SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION:                    Guest Office Manager

DEPARTMENT:            Programming

LOCATION:                   SFFILM Office, San Francisco

SUMMARY:                 

The Guest Office Manager supervises the budget and department responsible for all communication and arrangements for visiting guests at the SF International Film Festival (including filmmakers, speakers, industry, and jury). Must have excellent communication skills, as well as experience in guest/artist relations, budget management, and staff oversight. Film festival experience is required.

This is a full-time temporary role from February 14 – May 10, paid at an hourly rate. This role has the expectation of some overtime pre-festival, with a high volume of overtime expected during the SFFILM Festival (April 21-May 1).

Covid-19 Safety: Seasonal staff at the 2022 SFFILM Festival may be required to engage in public-facing roles and thus are required to provide proof of vaccination for employment.

Remote Work Accommodation: Seasonal staff are expected to be based in the Bay Area, however if your contract begins before March 1, 2022, SFFILM may be able to accommodate fully remote work prior to that date. Remote work policies are subject to change based on city and state recommendations around COVID-19 safety.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

●      Supervises all activities of the Guest Office department, including managing and allocation of tasks to Filmmaker Liaison(s) and Guest Office Assistants.

●      Manage department budget, working closely with the Director of Programming, to ensure hospitality expenses remain within budget.

●      Oversee communications for all festival guests, including personal itineraries, updating invitations and welcome letters, creating and disseminating welcome packs, and overseeing SFFILM Guests website.

●      Oversee accommodation for all festival guests, including liaising with multiple hotels, assigning accommodations to guests, maintaining master hotel grid, and overseeing airfare reimbursements.

●      Ensure all festival benefits are available to filmmakers, assisting with ticket requests and communication with producers/studios/distributors, and overseeing internal holds are efficiently managed.

●      Manage all guest check-in for the duration of the festival.

●      Project Manage Industry Days on behalf of Programming with support from other departments. Industry Days is a two day in-person event providing networking and panel discussions for 100+ filmmakers.

●      Oversees the creation and dissemination of Industry Delegate Guide

●      Ensure representatives from Programming or Guest Office are present for screenings with guests in attendance to liaison between Guests, Programmers, Theater Operations, and other Staff.

●      Work with the Development team on hospitality partnerships and guest-related in-kind donations and with the Transportation department to ensure smooth overall communication between Guest Office and Transportation.

●      Support Tech Manager to schedule virtual events throughout the festival.

●      Works with the Special Events Manager and Development to manage guest invitations to receptions, dinners, and other guest hospitality.

●      Ensure full reconciliation of expenses for the Guest Office are completed before the end of contract, along with a complete wrap report.

●      Work with the Programming Team to ensure Thank Yous are dispatched upon the festival’s conclusion to key constituents.

EXPERIENCE/SKILLS REQUIRED:

●      Excellent communication skills.

●      Experience in budget and staff management.

●      Ability to juggle multiple tasks and competing timelines.

●      Excellent decision-making and creative problem-solving skills.

●      Ability to be welcoming and comfortable interacting with people with vastly different backgrounds and roles.

●      Previous Guest/Artist Relations or Film Industry experience; Film Festival experience required.

●      Proficient in Microsoft Office suite and experienced in database usage (FilemakerPro preferred).

●      Proficient in Squarespace website creation and management.

●      Knowledge of foreign languages is a plus.

SUPERVISION:

This position reports to Director of Programming

FULL-TIME PERMANENT                ______                                      Start date: 2/14/2022 (some flexibility in start date possible)

FULL-TIME TEMPORARY                ___x__                                       End date: 5/10/2022

PART-TIME PERMANENT               ______                                                                        

PART-TIME TEMPORARY                ______          

CONTRACTOR                               _______                        

SFFILM is proud to be part of a wider film festival circuit and shares many seasonal staff with other festivals. We have been paying close attention to conversations and feedback from film festival staff directly and via social media. We have created policies and practices that address these concerns including increasing hourly rates and providing overtime, abiding by a Code of Conduct since 2018, and creating more flexible remote work policies to prioritize staff health and safety during COVID-19.

SFFILM is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in both its internal management and external programming. Since 2018, the organization has actively been working in collaboration with two Advisory Boards focused on accessibility and inclusivity and officially began work with a DEI consultant in 2019 to further invest in and build on that work. Candidates are invited to discuss their interest and involvement in DEAI practices in their cover letter, and ask us more about our DEAI process in their interview.

SFFILM, in accordance with federal and state law, is an equal-opportunity employer. SFFILM does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy/childbirth, medical condition, disability, age, ancestry, marital status, citizenship or veteran status. This nondiscrimination policy covers all candidates, staff members, interns, and volunteers.