Job Status: Ongoing

Salary: Base salary of $166,071 per annum plus 11.5% superannuation contributions

Applications Close: Thursday 1 May 2025, 11:59pm

Role Enquiries: [email protected]

An organisation where diversity of thought and experience is valued, supported and respected.

THE HOUSE

For thousands of years, Tubowgule — the land where the Sydney Opera House now stands — has been a place of gathering and belonging. The Opera House continues this rich legacy, embracing and celebrating the diverse cultures of Australia. As a globally recognised icon, it symbolises inspiration and imagination. There’s nothing quite like it. The Opera House is one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres, the nation’s premier tourism destination and a World Heritage masterpiece that belongs to the people of NSW.

From whimsical musicals to side-splitting comedies, stirring arias to ARIA award-winners, majestic symphonies to relaxing sundowners, engaging talks to playful puppet shows — there's something for everyone.

Behind the magic of the Sydney Opera House is a team of passionate and dedicated individuals. Here, you’ll be surrounded by supportive colleagues who are committed to their work and the building itself. Join us in shaping the future of the Opera House and discover opportunities for personal and professional growth while making a positive impact on our community.

Drawing on the foundational idea that the Opera House was built to serve the community, our Sydney Opera House Strategy 2024-26 sets out our ambition to be Everyone’s House. To achieve this, we are focused on four themes:

• Everyone feels welcome here.
• We better understand and connect with the community.
• We are future ready.
• We lead and inspire positive change.

For more information about the Sydney Opera House please refer to our website.

YOUR NEW ROLE

The Head of Visitor Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the Front of House, Welcome, and Host teams, ensuring the delivery of outstanding customer service across all Visitor Services and theatre operations.

A key champion of customer service excellence, the role leads organisational initiatives and projects that enhance the Opera House’s visitor experience and embeds a high-performance service culture, including oversight of customer service training for all front-line staff.

The role also engages with a broad and diverse range of senior internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and buy-in on service delivery standards. Additionally, the Head of Visitor Services provides expert advice and support to the Chief Customer Officer and the Visitor Experience and Engagement leadership team on initiatives that maximise the impact of the portfolio service strategies, including collaborating with the leadership team to develop and implement staff engagement initiatives that support a positive workplace culture across the portfolio.

Further detailed information about the role and its requirements can be obtained from the role description.

ARE YOU THE ONE?

Key Responsibilities/skills:

• Provide strategic leadership for Visitor Services, develop and implement business plans that define service offerings, identify revenue growth opportunities and outline a strategic roadmap for the department, in addition to continuity plans to ensure service resilience and preparedness for disruptions.
• Lead visitor journey mapping initiatives, ensure all activities support the Opera House’s strategy to be ‘Everyone’s House’ and contribute to delivering an exceptional, inclusive visitor experience.
• Oversee daily Front of House and Stage Door operations through the Visitor Services Operations Managers, including workforce planning, venue management, presenter liaison, recruitment, training, staff engagement, development, and performance management.
• Lead Welcome Team service delivery and initiatives, including the development and delivery of organisation-wide Customer Excellence training and induction programs for front-line teams.
• Analyse customer feedback and presenter satisfaction survey results, ensuring timely, professional responses, compliance with service level agreements and integration of insights into customer service plans, strategies and procedures to improve satisfaction.
• Develop and maintain domestic and international networks of customer service professionals to benchmark standards and identify contemporary best practice.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with Production and Events, Access, Impact Programs & Operations, Emergency Planning and Response Group (EPRG) and Safety teams to ensure Visitor Services is fully integrated into day-to-day operations and major event planning, maximising the quality of service, safety, and security for all visitors.
• Establish and manage departmental budgets, track business performance, and ensure the achievement of agreed targets.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

The Sydney Opera House gives you access to a fantastic range of benefits including:

• Opportunity to work at Australia’s premier and iconic cultural institution
• 10% off onsite food and beverage outlets like Opera Bar and First Nations restaurant Midden
• 5-weeks’ annual leave
• Access to salary packaging and discounted health insurance
• Flexible working arrangements – we know flexibility means different things to different people, so let us know how we can best support you
• Access to a range of professional development programs and staff engagement initiatives
• Staff community groups like SOH Pride, First Nations Staff Network, Sustainable Environmental Action Leaders (SEALs) and more
• Working for an organisation with a 6 Star Green Star performance rating from the Green Building Council of Australia
• Working for an organisation committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the world’s first arts organisation to join the UN’s Global Compact, an international sustainability initiative designed to build a better future for us all
• Access to complimentary tickets to performances and events
• Access to reduced parking rates
• Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing initiatives, including Fitness Passport and free circuit classes, yoga, pilates and physiotherapy sessions
• And many more!

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

The Opera House is an inclusive employer that recognises everyone is unique. The organisation welcomes you for who you are – as you are. So, if you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected] to discuss. Even if you think you’d be a great fit, but don’t necessarily tick every box in the role description, please get in touch.

We welcome and encourage applications from First Nations people, recognising the value, unique skills and knowledge that First Nations employees bring to the workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all genders, people who are d/Deaf and/or with disability, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, neurodiverse, refugees and the LGBTQIA+ community.

NEED TO WORK FLEXIBLY?

We know flexibility means different things to different people, so let us know how we can support you to be your best.

SOUND LIKE YOU? APPLY NOW

Please submit your cover letter and CV via the online portal and answer the below questions.

1. The Sydney Opera House is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for diverse audiences. How would you approach embedding diversity, accessibility, and inclusion principles into the customer service strategy? Please provide a specific example of how you've successfully addressed diversity or accessibility in a previous role?
2. Visitor experience at the Sydney Opera House involves balancing exceptional customer service with efficient operational management. Drawing on your previous experience, describe a time when you implemented or significantly improved a visitor services initiative. How did you measure its success?

To be eligible to apply for this position, applicants must have existing Australian work rights. Any offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and Pre-Employment Health Assessment. The assessment seeks information only relevant to performing the inherent requirements of the job, it remains strictly confidential and applicants will be informed of the result.

Your personal information is being collected to enable the Sydney Opera House to assess your suitability for appointment to the position you have applied for. This personal information will be managed in accordance with the Sydney Opera House Privacy Management Policy and Plan.

Applications will not be accepted from recruitment agencies.