Senior Director of Ticketing & Customer Service 

Position Profile

About The Opportunity

The Senior Director of Ticketing & Customer Service for the Metropolitan Opera drives policy, standards, and accountability for a world-class customer service operation of over 40 staff and works as a critical member of the Sales & Marketing team to achieve the organization’s earned and contributed revenue goals. The Met seeks an individual who can continue its long history of exceptional customer relations across all Met performances and offerings, including ticket and subscription sales for performances at the Metropolitan Opera House, worldwide customer service for Live in HD, digital products and platforms, donor relations, merchandise ecommerce, and more.
 
The successful individual will understand the diverse, complex, and rewarding nature of collaborating within a world-class 21st century arts organization, while being prepared to evolve practices and policies to serve an ever-changing audience base. They will need the motivation and nuanced leadership acumen to own and drive complex projects while building buy-in and ensuring long-term success. The Senior Director of Ticketing & Customer Service leads a large operation of skilled customer service and order fulfillment professionals responsible for handling over $80 million in annual box office revenue, and annual attendance of 650,000. A commitment to the ongoing development of this team and its individual members is of the utmost importance, along with an ability to stay abreast of cutting-edge developments in technology and customer experience to ensure the operations are evolving apace.

About The Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented singers, conductors, composers, musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers from around the world.  Each season the Met stages approximately 200 opera performances in New York. More than 650,000 people attend the performances in the opera house during the season, and millions more experience the Met through new media distribution initiatives and state-of-the-art technology.

Since the summer of 2006, Peter Gelb has been the Met’s General Manager—the 16th in company history. Under his leadership, the Met has elevated its theatrical standards by engaging the most imaginative directors working in theater and opera and has launched a series of initiatives to broaden its reach internationally. These efforts to win new audiences prominently include the successful Live in HD series of high-definition performance transmissions to movie theaters around the world, as well as opening the house to school children for free dress rehearsals. Other audience initiatives include annual holiday family presentations; a Rush Ticket Program offering discounted orchestra seats for $25; expanded editorial offerings in Met publications, on the web, and through broadcasts; and new public programs that provide greater access to the Met.  When Yannick Nézet-Séguin assumed the role of Music Director in September 2018, he became just the third maestro to occupy this position in company history.

About The Position

The Senior Director of Ticketing & Customer Service is a critical member of the Sales & Marketing team and provides leadership of the Customer Service team in carrying out all functions in the most efficient way possible. The Director is responsible for maximizing the use of Tessitura across the organization and overseeing the team that provides direct application support, focusing on a CRM strategy that maximizes sales and donations through analysis of customer insights. The role directly supervises: Director, Call Center & Donor Relations; Director, Tessitura Systems Support; Subscription Services Manager; Director, Revenue Processing & Data Entry; and Special Services Manager.  

Duties and Responsibilities
 
Leadership

• Lead the Customer Care team in serving every customer efficiently, with a focus on maximizing ticket sales and donation revenue to achieve the Met’s institutional goals.
• Provide Met audience members across all performances and programs with an exceptional customer service experience.
• Ensure that the Customer Care team is equipped with the necessary tools to carry out their core functions, and communicate information about all current Met performances, programs, and activities.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the Marketing team and members of Local 210 (Call Center), as well as a key liaison with Local 751 (Box Office). 
• Design and facilitate regular collaborative communication between Customer Care and fellow Met departments.
• Determine ongoing needs of both team and individuals to continue to develop in their professional capacities.
 
Technology & Applications
 
• Manage support of the Tessitura application, including support of external users, such as third-party ticketing partners and consultants.
• Lead the Application Support team to address organizational needs, prioritize requests, and implement standard and required changes and modifications.
• Test and go live with all new Tessitura application releases.
• Encourage utilization of on-going training programs using network resources.
• Partner with web team to optimize the digital experience, including ecommerce functionality, tech-enabled customer care, and systems integration.
• Work with web vendors and internal website team to implement project changes for annual ticketing programs.

