Festival House Manager

Overview

Our Mission
SIFF is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit dedicated to the creation of vibrant experiences and spaces that champion film discovery and arts education.

About Us
SIFF is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit dedicated to the creation of vibrant experiences and spaces that champion film discovery and arts education. At SIFF We Value… Partnership, Sustainability, Curiosity, Inclusion, Courage. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice. SIFF is committed to being an anti-racist and anti-oppression organization. We strive to provide an environment that encourages inclusive experiences for all our audiences, volunteers, artists, staff, and greater community.

To create inclusivity and belonging, SIFF expects everyone participating in our events to uphold and embrace this commitment. SIFF has a stated commitment Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ). We believe that our mission-centered work to create and share space for community bears a responsibility to be fiercely inclusive of communities that have long been systematically marginalized and excluded. We are dedicated to improving racial equity within our organization and our community.

Our strategic commitment means that we approach our work through an RESJ “lens,” to ensure we are centering RESJ principles through our work.

The Festival House Manager oversees the operations for assigned screening venue(s) for the 52nd Seattle International Film Festival. Festival House Managers ensure timely screenings and excellent customer service to all SIFF patrons, guests, volunteers, and staff within SIFF’s policies and procedures.

Dates of Employment: Full time, 5/5/2026 to 5/20/2026

Reports to: Festival Operations Manager

Supervisory responsibilities: Festival Volunteers

Compensation: $24/hour

• Responsible for smooth, safe venue operations and patron experiences both outside and inside the venue, ensuring that screenings start on time.
• Manages venue volunteers and staff in a manner that is consistent with SIFF policies, procedures, and standards of customer service.
• Acts as an escalation point for any customer-service issues that arise for both box office and venue operations.
• Liaises with projectionists to ensure proper technical exhibition, and smooth intro and Q&A.
• Maintains awareness of emergency procedures and responsibilities for assigned venue(s), and supports in the event of an emergency.
• Manages balloting procedures, making sure balloting is executed properly.
• Manages the setup and striking of all screening venue signage, furniture, and equipment.
• Oversees the standby line operations including clear communication about timing and potential for getting into the theater and optimization of sales.
• Fills out volunteer, staff or patron incident reports, notifying the Director of Operations of any incidents.
• Completes House Manager reports per screening.
• Completes wrap report by scheduled due date.
• Completes volunteer assessments by due date.
• Other duties as assigned.

• One to two years experience in event management, festivals operations, or venue management required.
• One to two years experience managing volunteers or staff required.
• One to two years customer service experience required.
• Excellent communication skills required.
• Proficiency in Google Suite.
• Experience using File Maker Pro or databases/ticketing systems.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs, with frequent walking and standing throughout daily tasks.
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity.

• Ability to perform well in a stressful situation.
• Ability to stay focused and ensure completion of tasks.
• Ability to lead and motivate a diverse and changing/rotating team.
• Ability to ensure a pleasant patron, volunteer, and staff experience.

• This is a temporary full-time, hourly position.
• This is an FLSA overtime non exempt position (Overtime rates are 1.5x hourly rate).
• This position is not eligible for health or other benefits.
• Access to discounts and passes to some SIFF programming and events hosted by neighboring Arts organizations.

Housing
SIFF provided housing is not available for SIFF 2026. Staff should plan to…