Patron Services & Database Senior Manager

Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application. Please include detailed information about your experience with Tessitura and box office operations in your resume.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University is seeking a highly motivated and customer-centric individual to support the school’s ticketing and box office operations, including management of the Tessitura database. The position oversees all activities of patron services in coordination with the Director of Marketing and Communications, with the goal of building long-term and sustainable patron relationships and revenue as the school celebrates its 50^th anniversary. 

The Shepherd School of Music hosts over 400 performances each school year and implemented its first ticketing software, Tessitura v16, in August 2023. The school’s 24/25 season includes approximately 30 ticketed performances, including reserved seating and general admission events. Pricing models for performances range from completely free to pay-what-you-wish and standard single tickets. Subscription packages and fundraising efforts are not currently utilized with Tessitura.

The ideal candidate has exceptional ticketing setup and database management knowledge, specifically in a Tessitura environment. The person should be a self-starter who equally enjoys engaging with concertgoers and running the daily operations of a small-scale box office. Someone who is positive, patient, friendly, organized, and detail-oriented will excel in this position. 

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at the Shepherd School of Music. It requires evening and weekend hours, especially during the school year, to oversee box office operations during performances and events. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change. 

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $63,100 to $80,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
• 3+ years of experience using the Tessitura database in a ticketing management/box office and patron services role.
  •  Required Tessitura knowledge: constituent record management, data hygiene, system tables, security, facility builds, price zones, production elements and performances, pricing, modes of sale, TNEW, and advanced ticket order processing.

Skills: 

• Strong knowledge of Tessitura, primarily in ticketing and database management
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including written and oral
• Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions that reinforce or build patron relationships, often requiring the combination of good business judgment and creative problem-solving
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to check one’s own work for accuracy 
• Excellent planning, organizational, and analytical skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage financial, organizational, and staff resources
• Ability to sit or stand at a workstation for up to four hours at a time

Preferences

• At least 5 years of experience in ticketing sales and customer service is preferred. 
• The ideal candidate for this position is passionate about the performing arts. 

Essential Functions

Patron Services & Box Office Management 

• Oversees all patron services and box office activities in coordination with the Director of Marketing and Communications, with the goal of building long-term, sustainable patron relationships and revenue. 
• Devises and implements ticketing policies, procedures, and programs encouraging patron retention and loyalty at the Shepherd School.
• Manages onsite box office operations for all Shepherd School performances.
• Provides excellent customer service for ticket holders by professionally directing and managing ticket ordering, processing and fulfillment, phone and message inquiries, and phone message lines.
• Recommends actions and resolves patron issues, carefully managing overall satisfaction quickly and courteously.
• Works closely with the Shepherd leadership and fundraising team to manage donor and VIP ticket requests.
• Acts as a collaborative thought partner in reviewing patron communications related to Shepherd School performances. 
• Prepares and reviews financial ticket sales reports, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.

Tessitura Database Management

• Independently manages the administration of all aspects of Tessitura, including season, event, pricing, and offer setup.
• Serves as an advisor to all Tessitura users by onboarding and training Shepherd School staff users.
• Creates and upholds processes and procedures that ensure data integrity. 
• Facilitates a weekly data import/export custom process between Tessitura and OwlConnect/Blackbaud, Rice University’s software for fundraising activity. 
• Oversees the interpretation, implementation, and compliance with policies and regulations, including ADA-compliant ticketing practices and PCI compliance.
• Stays current on all updates and advancements in Tessitura capabilities, looking for ways to improve patronage and administrative efficiency.
• Performs system/database upgrades as needed, including ticket scanners and printers.

Additional Functions

• Provides Tessitura functionality expertise to support users in the design and execution of lists, extractions, output sets, and analytic dashboards.
• Monitors sales activity and makes recommendations to the Director of Marketing and Communications about revenue opportunities and inventory management practices.
• Partners with the marketing and communications team to streamline and test the TNEW purchase path for ticketing.
• Assists the marketing and communications team in promoting Shepherd School performances and activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.