DocLands Guest Services Manager

DocLands Documentary Film Festival

Guest Services Manager

Location: San Rafael, CA (15 minutes North of the Golden Gate Bridge)

Status: Seasonal, full-time

Dates: 3/21/22 – 5/13/22 (Mostly remote, in-person required May 2-9)

Compensation:  $1,200/ week | Total contract $9,600

About the Job:

The Guest Services Manager is responsible for coordinating air and ground travel, accommodations, and festival benefits for assigned DocLands and Environmental Youth Forum guests (including filmmakers, panelists, and special guests). The Guest Services Manager reports to the Director of Operations and interfaces closely with Programming department staff.

About the California Film Institute and DocLands Documentary Film Festival:

CFI supports its mission to celebrate film as art and education by presenting the Mill Valley Film Festival and DocLands Documentary Film Festival, exhibiting year-round at the non-profit Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, and building the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers through CFI Education.

DocLands is a non-competitive, non-juried, inclusive festival that presents an overall Audience Choice award. It’s dedicated to building connections and partnerships that will invigorate the business and art of nonfiction filmmaking. Through public screenings, engaged conversations and grassroots networking events, DocLands aims to build an active, involved and fully supportive community around documentary film. Its organization goals include gender equality and zero waste.

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:

We strive for a culture where people sense like they are valued, can bring their whole selves to work free of oppression, injustice, harassment or discrimination, and that they experience belongingness through a common purpose. We are taking steps to ensure that the California Film Institute is a safe and equitable space for staff members, filmmakers, and audiences alike by incorporating inclusivity, diversity and accessibility measures into our business plan and tangible KPIs to hold ourselves accountable to serve and engage diverse audiences through our work. We are also working to examine racial justice internally in order to drive self-discovery and best inform how we can change practices and utilize our voice and position within the community.

Your Responsibilities:

• Manage individual communication with guests regarding their festival visit and logistics
• Provide an exceptional guest experience
• Maintain guest information in festival database and other shared platforms
• Stay on budget
• Communicate any/all guest, budget, vendor, personnel, or other issues to supervisor before issues arise whenever possible and other key staff as appropriate (eg Director of Programming)
• Work with DocLands and Education programmers to book guest air travel
• Work with DocLands and Education programmers to ascertain and track all travel and accommodation expenses, itineraries, and details in the festival database
• Match guests with housing, notify guests of housing arrangements, and provide lists of guests to properties
• Arrange ground transportation for Festival guests to/from airports, hotels, screenings, and events.
• Provide updated lists of attendees to all necessary DocLands departments regularly
• Work with Box Office to fulfill ticket requests for filmmakers
• Work with Development department to fulfill sponsor and donor needs
• Work with DLs and Education programmers to provide an accurate list of festival guests to Operations Manager for guest credentials
• Create and deliver all welcome packets for guests
• Work with DLs and Education programmers to create individual itineraries for welcome packets
• Attend related events and screenings as required
• When necessary, be at theater screenings to greet guests and facilitate a smooth on-site experience including informing theater staff about seating needs, handling tickets, etc.
• Facilitate filmmaker introductions to Executive Director and Programming Director
• Oversee guests’ experiences while at the Festival and be available to answer guest phone calls
• Arrive to work on time daily, and manage work and hours to end work at a reasonable time each night
• Submit a detailed Wrap Report before contract end date and participate in post-festival wrap meeting
• Commit to being safe and respectful with all staff, guests, vendors, etc.
• Any related administrative tasks as required

Our ideal candidate has:

• Must have 1-2 years experience working film festivals both large and small.
• Thrives working independently and on a team
• Ability to create an amazing guest experience
• Superb organizational, communication, and administrative skills
• Detailed, disciplined, and thorough with a professional appearance and demeanor
• Communicates openly and consistently with manager and other key festival staff
• Strong computer skills, with thorough knowledge of Excel, Word, FileMaker Pro, Google Apps
• Grace and calm under pressure; positive, can-do attitude
• Strong managerial and leadership skills
• Proven skill with driving and meeting deadlines
• Excellent customer service and public interaction skills
• Ability to work within a budget prioritizing expenditures
• Ability to manage time effectively and bring projects to completion despite conflicting deadlines
• Able to manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines.
• Must have own transportation, own smart-phone, able to work nights and weekends as necessary.

To apply, please submit:

Your resume including two references

Cover letter

CFI is an equal opportunity employer to all. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment. Our policies prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on age, race, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.