Staff Usher
Marketing Department
Front of the House
Work Status:
Part-Time Regular
FLSA Status:
Non-Exempt
Location of Job:
Davies Symphony Hall
San Francisco, CA
Hourly rate:
Per Collective Bargaining Agreement:
$30.51 hourly
Schedule:
On Site
Regular Hours:
Varied.
Morning, Matinee, and
Evening Performances
Reports To:
Front of House Manager
Supervisory:
No
THE ORGANIZATION
The San Francisco Symphony is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard-setting education and community engagement programs. Since it was established in 1911, the Symphony has grown in acclaim under a succession of distinguished music directors: Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Basil Cameron, Issay Dobrowen, Pierre Monteux, Enrique Jordá, Josef Krips, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Herbert Blomstedt, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. In May 2026, the Symphony announced Elim Chan as the 13th Music Director in its 115-year history, beginning with the 2027–28 season. One of the most sought-after artists of her generation, Elim Chan embodies the spirit of contemporary orchestral leadership with her crystalline precision and expressive zeal.
The San Francisco Symphony presents more than 200 concerts and presentations annually for an audience of nearly 350,000 in its home of Davies Symphony Hall and around the Bay Area. As a cornerstone of its mission, the San Francisco Symphony provides some of the most extensive education and community programs offered by any American orchestra. The Symphony’s free music education experiences engage students in grades 1–12 throughout the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), serving more than 25,000 students annually.
In 2001, the SF Symphony became the first American orchestra to launch its own in-house record label, SFS Media. Recorded live in concert and engineered at Davies Symphony Hall, SFS Media recordings showcase music by contemporary composers as well as core classical masterworks. San Francisco Symphony radio broadcasts, the first in the nation to feature symphonic music when they began in 1926, today carry the Orchestra’s concerts across the country. In 2004, the SF Symphony launched the groundbreaking multimedia Keeping Score series on PBS-TV and the web; the series was made available for unlimited free streaming on the Symphony’s YouTube channel in 2020. In 2014, the San Francisco Symphony inaugurated SoundBox, an experimental and eclectic live music series, which takes place in an alternative performance space located backstage at Davies Symphony Hall. In 2023, the San Francisco Symphony partnered with Apple for the launch of a new classical music streaming app, Apple Music Classical, and has since released 17 spatial audio recordings of live concert performances through the app. For its adventurous programming, the Symphony has been honored 19 times by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and the Symphony’s recordings have garnered France’s Grand Prix du Disque and Britain’s Gramophone Award, as well as 17 Grammy® Awards.
JOB SUMMARY
The Staff Ushers interact directly with patrons who attend the San Francisco Symphony’s wide variety of concerts and other events. They are responsible for providing a helpful, welcoming, professional, efficient and accessible service to all audience members at Davies Symphony Hall.
The Staff Usher position is flexible, and Staff Usher shifts are scheduled by the House Manager on an “as needed” basis. The majority of the work is on weeknights and weekends, with a usual start time of 6pm for evening shows and 12:30pm for matinees. There are also occasional weekday morning and matinee shifts. Most shifts are 4 hours in length, although end times are an estimate and Staff Ushers are expected to remain present until all members of the public have vacated the venue.
Shifts are subject to availability. This position is not eligible for San Francisco Symphony sponsored benefits. However, this position may be eligible for certain benefits through select ordinances of the City of San Francisco.
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Greet and engage with audience members, ensuring they feel genuinely welcomed to the venue and treated appropriately as an important and valued patron
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Answer audience queries, ensuring they have access to timely and useful information and guidance
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Maintain up to date knowledge of the venue, including current policies and procedures and familiarity with current and upcoming concerts
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Be flexible in relation to duties and working hours which will include weeknight evenings and both matinee and evening shifts on the weekends
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Provide guidance to Volunteer Ushers. Provide instructions on emergency procedures and be on hand to resolve any conflicts that arise over the course of the show call
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Attend Emergency Response Plan meetings, implement Emergency Response Plan when necessary and place radio call to First Aid staff when needed
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Attend Red Cross sponsored CPR, AED and Life Saving courses
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Participate in providing feedback for the Ushers’ Liaison Committee
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Attend other trainings as required
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Additional responsibilities as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
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Staff Ushers must become a member of the Theatrical Employees Union – Local B-18
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Must be able to provide usher coverage for an assigned area for an extended period of time, which may include standing and traversing stairs
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Consistent availability on weeknights and weekends
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Customer service and patron or guest service experience preferred- experience as an usher at a performing arts venue is desirable
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Excellent verbal communication skills
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Flexible attitude and patient/tactful in resolving conflict
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Professional in appearance and polite demeanor
Ability to
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Work with and provide guidance to Volunteer Ushers
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Handle conflict resolution in a customer service environment
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Use ticket scanners and two-way radio / walkie talkie
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Follow required dress code
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Exhibit sensitivity to and understanding of San Francisco Symphony’s diverse range of audience members
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Communicate effectively with a diverse range of people, including donors, prospective donors, volunteers, board members and community partners
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
None
PHYSICAL DEMANDS (accommodations available)
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This role requires sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in a performing arts setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to lift, carry, push and pull moderate amounts of weight; to traverse moderate amounts of stairs; to operate ticket scanning equipment requiring repetitive hand and wrist motions
EEO STATEMENT
In alignment with the values statement above, the San Francisco Symphony is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
