OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Position Overview

Full Frame is one of the premiere documentary film festivals in the world, bringing excellence and prestige to the Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University and Durham. The Operations Director is a year-round position that reports to the Co-Festival Director. This position is responsible for the creation and implementation of annual ticket and pass operations strategy, manages the technical needs of the screening venues and executes technical vendor contracts, and creates and communicates master operations schedules. The Operations Director plays a crucial role in the guests and attendee experience by managing the relationships and coordinating the operations for hotel rooms, transportation vendors and schedules, evaluating the flow of people throughout the festival landscape.

Work Performed

(40%) Festival – General

• Create detailed written run of show for all festival events, known as the "Red Book.”  This crucial document outlines the individual plan for each festival event, including venue details, stage directions,  participating guests, technical specifications, reserved seats, emergency procedures, and other event-impacting information.

• Create, continually evaluate, and direct master Festival operations schedules: determining dates and deadlines for projects, tasks, deliverables, sponsor and vendor outreach, seasonal staff recruitment, benchmarking, and division of labor.

• Negotiate and contract all arrangements with local hotels to reserve blocks of rooms for all out-of-town festival participants including tech teams, filmmakers, staff,  and venue managers. All hotel arrangements result in a combination of in-kind, cash, and discounted contracts.

• Build and cultivate relationships with ground transportation vendors and negotiate contracts with rental companies, public bus (DATA), and others.

• Negotiate and contract with leading national content delivery and video technology services companies to determine equipment and technical needs and pertinent logistical information for all Full Frame venues, including negotiating in-kind support from vendors.

• Stage manage key events during the festival, such as the Opening Night Film and other events with extended post-film conversations, acting as a point of contact for guests and developing a run of show for Venue Managers.

• Troubleshoot issues that arise onsite and provide senior level customer service to festival participants.

(35%) Tickets I Passes

• Responsible for conception, development, implementation, and analysis of all ticketing and pass strategies each season, including price points of ticketing and packages to ensure the best experience for customers. Maintain a strong collaboration with Duke University Box Office to create policies, protocol, methodology, deadlines, and overall strategies for best consumer experience, and analyzes cost-benefit for the Festival.

• Responsible for daily analysis and reporting on progress of pass and ticket sales from conception of revenue model through confirmation of receipt.

• Analyzes and provide event updates on all pertinent details regarding deadlines, sales, departmental allotments (passes, tickets, invitations, etc.), and box office developments.

• Build and update all comp lists and points of contact for corporate sponsors, donors, and VIPs, including fulfillment and distribution of comp passes and tickets.

• Oversee onsite festival registration and box office, including open hours, table layout, staffing and volunteers, and polices related to pass collection and ticket redemption.

• Design seating line maps for all screenings to effectively move attendees onsite during the event, including creating back up plans for inclement weather that account for fire codes and other space constraints. Determine safety evacuation routes for festival venues with vendors and communicate plans to participating staff.

(10%) Festival -Tech

• Manage the film presentation in each venue, including assessment and evaluation of each venue's characteristics to match film format specifications. Manage the setup for audio and lighting for all film introductions and panel discussions to maximize attendee experience.

• Recruit, supervise, and evaluate technical crew and venue teams for all theatrical venues. The position must be able to evaluate and assess venues for this highest level of festival standard, and adjust crews, venues, lighting, audio and other technology accordingly.

• Develop and implement comprehensive festival rundown strategy for all Full Frame staff, tech teams, venue teams, including, but not limited to: Carolina Theatre staff, Convention Center cinemas, the Armory, Durham Central Park and Durham Arts Council.

(10%) Seasonal Staff / Volunteers

• Hire, direct, and evaluate Volunteer Coordinator in regards to recruitment, training, and coordination of festival volunteers (approximately 200 volunteers).
• In conjunction with Artistic Director, hire, train, and manage the seasonal Artist Services Manager.
• Recruit, hire, train and supervise seasonal staffing relevant to Operation Director duties, including ticketing, technical, lodging and transportation, VIP team, and outreach team.

(5%) Budgets I Reports

• Management and account for all relevant operations expenditures (budget of approximately $250,000 in equipment, stipends, room rentals, fees, goods and services), from conception through reporting and reconciliation.

• Fulfill requests for logistical reporting for grant reports, board meetings, and assorted presentations of event details and metrics.

• Conceptualize, write and deliver a comprehensive Festival debrief report that includes: actuals, evaluation of proposed objectives, and analysis of future proposals.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training

Work requires communications; analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree program.

Experience

At least four years of experience in special events logistics and execution or a related field in order to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate and execute conference and event services for a university.

Skills

N/A

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires communications; analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree program.

Experience

At least four years of experience in special events logistics and execution or a related field in order to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate and execute conference and event services for a university.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.