A&L Patron Experience Manager

Position Number: 41239613

Payroll Title: EVENTS SPEC 3

Job Code: 006292

Job Open Date: 5/18/26

Application Review Begins: 6/3/26

Department Code (Name): ALEC (ARTS AND LECTURES)

Percentage of Time: 100

Union Code (Name): 99 - Non-Represented (PPSM)

Employee Class (Appointment Type): Staff: Career

FLSA Status: Exempt

Classified Indicator Description (Personnel Program): PSS

Salary Grade: Grade 21

Budgeted/Hiring Salary Range: $71,600 to $88,550/year. Salary offers are based on final candidate qualifications and experience; the budget for the position; and the application of fair, equitable and consistent pay practices at the University.

Full Salary Range: The full range for this position is $71,600 to $127,400/year. Salary offers are based on final candidate qualifications and experience; the budget for the position; and the application of fair, equitable and consistent pay practices at the University.

Work Location: 110 Castilian Dr, Suite 100, Bldg. 402

Working Days and Hours: M-F 8 am - 5 pm, with occasional nights and weekends required

Benefits Eligibility: Full Benefits

Type of Remote or Hybrid Work Arrangement, if applicable: N/A

Special Instructions: For full consideration, please include a resume and a cover letter as part of your application.

Department Marketing Statement:

Arts and Lectures (A&L) is a large, robust, complex, primarily self-supporting, nonacademic unit that supports the academic mission of the university. A&L is the largest presenting organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is one of the most visible, public-facing departments at UCSB. Through more than 150 events annually, A&L partners with faculty and academic departments, community organizations and leaders, university administrators, philanthropists and funders to create opportunities that integrate with and complement university curricula and create community connections.

Benefits of Belonging

Working at UC means being part of this vibrant institution that shines a light on what is possible. People make UC great, and UC recognizes your contributions by making this a great place to work. Excellent retirement and health are just one of the rewards. Learn more about the benefits of working at UC

Brief Summary of Job Duties:

Under the direction of the Manager of Ticketing Operations & Patron Services, the Patron Experience Manager is a key leader in shaping the patron experience, with a particular focus on providing & "white-glove" concierge service that transforms standard ticketing into a high-touch membership benefit. Responsibilities include VIP ticket concierge services, leading front-of-house operations and event support to ensure an exceptional, seamless, and highly personalized experience for patrons, donors, and community guests. A central component of this role is overseeing the organization's ticket concierge function-serving as a primary point of contact for high-level patrons, subscribers, donors, and special guests requiring tailored ticketing support. This includes managing complex ticket requests, premium seating coordination, subscription adjustments, VIP access, and resolving sensitive service matters with discretion and care. The Manager works closely with the ticketing and development teams to facilitate priority access, monitor inventory for strategic seating assignments, and ensure that patron preferences and giving history are thoughtfully considered in service delivery. This role helps translate the organization's concierge-level service standards into practices that strengthen relationships with the broader audience and encourage repeat engagement. This position requires an in-depth knowledge of Tessitura, A&L's ticketing system, so that they can also support advanced ticket needs, data retrieval and list management. In addition, the Patron Experience Manager oversees all public-facing front-of-house event logistics, supervising front-of-house personnel, including student staff and volunteers. Responsibilities include hiring, training, scheduling, and performance oversight to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service. Working collaboratively with ticketing, development, production, and programming teams, this position ensures that each performance and special event reflects the organization's mission, values, and commitment to excellence while strengthening long-term patron relationships.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
• 4 - 6 years - Experience managing FOH and ticketing operations for a performance or theatrical venue and providing support for public events.
• 4 - 6 years - Experience providing support for public events.
• Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Basic knowledge of campus mission, vision, goals, and objectives, with the ability to apply this understanding in supporting live event production operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-3 years - Supervisory or team leadership experience, particularly overseeing student workers and/or volunteers.
• 1-3 years of experience working in an academic or public institution setting.
• Experience working in deadline-driven, real-time environments with non-traditional schedules, including evenings and weekends, while demonstrating independent problem-solving skills.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of the concepts, principles, and practices of event planning and public relations, including event design, organization, and production.

