by external and internal teams, ensuring that campaigns achieve sales goals.   
  11. Collaborates with other departments to develop and implement best practices for all patron touch-points.   
  12. Collaborates with the marketing department to ensure consistent messaging, tracking, and reporting of patron transactions.  
  13. Works with Vice President of Marketing & Communications and Marketing Analyst on pricing, scaling and packaging proposals to ensure utilization of inventory and maximization of revenue.  
  14. Work with the Ticketing and Customer Service Team to ensure proper internal controls for all ticketing sales operations and to ensure that Tessitura’s best practices are followed. Member of the Tessitura User Group to maximize the existing capabilities and new initiatives.    
  15. Participates in night-of-show box office supervisor rotation and act as backup to box office if needed.   
  16. Embrace the Nashville Symphony’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, and actively support the organization’s mission to welcome and serve everyone in our community. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 
The Director of Patron Services supervises the Ticketing and Customer Team Managers. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. 

Qualifications

Education 
Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred. 

Required Experience 
At least 7 years’ experience working in sales and customer service, preferably in the entertainment sector or for a performing or cultural arts organization. Three years of supervisory experience is required with a proven ability to lead, direct and inspire employees.  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

  • Outstanding customer service skills. 
  • Extensive knowledge of Tessitura CRM or related ticketing systems required. 
  • Proven experience in effectively managing multiple tasks simultaneously; excellence in organizing and prioritizing. 
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact with all levels of staff, including senior management. 
  • Ability to achieve in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment where attention to detail and organizational skills are paramount whilst maintaining a positive, calm, and flexible approach.  
  • Able to adapt to a flexible working schedule, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and holidays. 
  • Passion for orchestral music or the performing arts.  
  • Ability to work well with staff on timely projects and work as a team player, as well as ability to delegate and oversee completion of projects. 
  • Ability to formulate and work on projects independently, while keeping supervisors and/or others informed of progress and of any work issues. 
  • Ability to analyze, problem-solve, and offer solutions to issues. 
  • Ability to keep overall goals in mind, along with day-to-day functions. 

Additional Information

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
The Nashville Symphony prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, genetics, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

 TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964
The Nashville Symphony is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which maintains that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. If you have questions concerning the Nashville Symphony’s compliance with Title VI, please contact the Director of Human Resources & Inclusion and our Local Title VI Coordinator, Sonia Mussaw.

This company is a smoke-free workplace in compliance with the Non-Smoker Protection Act, Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 39-17-1801-1810. In accordance with that law and company policy, smoking is prohibited in enclosed areas of company property.