Operations Manager

Operations Manager For Music And The Oregon Center For The Arts

Southern Oregon University

POSITION SUMMARY

• Date application must be received for priority consideration by: October 29, 2025
• Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: November 24, 2025
• Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
• Job Family Group: Administrative and Professional
• Division/Department: Academic and Student Affairs / School of Arts and Humanities
• Compensation Range (commensurate with experience): $5,240.16 monthly / $62,881.92 annually mailto:@ 1.0 FTE
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Appointment Basis: 12-month
• Time Type: Full-time
• Benefits Eligible: Yes
• Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration/Temporary: Renewable

Note: This position is partially funded by gifts/grants and should this position experience a loss in funding, a 10% FTE reduction to .90 FTE may apply.

This position must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver License

This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check.

• Lead Work/Supervisory Responsibilities
• Work Location Type: On-campus
• Work Hours: M-F (8:00a – 5:00p), some evening and weekend hours may be required
• Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT

• Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents:
  1. a letter providing some detail of the applicant’s qualifications and interest in the position; and
  2. current resume/CV.
     • PLEASE NOTE – during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled “Resume.” Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
• For inquiries and additional information, please contact Human Resource Services via email at http://hrs@sou.edu/ or by phone at (541)552-8553.
• To view SOU’s very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://hrs.sou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_010125.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://hrs.sou.edu/working-at-sou/search-jobs/total-compensation-calculator/

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This position is a full-time (1.0 FTE), twelve-month unclassified administrative position in the Oregon Center for the Arts (OCA) and the College of Arts & Humanities at Southern Oregon University. General responsibilities consist of management of the Music Recital Hall in the Music Building, management of the OCA Box Office, coordination of the Tutunov Piano Series, and supervision of student staff. Also included is the coordination of the production elements for all university produced and presented music performances. This position is the liaison to the OCA Arts Partners who enjoy the benefits of access to the Music Recital Hall.

This person reports to the Executive Director of the Oregon Center for the Arts/Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities and will work closely with the Business Officer for CAH on all financial and personnel matters. The Operations Manager works in close cooperation with students, staff, faculty, leasing organizations, guest artists, and performers.

Minimum Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree is required (at least two years of additional work experience accepted in lieu of meeting the education requirements).
• Must have a broad background in arts management or event production, including at least two years of managing a staff and production crew for a mid-size event venue.
• Experience streaming and recording live events.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Experience with leasing contracts and billing.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience managing a building and/or a rental theater; knowledge of theatrical lighting systems; electrical training and sound equipment.
• Technical knowledge of electrical, lighting, and sound for live venues.
• Experience supervising student employees.
• Experience working in an institution of higher education.
• A Master’s degree in arts or events management, hospitality, or non-profits.

Essential Functions

Duties – The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive:

(40%) Production and Event Management

• Supervise and facilitate the execution of production requirements for all Music Department performances, recitals, and special events (120+ annually), ensuring resources and support meet the highest artistic standards of the Music Department and OCA.
• Develop annual production schedules in collaboration with faculty and manage the scheduling of rehearsals, load-ins, and performances in the Music Recital Hall.
• Hire, train, and supervise student employees to stage manage, house manage, and operate the OCA Box Office; coordinate ushering staff. Oversee technical operations, including livestreaming, recording, sound, lighting, and staging; ensure equipment is maintained and operated safely and effectively.
• Contribute to OCA leadership discussions on the future direction of performances and artistic presentations.
• Prepare and deliver programs/playbills for SOU Music concerts and the Tutunov Piano Series.

(20%) Box Office and Patron Services

• Direct all box office operations for OCA performances and events, including ticket sales, patron communications, will-call, waitlists, and on-site customer service.
• Ensure accurate financial records and compliance with PCI standards; manage deposits, journal vouchers, and VIP/donor/sponsor tickets.
• Maintain and troubleshoot ticketing software and equipment; ensure adequate supplies and system functionality.
• Support event execution by coordinating with ushers, delivering playbills, and responding promptly to patron inquiries via phone and email.

(20%) Facility and Resource Management

• Serve as building manager for the Music Recital Hall, overseeing maintenance, upgrades, safety, and efficient operation of a multi-million-dollar performance complex.
• Manage inventory of production assets and oversee warehousing and tour packaging as needed.
• Act as primary liaison for OCA Arts Partners, negotiating and administering partnership agreements and external rental contracts.
• Coordinate with SOU Facilities and the OCA Executive Director on maintenance and repair needs, submitting work requests and ensuring timely follow-through.
• Oversee front-of-house and back-of-house safety, equipment upkeep, and compliance with university and industry standards.

(10%) Tutunov Piano Series Administration

• Oversee all aspects of the Tutunov Piano Series (TPS) in consultation with the faculty director and Music Department chair, including scheduling, artist coordination, contracts, payments, travel, accommodations, and onsite support.
• Manage artist relations from initial communications to contract execution, rider fulfillment, and VIP ticket reservations, ensuring a professional and seamless guest experience.
• Collaborate with OCA Marketing & Recruitment Specialist on marketing, publicity, and community outreach; coordinate postcard mailings, rack card distribution, and patron communications.
• Administer patron services for TPS, including ticket sales, subscription seating, livestream access, donor recognition, and accurate database management.
• Develop and monitor the series budget; support sponsorships and donor engagement; collaborate with and prepare reports for the SOU Foundation on ticket sales, income, and donor activity.

(10%) Administrative & Financial Oversight

• Prepare and monitor production, facility, and program budgets; ensure compliance with university fiscal policies and prudent stewardship of resources.
• Oversee contracting for guest artists, external users, and performance rentals, ensuring consistency and fiscal responsibility.
• Collaborate with the Dean/Executive Director and OCA leadership team on strategic planning and long-range artistic initiatives.
• Complete other duties as assigned to support OCA’s mission, SOU’s vision, and the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
• Expressed ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, under pressure of deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
• Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
• Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Willingness to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
• Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to provide training and direction to student assistants.
• Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.

Physical Demands

• Movement needed in order to maintain tools, sets and equipment.
• Ability to climb stairs and work in high spaces.
• Move/transport up to 50 pounds

Special Conditions

• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
• This position classification has been defined as exempt and is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• The person holding this position is considered a mandatory reporter under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
• This position is partially funded by gifts/grants and should this position experience a loss in funding, a 10% FTE reduction to .90 FTE may apply

SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.

Diversity Statement:

Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators, and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

SOU Land Acknowledgement

We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, the discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together – who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (http://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (http://www.ctsi.nsn.us) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

Notice to Prospective Employees

Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the “Clery Act”), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.

An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR) can be accessed at the following link: https://cps.sou.edu/clery-act-annual-security-report/. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy, please visit the Office of the General Counsel located in Churchill Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520. For more information, call 541-552-7095, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.

How to Apply

To apply, please visit: https://apptrkr.com/6652917

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