Melbourne Recital Centre is an award-winning live music venue; where artists and audiences build a lifetime of experiences. We strive to create wonder for everyone, in and beyond the Centre and inspire our community through music.
With a unique focus on music, the Centre presents and hosts hundreds of concerts each year, representing the pinnacle of the art form as practiced by local and international performers traversing all genres of music. And our impactful learning and access activities provide opportunities for Victorians of all ages and backgrounds to experience and engage with music and the Centre in new and exciting ways.
We acknowledge the traditional owners on whose land Melbourne Recital Centre stands – we pay our respects to Melbourne’s First People, to Elders past and present, and to our shared future.
Front Of House: Usher
We are looking for people who are:
- Naturally warm and welcoming in their approach to interacting with people whilst having a proactive attention to detail.
- Able to work collaboratively and able to confidently communicate with a wide range of people of different ages and experiences.
- Have an appreciation for live music and are excited to engage with different genres and styles.
For these roles, we’re looking for people who love interacting with other people and understand the impact that a positive interaction can have on an experience. As an Usher, you might not have experience working as an Usher or within an arts venue previously, but you will be able to demonstrate experience in a role where you have provided consistently high customer service. Additionally, as a Team Leader, you will have experience in a role where you have supervised a team or be ready to take on that next step of responsibility.
A shift as an Usher (or Team Leader) at Melbourne Recital Centre might look like:
- Working together to prepare the venue ready to open by ensuring your assigned area of responsibility is safe, tidy and well stocked with water and programs for that evening’s concert.
- Greeting our visitors at our front doors as the first team member they see when they enter the Centre.
- Providing directions and assistance for our audience, determining if they are attending the sold-out contemporary event in our Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, or the small ensemble premiere of a new work in our intimate Primrose Potter Salon. Or perhaps they are attending both!
- Assisting our patrons with locating their seats, scanning tickets and resolving issues via radio. Helping visitors locate the most accessible and comfortable entry for them.
- After the show, selling merchandise for one of the events or serving guests at a post-show function. Or assisting the Visitor Experience Supervisor in clearing the venue in preparation for lockdown.
- Our Team Leaders are also employed as Ushers and have the opportunity to work within that role if shifts are available.
PRIMARY PURPOSE
Ushers at Melbourne Recital Centre are a core member of our Visitor Experience team, working within the venue to warmly welcome all who visit the Centre. They are the proactive and friendly faces found throughout the venue, responsible for facilitating our visitors to have a wonderful experience. Ushers are flexible and adaptable team members who champion Melbourne Recital Centre’s Service and Experience Framework, delivering service that is consistent and of a high standard but can also flex to meet the needs of the diverse range of events and visitors that we host.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Ensure their work area is tidy, presentable and welcoming ready to receive visitors.
- Proactively greet and engage with all visitors to the Centre, taking appropriate action to respond to or anticipate their needs.
- Operate the electronic handheld barcode and ticket scanners to monitor and control access for the venue.
- Provide a range of services to visitors including (but not limited to) providing directions and managing patron flow, cloakroom services, venue and program information and conducting food, beverage and merchandise sales.
- In the event of an emergency, act as a fire warden for their defined work area and position, receiving instruction from the Chief Fire Warden.
- Carry out other duties as required.
- Maintain and observe all current Health and Safety policies and procedures and take reasonable care for own health and safety and that of other persons that may be affected within the MRC in accordance with the MRC’s Health and Safety policies and procedures.
- Actively promote and represent the Melbourne Recital Centre’s principles of service excellence.
- Ensure all activities comply with Melbourne Recital Centre values, policies, professional and ethical standards.
