Description

SUMMARY:

The Dance Center Operations Assistant provides essential on-site operational support, serving as a first point of contact for all inquiries, managing access to the facility, ensuring the space is welcoming for all, and working to support programs at the Dance Center, which celebrate diversity in a fully inclusive working and learning environment. MMDG is looking for a team player; someone personable, patient, friendly, responsive, and focused on providing a high standard of customer service for all MMDG constituents. The Dance Center Operations Assistant joins a team who works together to create a vital bridge across the Artistic, Education, Operations and Facilities Departments and joins the organization at a pivotal moment as the Dance Group reimagine how we operate and embodies our core values and welcomes back our community.

The Mark Morris Dance Group has invested resources and time in developing health and safety policies and procedures to minimize risk to its employees and community. This position directly supports these efforts and therefore candidates must be comfortable upholding safety and security protocols. Visit our website to review our complete Safety Plan.

 The successful candidate will join a community of dedicated arts and administrative professionals who are propelled by Mark Morris’s commitment to artistic excellence, access to the arts, and the impact that the arts have in connecting and engaging communities. MMDG is committed to ongoing and sustained equity and inclusion work. All staff are expected to be actively engaged and dedicated to upholding our core values of celebrating our diverse community, pursuing excellence in all that we do, advancing access, exposure, and opportunity to dance and music, and cultivating creativity. Learn more about MMDG’s commitment to anti-racism and our core values.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:

• Oversee entering and exiting at the Dance Center; managing the health screening and check-in process for all employees and visitors; communicate entry/exit policies to visitors in advance; monitor the CCTV; greet all arrivals and provide wayfinding support
• Open and/or close the building (depending on schedule)
• Uphold and enforce Dance Center policies, including COVID-19-related capacity restrictions, MMDG’s community agreement, and lobby and studio policies
• Work with the facilities team to respond to requests from studio users (faculty, staff, renters) including inquiries regarding but not limited to temperature, resources, maintenance, cleaning and equipment
• Serve as fire safety personnel and assist in the event of an emergency at the Dance Center
• Document and report injuries and medical emergencies, occurrences of trespassing, theft, disrupting or violent activity and any other health or safety related issues that occur at the Dance Center
• Field inquiries about MMDG and Dance Center programs (School, Adult, Rental, Dance for PD, Wellness Center, Community Education) by phone, ZenDesk CMS, and in-person, serving as a liaison between students, renters and administrative staff
• Support registration needs for Education and Community Engagement programming; register and check participants into class utilizing MindBody and Active Network software; communicate specifics around genres offered, class structure, format, and educational philosophy; transfer and cancel registrations and provide refunds upon request in alignment with registration policies; update saved cards on file
• Provide on-site technical support for the use of in-studio filming/streaming equipment and sound systems; email links to students signed up for online classes daily
• Serve as a liaison for on-site faculty and address questions and concerns in the moment whenever possible
• Manage display of print pieces at the Dance Center; ensure displays are neat; request additional pieces when stock is low
• Accept and distribute incoming mail and packages to the Dance Center

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

• $18 per hour
• Benefits package includes: Paid vacation (40 hours/year), sick leave (up to 20 hours/year), holidays and bonus days; Pre-tax Commuter benefit
• Access to free and discounted classes at the Dance Center and online
• Access to special events and MMDG performances (when available)
• Invitations to cultural events extended to other staff members by community partners

 APPLICATIONS:

• Applications accepted through our website – mmdg.org/jobs
• Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
• Incomplete submissions will not be considered.
• You will be asked to submit the following as part of your online application:
  • 1-page Cover Letter addressed to Elise Gaugert, Director of Events and Venue Operations answering the questions listed below.
  • Complete résumé highlighting relevant experience
• The cover letter should include answers to each of the following questions:
  • Why are you interested in working at the Mark Morris Dance Group?
  • The Dance Center Operations Assistant will be called upon to manage safety and security protocols and work directly with the public. What relevant skills and experiences would you bring to this work?
  • MMDG is a values-driven organization; please review our core values of Community, Excellence, Creativity, and Access and discuss two instances in your professional career where you have demonstrated at least one of them.