Customer Service Policy & Training
 
• Design and implement customer-centric policies that ensure optimal service and efficiency for both Met audience and staff.
• Manage customer relationships, problem resolution, and deliver service to the internal and external customer base for the Met, American Ballet Theatre (ABT), and rentals.
• Identify opportunities to enhance processes and procedures within the department.
• Create and implement systems to address and resolve instances of customer friction or dissatisfaction.
• Serve as the internal ambassador for audience members, constantly aiming to improve service from all departments.
• Develop comprehensive plans for training the entire customer care staff.
• Support organizational Tessitura training.
 
Order Fulfillment: Ticketing, Membership, and Subscription
 
• Manage the staff directly responsible for fulfilling ticket orders from inception to fulfillment and delivery for the Met, ABT, and rentals.
• Work with the Marketing Department and Box Office to ensure that ticket fulfillment processing is being carried out smoothly and efficiently.
• Coordinate interdepartmental processes in order to ensure smooth workflows.
• Ensure that end-to-end subscriber ticketing experience (including processing, seating, and changes) is carried out smoothly.
• Ensure sound processes for all data entry of membership gifts and ticket orders, while ensuring consistent constituent records and high data integrity.
 
Inbound Customer Care
 
• Work with the Call Center and Donor Relations Director to properly implement all marketing programs and ticket sales plans for Met, ABT, and rentals. 
• Ensure that all Inbound Call Center representatives receive materials and project plans for any new initiatives.
• Analyze calling patterns, review statistics, recommend upselling incentive programs, and verify the department is adequately staffed to meet organizational goals.
 
Other Responsibilities
 
• Participate in new system development and procedure design and implementation.
• Work on special projects, i.e. Met Opera app, Met Opera On Demand integration, Live in HD, etc.
• Collaborate with various departments on projects as needed.
• Provide auditor with all audit requests and make necessary adjustments to process to conform to audit requirements.
• Review and evaluate all customer order forms and marketing mailing pieces and identify areas for improvement.
• Create procedures that will provide other departments with productive information.
• Manage Pay and Non-pay department budgets.
• Make process recommendations as required.
 
Required Qualifications 
 
The experience requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability required to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. The physical demands and work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
Experience and Characteristics
 
• 7-10 years of supervisory experience with a large, high producing, customer-focused team.
• Skills in negotiating between multiple stakeholders, and ability to advocate for change while honoring current processes to build buy-in and ensure success.
• Excellent organizational skills, and an ability to institute organizational systems that span a large department.
• Complete understanding of Tessitura and all its modules/business processes.
• Excellent interpersonal and written skills required.
• Ability to multi-task.
 
Physical Demands / Work Environment

• Requires evening and weekend availability for system troubleshooting.

A Note from Tom O’Connor Consulting Group:
 
Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet, women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.
 
We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you’re returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.
 
Please use your cover letter to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role.

Compensation

The Metropolitan Opera offers competitive compensation, with a salary range expected between $160,000-180,000 and a benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, and life insurance; a 403(b)-retirement plan; flexible spending, health care, and dependent care account; transit benefits; paid-time-off and holidays.

Application Instructions

The search for the Senior Director of Ticketing & Customer Service is being conducted on behalf of The Metropolitan Opera by Tom O'Connor Consulting Group, a New York-based executive search and consulting firm specializing in the arts and culture industries. Rachel LeFevre-Snee is leading the search process in consultation with Tom O’Connor, reporting to Met Opera leadership.
 
To apply, visit the online application (https://tinyurl.com/yc58rsxd) and submit your materials. Please use your cover letter to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role, and how your background and experience responds to the desired skills and qualities.
 
The priority application deadline for this search is February 14, 2025. Applications received by this date will be given priority consideration, but we encourage you not to wait until the last moment, as we may begin interviews before this date. While we will still accept and consider applications received after this date, we encourage you to apply as early as possible for the best chance at being considered for the position. Please note that meeting the priority deadline does not guarantee an interview. No phone calls, please.