- Foster good working relationships with all Melbourne Recital Centre staff, clients, customers and stakeholders and promote a positive and co-operative working environment
- In this position you will come into contact with a large amount of information, interact with a range of stakeholders and be privy to a range of commercial-in-confidence issues that must be treated with strict confidentiality and sensitivity. The incumbent must have the ability to exercise a high level of judgement and maintain confidentiality when dealing with these issues.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Internal
- Front of House Team Leader and Visitor Experience Supervisor (daily)
- Visitor Experience Coordinator and Box Office team (daily)
- Visitor Experience Manager (regularly)
- Head of Marketing and Visitor Experience and other Melbourne Recital Centre team members (as required)
External
- Melbourne Recital Centre visitors (daily)
- Foyer Bars team (regularly)
- National and international artists and presenters (as required)
- External contractors, suppliers and associated third parties (as required)
CLASSIFICATION
Melbourne Recital Centre Enterprise Agreement 2021-2024 Grading 1.1.1 - $29.63 per hour plus superannuation guarantee, currently set at 11.5% from 1 July 2024 moving to 12% from 1 July 2025.
KEY SELECTION CRITERIA
- A proactive, warm and welcoming approach to interacting with people (essential).
- Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to maintain good working relationships with a wide range of people (essential).
- Customer service experience, preferably within spaces that welcome a diverse range of people (desirable).
- An appreciation for and working knowledge of music (desirable).
- An eye for detail and high standards of personal presentation (essential).
- Proficiency in languages other than English, fluent or conversational (desirable).
- The ability to both give and follow directions and maintain a high attention to detail in a calm and professional manner when working to a schedule (essential).
- A high level of personal organisation skills and responsibility to meet rostering and training deadlines (essential).
- A high level of self-awareness and compassion and an empathetic, conciliatory approach to resolving customer service issues that may arise (essential).
- A valid Victoria Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate and a valid Victorian Working with Children Check or the ability to obtain these prior to commencing in the role (essential).
OH&S RESPONSIBILITIES
In the context of Occupational Health and Safety policies, procedures, training, and instruction, as detailed in Section 25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, employees are responsible for ensuring that they:
- Follow reasonable instruction.
- Cooperate with their employer.
- Maintain and observe all current Health and Safety policies and procedures.
- At all times, take reasonable care for own health and safety and that of other persons that may be affected within the Workforce.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
- The position is based at 31 Sturt Street, Southbank.
- The position is responsible for event delivery which involves irregular hours including evenings, weekends and public holidays. The position requires considerable flexibility and a commitment to meeting availability requirements.
- The recommended applicant is required to undertake and maintain a National Police Check, Working with Children Check (WWCC), and Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate, and hold valid working rights.
- Melbourne Recital Centre is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
- Melbourne Recital Centre provides a smoke free environment.
HOW TO APPLY
To be considered for the role, please click the "Apply" button to upload your resume and cover letter that answers the below questions. You do not need to respond to the key selection criteria in your application however please ensure that your resume outlines your relevant experience and that your cover letter answers the following questions in dot point form:
1. Tell us about a memorable experience that you have had. What was the experience? What were the specific things that made it memorable?
2. Tell us about a time you worked as part of a group to achieve something. What was your specific contribution? What did you learn from that experience?
3. Tell us about a time that you provided or contributed to an excellent experience for someone. What did you do to that was of service? What specifically made this excellent?
Note: If you also wish to apply for the Team Leader role, please mention this in your cover letter and submit one application only. Please also complete the following Team Leader Application Questions:
1. Tell us about a time you were responsible for a group of people achieving something or working through a problem. What were the specific things you did to guide them? What did you learn from that experience?
2. Tell us about a situation when you had to say no to someone. How did you approach this? How did it go?
3. Tell us about a time that you provided or contributed to an excellent experience for someone. What did you do to that was of service? What specifically made this excellent?
Applications close Wednesday 19 February. We will be looking at applications on a rolling basis.
We are an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, ages, and religions, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, LGBTQIA+ people, those with a disability, women, and people with culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds. We embrace flexibility as a key principle to allow our people to manage the changing demands of work, personal and family life.
Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don't apply for roles if they don't meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. This is a role with many transferrable skills, and we encourage you to apply if you’re interested in joining our Visitor Experience team.
ANY QUERIES
If you have any queries about the recruitment process, this position, or if you would like the position description in a different format, or require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please email recruitment@melbournerecital.com.au.
For more information about who we are and what we do, we encourage you to visit our website at www.melbournerecital.com.au (If link doesn't work, please copy / paste into your browser.)