Please note that all 1st round candidate interviews will be conducted by video using the Zoom (https://zoom.us/) video communications application. Please download the application in advance and have a functioning camera and speaker on your device. MMDG can also provide candidates with reasonable accommodations, if needed.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or veteran status. It is the policy of MMDG to comply with all the relevant and applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). MMDG does not discriminate against any qualified employees or job applicants with respect to any terms, privileges, or conditions of employment because of a person’s physical or mental disability. MMDG makes reasonable accommodation wherever necessary for all employees or applicants with disabilities, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the duties and assignments connected with the job and provided that any accommodations made do not require significant difficulty or expense.

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY

The internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has received “highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity.” (Bloomberg News). Founded in 1980, the Dance Group performs the repertory of choreographer Mark Morris, hailed as the “the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical” (The New York Times), whose work is acclaimed for its ingenuity, musicality, wit, and humanity. Live music and community engagement are vital components of the Dance Group. It has toured with its own musicians, the MMDG Music Ensemble, since 1996, and regularly collaborates with orchestras and opera companies around the world. In addition to 16 full-time dancers, the organization currently employs 34 full-time staff and 75 part-time staff, teaching artists, and musicians.

In the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District, the Mark Morris Dance Center, founded in 2001, is the hub of dance and music education in Brooklyn. The nine-studio building provides affordable classes in multiple genres for people of all ages, levels, with and without disabilities, accompanied by live music. The studios, a performance space, a Wellness Center, and ancillary spaces are all available to the community and to nonprofit organizations at subsidized rates. MMDG’s Community Education Programs partner with public and private schools and community centers to provide customized classes. MMDG also offers customized dance workshops for persons with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers in 10 locations in all 5 boroughs.

 MMDG programs in NYC and worldwide engage over 100,000 people annually. Propelled by core values of community, access, excellence, and creativity, MMDG is committed to ongoing equity, diversity, and inclusion work to ensure its programs are welcoming and accessible to all.

Requirements

YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE IF YOU:

• Have Strong Interpersonal Skills: You love talking to people and can communicate with MMDG’s wide ranging constituency.
• Have Patience and Grace in Spades: You can be firm on policies and procedures but flexible in managing people and relationships.
• Are a Team Player: You work well as a member of a group. You take ownership for the responsibilities you hold while also collaborating with your colleagues.
• Love the Performing Arts and Our Work: You find joy in creating community around a shared appreciation for dance and music and you genuinely appreciate the ways in which we pursue excellence in all that we do, celebrate our diverse community, advance access, exposure and opportunity to dance and music, and cultivate creativity.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 2+ years of customer service experience

• An understanding of and interest in the New York dance field and cultural sector
• Superb attention to detail and demonstrate excellent time management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (English required, additional languages a plus)

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite/Google Drive
• Experience working with MindBody, EMS, Authorize.net, and/or Active a plus

• Extremely timely, reliable and dedicated to your work

• Compliance with MMDG COVID-19 Safety Plan and Vaccination Policy

YOU MUST AGREE TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED TRAINING UPON HIRE (all related expenses covered by MMDG):

• First Aid Certification + refresher courses offered annually
• CPR/AED Certification + refresher courses offered annually
• Dance Center Floor Warden and Fire Guard Safety Training
• FDNY Certificate of Fitness F03 (Place of assembly emergency personnel) + recertification (required every 3 years)
• Bystander / De-escalation Training – offered annually

• COVID-19 related: MMDG COVID19 Safety Plan and Dance Center Health and Safety policies

SCHEDULE: Minimum of four shifts (5+ hours each) per week. Saturdays required. Ability to cover Sundays as needed a plus. Candidates must commit to an ongoing schedule, determined upon hire, and be willing to flex their schedule to provide coverage depending on staffing needs.