Office Administrator

The Vancouver Recital Society (VRS) began presenting recitals in the fall of 1980. Early performances were held at the Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island and, in 1984, the organization moved its presentations to the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre. Today, the VRS presents concerts at the Vancouver Playhouse, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia and, for presentations of artists with particularly widespread appeal, the Orpheum Theatre.

The Recital Series, which runs from September through May, has been a mainstay in the cultural life of Vancouver since its earliest days. Offering the best in classical music to audiences of all ages, the VRS is committed to nurturing the development of the next generation of artists and classical music enthusiasts by providing access to unique concert experiences, learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of professional musicians.

In an organization as small as the VRS (small in size, not in stature or ambition), we are all called on from time to time to do a little bit of everything, which keeps us all fresh and on our toes! However, the official scope of the Office Administrator will be to ensure that the VRS’s day-to-day operations run smoothly, in addition to providing critical support to the Box Office Manager during peak periods and supporting fundraising, marketing and administrative activities throughout the season.

More specifically, the position is responsible for:

Responsibilities:

FUNDRAISING:

1. Supporting grant writing and reporting activities for current funders (government & foundation);
2. Researching new funding avenues (grants, foundation support & sponsorship);
3. Assembling regular Annual Fund mailings to subscribers and donors, based on their previously established giving schedules. This will involve printing letters for signature and collating them with reply cards for mailing;
4. Processing donations, issuing tax receipts and generating thank you letters;
5. Generating donor lists for inclusion in concert programs;
6. Responding to inquiries and supporting donor relations activities.

OFFICE MANAGEMENT:

1. Maintaining VRS accounts with regular vendors including (but not limited to): Staples, Canada Post, AutomationOne (photocopier), etc.
2. Managing office supplies and liaising with printers for the purposes of ordering stationary;
3. Database maintenance - maintaining integrity of data within our database system – regular checks & updates of information stored;
4. Maintenance of filing systems;
5. Support for the VRS Board and committees;
6. Assisting with content management on the VRS website.

OUTREACH:

1. Coordination of outreach activities (with the support of production and artistic staff) which involves connecting with local schools to facilitate Classics for Kids School concerts and working with our partners at the Vancouver Public Library to organize Music for Munchkins performances.

BOX OFFICE & PRODUCTION SUPPORT:

1. Providing superior service. The Office Administrator will be trained in our current ticketing system (Theatre Manager) and new system (Spektrix) so that they are able to (along with all other staff) serve patrons when they call to purchase their tickets, gift certificates, make donations or ask questions;
2. In due course, support the Box Office Manager in end-of-day reconciliation and reporting;
3. Support the Box Office & Production Manager in matters relating to production for each concert. This may include making flight or hotel bookings, arranging rehearsal schedules, organizing piano tuning, piano moving and/or helping artists generally navigate their time in Vancouver.

AND THE PREDICTABLE “other duties as required”.

As a small organization, we are all expected to jump in, roll up our sleeves and do what is necessary to get the job done. You never know where the next great idea will come from; we are a collaborative organization and believe that more heads and more ideas are better than one.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate is a patient team player who thrives in a service-oriented environment and enjoys engaging with the public (both in person and over the phone). Experience working with a CRM (specifically TheatreManager and/or Spektrix) would be viewed as a great asset though not a requirement. Proficiency with the Microsoft suite of programs (OneDrive, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint), as well as WordPress will also be viewed favourably, and an eagle-eye for detail would be an enormous advantage.

This is a full-time position. Evening and weekend work (mostly Sunday afternoons) is required for VRS presentations. In exchange for your great work ethic and good nature, we offer a flexible work environment, with the option to work from home at least once or twice a week (depending on the time of year), and we do our best to offset any additional hours worked for concerts, master classes or particularly hectic times of the year, with time off in lieu and an extended winter holiday break (which does not count against vacation time). In addition, we offer extended benefits, RRSP matching and an informal and fun work environment.

How to Apply:

Please send a resume and cover letter to Sara Getz by 5pm on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Applications can be sent by email to: sara@vanrecital.com. We are grateful to all those who take the time to assemble and submit an application, but please know that we will only be contacting those selected for an interview.

Remuneration:

The starting salary for this position is $52,747.