SFFILM

The Bay Area's home for the world's finest films and filmmakers.

Uncategorized > Guest Office Manager

Guest Office Manager

Overview

This position has been filled for the 2024 SFFILM Festival.

The Guest Office Manager is a full time, seasonal position that reports to the Director of Programming and works closely internally with multiple SFFILM roles and departments, and externally with SFFILM Festival guests.

This position will supervise the Guest Office team, which is responsible for all hospitality for visiting guests at the 2024 San Francisco International Film Festival. The individual will help hire and manage a team of individuals to execute the below duties for the spring Guest Office and will be responsible for at least two direct reports in the lead up to the festival (January – May). This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience supporting filmmakers and managing teams and budgets, and interested in developing their skills with the preeminent Bay Area festival.

The Guest Office Manager will partner with the SFFILM Programming department, including the Transportation team, and will work with SFFILM fundraising, operations, education and artist development team members to create an exceptional guest experience during the SFFILM Festival. As a key point of contact for invited SFFILM guests, this role will be expected to work from our SOMA office several days per week depending on department needs. Some night and weekend availability is required, especially during the SFFILM Festival (April 24 – 28).

Application review begins January 4 but will be rolling after that. The ideal start date for this position is mid-January. This position is paid hourly at the rate of $25 per hour and is eligible for overtime. The end date for this role is May 9, 2024.

Responsibilities

  • Provide guest management and hospitality for high-level talent and filmmakers for the SFFILM Festival and ad hoc events in the winter.
  • Supervise all activities of the Guest Office department, including direct management, and allocation of tasks to the Guest Office Assistant Manager and Coordinator for the festival season.
  • Manage department budget, working closely with the Director of Programming (DP) to ensure hospitality expenses remain within scope.
  • With support from DP, collaborate with the Transportation department to ensure smooth overall communication between Guest Office and Transportation for the festival season.
  • Oversee departmental communications for all SFFILM guests, including personal itineraries, updating invitations and welcome letters, creating, and disseminating welcome packs, and overseeing the SFFILM Guest Office Website.
  • Oversee accommodation for all festival guests, including liaising with multiple hotels, assigning accommodations to guests, maintaining master hotel grid, and overseeing airfare reimbursements. 
  • In collaboration with the Development Department, actively contribute to management and billing with Festival Partnership Hotels. 
  • Ensure all event/festival benefits are available to filmmakers as appropriate, assisting with ticket requests and communication with producers/studios/distributors, and ensuring internal holds are efficiently managed. 
  • Manage all guest check-in staffing and workflow for guests for all SFFILM events.
  • Oversee all guest support for Talks as needed at the SFFILM Festival.
  • Revamp and publish the Guest Office Website and keep all information current in the lead up and during the festival.
  • Provide support during Industry Days to Programming and Makers. Industry Days is a two day, in-person event providing networking and panel discussions for 100+ filmmakers. 
  • Oversee Jury accommodations and execute the Jury luncheon. 
  • Create a cohesive wrap report for each position, reconcile all expenses, and close out all accounts. 
  • Work with the Programming Team to ensure Thank Yous are dispatched upon the festival’s conclusion to key constituents.

Qualifications

  • 2+ years of Guest/Artist Relations or Film Festival experience required. 
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Demonstrated experience in budget and staff management required.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Bay Area based

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.

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