Special Conditions of Employment

• Satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check
• Occasional evenings/nights and weekends at programmatic and special events required.
• Ability to lift/move up to 50 lbs.
• UCSB is a Tobacco-Free environment

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement:

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Job Functions and Percentages of Time:

55% - Donor Concierge & Patron Engagement:

Works closely with Ticketing Operations and Development to ensure appropriate prioritization of requests, accurate record-keeping, and compliance with institutional financial and data management standards. Serves as the primary point of contact for major donors, WORKS buyers and A&L Council and Ambassador members, personally overseeing and processing priority seating requests, and sponsor and VIP seat allocations. Manages the internal holds and strategic release of premium inventory to balance VIP access with revenue optimization. Coordinates presale access, ticketing benefits, and concierge-level ticketing communications for leadership donors and council members and processes membership when appropriate. Supports ticketing on-sales and special promotions, and can assist ticketing supervisors if needed, night-of-show. Monitors patron feedback related to ticketing and access, identifying trends and recommending service improvements. Proactively identifies and resolves ticketing issues before performances to ensure a seamless patron experience. Supports the identification of prospective donors based on ticket purchasing patterns, engagement, and concierge interactions, and communicates insights to the Development team for cultivation assist ticketing supervisors if needed, night-of-show. Monitors patron feedback related to ticketing and access, identifying trends and recommending service improvements. Proactively identifies and resolves ticketing issues before performances to ensure a seamless patron experience. Supports the identification of prospective donors based on ticket purchasing patterns, engagement, and concierge interactions, and communicates insights to the Development team for cultivation opportunities.

Coordinates with Parking Services to request reserved parking and ensure signage is appropriately placed for guests. Maintains detailed patron profiles, ensuring individual preferences are honored consistently across all interactions. Resolves sensitive ticketing issues, seating conflicts, or customer service escalations with a high degree of diplomacy and professional discretion and acts as "on-call" support for high-level patron needs during assigned events. Helps to coordinate VIP access and reserved seating areas at A&L free events when support is needed, including the Summer Film Series and other community programs with designated donor sections, ensuring clear communication, smooth check-in, and a high-touch guest experience.

30% - Guest Services & Front of House Supervision:

Ensures that front-of-house (FOH) and patron service activities are executed efficiently, safely, and in alignment with university procedures, accessibility requirements, and risk management guidelines. Recruits and onboards a diverse pool of student employees and community volunteers for front-of-house services. Designs and delivers training modules tailored for a student/volunteer workforce, focusing on ushering, house management, parking assistance, ADA compliance, de-escalation, and "Radical Hospitality", including protocols for high-level donor interaction. Manages FOH staffing schedules for all performances and events, balancing student academic calendars and volunteer availability while meeting operational needs and budget constraints. Maintains a comprehensive FOH manual with clear protocols for emergency response, service recovery, dress guidelines and operations to ensure a consistent, high-quality patron experience across multiple venues and diverse event types. Regularly assesses the physical lobby experience-from signage clarity to cleanliness-to ensure the venue environment aligns with organizational standards. Acts as the primary point of communication between front-of-house, production and ticketing teams to ensure coordinated event execution. When needed, manages the guest check-in process for special events, utilizing the ticketing system to verify donor levels and provide "name-recognition" service as guests arrive.

15% - Systems & Data Management:

Acts as an internal expert on the Tessitura Ticketing platform, supporting advanced ticketing operations and patron experience delivery. Assists with the management of backend configurations, event builds, and complex transaction overrides. Builds and pulls sophisticated patron lists and attendance reports to support ticketing needs, development strategy and targeted outreach. Utilizes advanced query logic to filter patron data by ticket history, giving level, household history, or geographic location to ensure accuracy in targeted outreach. Monitors and maintains data quality, resolving discrepancies and implementing processes for continuous improvement in reporting, ticketing operations, and patron management.

Other duties as assigned:

Occasionally provides administrative and event support for other A&L projects and special events.

UC Vaccination Programs Policy

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs.

As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals* must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up-to-Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt-Out Program no later than the Compliance Date (Capitalized terms in this paragraph are defined in the policy.). Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

For more information: University of California Policy on Vaccinations

* Covered Individuals: A Covered Individual includes anyone designated as Personnel or Students under this Policy who physically access a University Facility or Program in connection with their employment, appointment, or education/training. A person accessing a Healthcare Location as a patient, or an art, athletics, entertainment, or other publicly accessible venue at a Location as a member of the public, is not a Covered Individual.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Reasonable Accommodations

The University of California endeavors to make the UCSB Job site (https://jobs.ucsb.edu) accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Katherine Abad in Human Resources at 805-893-4664 or email katherine.abad@hr.ucsb.edu. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Privacy Notification Statement and Notice of Availability of the UCSB Annual Security Report Disclosures

Application Status: If you would like to check the status of your application, please log into the Candidate Gateway where you applied and click on 'My Activities'.