Position: House Manager

Reports to: Production Manager

Supervises: Front-of-House Volunteer team

Status: Per-production engagement, $20 per hour

Location: Loudoun County, Virginia (venues vary by production)

Schedule: Per-production: planning, performance week, debrief

About Loudoun Lyric Opera

Founded in 2007, Loudoun Lyric Opera (LLO) is the resident opera company of Loudoun County in Northern Virginia. LLO’s core mission is to engage, enrich, and inspire our community through intimate and compelling vocal performances. Loudoun Lyric Opera is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Loudoun Lyric Opera is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Position Summary

The House Manager owns the patron experience from the moment doors open until the last patron leaves. As LLO’s on-site lead for front-of-house operations, the House Manager recruits and trains a team of FOH volunteers, builds the run sheet for each performance, partners with the Production Stage Manager on hold and release, manages box office and accessibility coordination, and handles patron incidents with discretion and composure. The role reports to the Production Manager and is the single point of accountability for everything that happens on the audience side of the house.

This is a per-production engagement, stipended at a flat rate covering planning, performance week, and post-production debrief. It is well-suited to candidates with arts administration, hospitality management, or theater operations experience who are looking for project-based work on a meaningful community arts program.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Production Planning (3 to 6 weeks before opening)

• Recruit, schedule, and confirm the FOH volunteer team for each performance, working from LLO’s standing volunteer roster and bringing in additional volunteers as needed
• Conduct site visits at the production venue to confirm patron pathways, ADA seating, restrooms, late-seating positions, and emergency exits
• Build the FOH run sheet for the production, including station assignments, timing benchmarks (call, doors, hold, places), late-seating policy, and intermission flow
• Coordinate with the General & Artistic Director on box office logistics including will-call lists, comp tickets, press tickets, and donor seating
• Coordinate with venue staff on house rules, alcohol service (if applicable), parking, signage placement, and emergency procedures
• Confirm that programs, signage, donation cards, and any merchandise are ready for FOH distribution

Performance Week

• Hold a brief orientation with the FOH volunteer team before opening night, covering the run sheet, venue specifics, accessibility plan, and incident protocols
• Confirm a working channel of communication with the Production Manager and Stage Manager for hold and release decisions
• Verify that ticket scanning, will-call materials, and program inventory are in place at each call

Performance Calls

• Arrive in advance of FOH call, conduct a walkthrough of the house, and post FOH staff at their assigned stations
• Lead the FOH briefing at call
• Manage the doors-open sequence and patron flow through the lobby, will-call, and seating
• Work with the Production Manager/Stage Manager on the hold-and-release call for curtain and subsequent act(s)
• Enforce late-seating policies with consistency and discretion
• Serve as the primary responder for patron concerns, accessibility requests, and incidents (medical, behavioral, lost children, etc.); escalate to the Production Manager or 911 as appropriate
• Manage intermission flow, including restrooms, concessions, donation tables, and re-seating before subsequent act(s)
• After the show, walk the house, account for FOH volunteers, and confirm the venue is left in the agreed condition

Post-Production

• Submit a brief written report to the Production Manager covering attendance flow, incidents, accessibility experiences, volunteer performance, and recommendations for the next production
• Provide thank-yous and any agreed-upon recognition (programs, comps, letters) for the volunteer team
• Reconcile any FOH inventory (programs, donation cards, merchandise) with the Production Manager
• Participate in a brief post-mortem with the Production Manager and General & Artistic Director to feed lessons learned into the next production cycle

Qualifications

Required

• Prior experience supervising staff or volunteers, ideally in a performing arts, hospitality, or events context
• Strong organizational and planning skills, comfortable building schedules, run sheets, and contact lists
• Calm, professional presence under pressure, with sound judgment in unexpected situations
• Excellent interpersonal communication; able to give clear direction to volunteers and to handle patron concerns with discretion
• Comfort with technology, including ticketing platforms, basic spreadsheets, and email-based volunteer coordination (Experience with Airtable, SignUp Genius, and/or ThunderTix preferred)
• Reliable transportation to venues across Loudoun County and the surrounding region
• Availability for the full performance run of each engaged production, plus pre-production planning and post-production debrief

Preferred

• Background in arts administration, theater operations, or front-of-house management
• Familiarity with regional venues
• Knowledge of ADA accommodations and best practices in audience accessibility
• Current first-aid or CPR certification
• Familiarity with classical music, opera, or vocal music programming

Time Commitment & Compensation

• Per-production engagement: approximately 25 to 30 total hours per production, depending on the scale and number of performances
• Roughly half of those hours are pre-production planning and volunteer coordination; the remainder are performance calls and post-production debrief
• Compensation: flat per-production stipend of $20 per hour

Working Relationships

• Reports to: Production Manager
• Coordinates regularly with: Production Manager, venue staff, and the General & Artistic Director as needed
• Supervises: Front-of-House Volunteer team for the engaged production

How to Apply

Please submit the following:

• A current résumé or a brief summary of relevant experience, containing two professional references
• A headshot and short bio that we may use for social media and website (we want our audiences to know you before they see you!)
• A short cover letter describing why this role interests you.

Pay: $20.00 per hour

Benefits

• Flexible schedule

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Leesburg, VA