The House Staff role is primarily responsible for:

• Welcoming and guiding patrons into and out of the seating areas
• Maintaining crowd control in seating areas and aisles
• Setting up and breaking down equipment in their assigned areas

Organizational Profile
Founded in 1938, Stern Grove Festival is an admission-free summer performing arts festival in San Francisco. Now entering its 88th season, the Festival draws over 100,000 people during its ten-week series of world class performances in the outdoor setting of Sigmund Stern Grove. Past seasons have included performing artists from around the world, including The Flaming Lips, Bob Moses, Chaka Khan, San Francisco Symphony, Kool & the Gang, Los Lobos, Smokey Robinson, Ziggy Marley, Carlos Santana, Allen Stone, and Janelle Monae.

As a cultural cornerstone of the Bay Area, Stern Grove Festival remains committed to making music accessible to all while celebrating artistic excellence and community connection. We strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
 
Position Description
Stern Grove Festival House Staff will assist all activities and services related to the safety and comfort of patrons, with a goal of creating a positive experience for all audience members. The primary location of their work is the seating areas of the venue. House Staff will assist on-site, operational needs including Concert Meadow, Esplanade, West Meadow and Hillside area set-up and strike, crowd management and control, response to patron requests and concerns, emergency response protocols, and any additional duties that pertain to the smooth functioning of the venue. House Staff may be re-deployed to a new position on the Perimeter, Safety, or Ticket teams as and if needed.

Availability and Commitment

• Must be available every Sunday: May 18, 2025 - August 17, 2025 (except Memorial Day Weekend)
• Must be available Saturday August 16th
• Employees will average 8 hours per week

Stern Grove Festival encourages everyone to apply and hiring priority goes to qualified individuals who can work all or most of the required dates

House Staff can expect a schedule of between 6 and 10 hours each weekend, averaging eight hours per week over the course of the Season. There are additional hours available for pre-season build days and each Saturday toward equipment set-up (scheduling dependent on interest and availability).

Reporting Relationships
House Staff are part of the Operations Department on the House Team. House Staff report directly to their House Leader. In addition, House Staff work closely with the House Manager, Assistant House Manager, Perimeter, Safety, and Reservation Teams, Security and Medical teams, and other SGFA Staff.

General Duties

• Attend pre-season orientations and Concert Dry Run to learn about the organization's culture, understand the Operations Staff role in producing the
• Festival, get hands-on experience with equipment, and participate in venue safety drills.
• Assist in the set-up and breakdown of equipment, including barricades, aisles, fencing, signage, tables and benches.
• Maintain Concert Meadow gates and monitor patron ingress and egress.
• Promote public safety and cultivate a positive patron experience within the assigned area by welcoming, interacting with, and informing patrons of policy and procedure.
• Perform crowd control, including maintaining clear aisle ways and emergency exit paths.
• Assist elderly and people with disabilities in seating and venue mobility.
• Provide directions to venue amenities such as bathrooms, concessions, water, the medical tent, and general orientation.
• Attend on-site staff meetings and execute tasks under direction of House Leaders.

Personal Characteristics

• Excellent communication skills and collaborative work ethic.
• Capability and comfort being in large crowds of people.
• Possess the capacity to handle stressful situations with diplomacy and tact.
• Able to work efficiently in an organized and detailed fashion.
• Ability to adhere to SGFA policies, protocols and procedures.
• Able to maintain self-assurance and control during the concert day.
• Understanding of your own personal limits and ability to articulate those limits to your supervisor.
• Have a great sense of humor and maintain dedication to the SGFA mission.
• A good attitude and excellent work ethic is a must.

Physical Requirements

• Able to lift and carry 50lbs.
• Able to experience periods of extended standing, employees must be able to remain on their feet in a stationary position. 
• Able to walk and climb considerable distances including on the hillside during the course of a work day. 
• Grasp, lift, carry, push and pull heavy objects such as barricades, fencing, and carts. 
• Stooping, crouching and kneeling is needed to place signage throughout the grove 
• Listening and speaking ability is required. In a typical work day the employee will be interacting with large groups of people and they must have the ability to hear and clearly express their ideas with spoken words. 

If you meet some of the qualifications but not all, we encourage you to apply. We believe diverse experiences and perspectives strengthen our organization.

Work Environment / Physical Demands
The work environment characteristics and the physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while successfully performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
 
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Occasionally sound levels may exceed 100 db. All efforts will be made to protect employee’s hearing.
 
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the incumbent in this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills.

Locations

1. Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, San Francisco
2. Video conference for Orientation

Compensation
Starting at $20 and commensurate with experience.
 
Email
If you have any questions, please email jobs@sterngrove.org

EEO Statement
SGFA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.  In addition to federal law requirements, SGFA complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, leaves of absence, compensation and training.  SGFA expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.