Development Assistant - Williamstown Theatre Festival

POSITION: Development Assistant

CLASSIFICATION: Seasonal

STATUS: Non-Exempt

REPORTS TO: Development Coordinator; Director of Development & Communications

SUPERVISES: N/A

LOCATION: On-site in Williamstown, MA

COMPENSATION: $18/hour for an average of 40 hours/week

HIRING TIMELINE: Applications to be accepted until position is filled. Application review and interviews to be conducted on a rolling basis, with an anticipated start date of June 26 and end date of August 13.



Job Summary

Williamstown Theatre Festival is looking for a proactive, positive, and highly organized people-person to join our summer team as a Development Assistant to help us coordinate summer development activities and engage with our patrons!



This role is responsible for supporting the Development Coordinator in planning and executing summer events, communicating with donors, administering the donor benefits program, and planning the Festival’s 2023 Gala. The Development Assistant provides support to the Development Office regarding all facets of individual and institutional giving and special events.



The ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated capacity for completing highly detailed work in a fast-paced environment. Experience in a customer service role and with PatronManager CRM or equivalent is a plus. This is a seasonal position and will require a flexible schedule, including evening and weekend work during the Festival season.



Primary Responsibilities and Expectations

The Development Assistant reports directly to the year-round Development Coordinator. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Assisting the Development Coordinator with the coordination and execution of summer events

Regular donor ticketing, prospect research, and database maintenance, including moves management, reporting, and data cleanup

Coordinating donor lounge operations including maintaining the space, ordering lounge supplies, and cultivating relationships with donors in that space

Greeting donors at the theater and serving as an additional donor point of contact to assist with ticket needs, donor benefits etc.

Communicating with donors, in-person and remotely, to respond to inquiries and meet their varied needs

Supporting the Development Office’s institutional giving efforts by identifying and researching potential funders

Assisting the Development Coordinator in the planning for the Festival’s 2023 Gala

Assisting the Development Office on special tasks and projects

Embrace the Festival’s commitment to EDIA and Anti-Racism by actively participating in and encouraging behaviors among staff members that exemplify respect; interrupting microaggressions and other behaviors that hinder our EDIA and Anti-Racism efforts; engaging in the diversification of the workforce; demonstrating a degree of cultural competency that encourages healthy relationships with all company members

Adhering to all Festival safety protocols

An essential function of this job is in-person work in Williamstown, MA.

Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

Excellent interpersonal skills

Demonstrated capacity for completing highly detailed work requiring organization and proactivity

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and under deadlines

Ability to take direction and work as part of a team

Excellent working knowledge of GSuite software or equivalent

Working knowledge of PatronManager CRM or equivalent

Ability to keep highly sensitive donor information confidential

A good sense of humor and the ability to adapt to changing situations



About Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought emerging and professional theater artists together for 68 years to create a thrilling summer festival of world premiere work alongside fresh, new revivals. New plays and musicals commissioned, developed, and produced at the Festival fill theaters around the world. In recent years, WTF has been represented on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally by The Sound Inside, The Rose Tattoo, Grand Horizons, Seared, Selling Kabul, Unknown Soldier, and Lempicka, among others. Cost of Living, which premiered at WTF, received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Learn more at wtfestival.org.



Working and Living in Williamstown

Williamstown Theatre Festival’s season takes place on the beautiful campus of Williams College in Williamstown, MA with backdrops of the Berkshire, Green, and Taconic mountain ranges. Williamstown, MA (estimated pop. 7,813) is located in Berkshire County (estimated pop. 128,657) in Western Massachusetts and is an hour’s drive from Albany, NY and 30 minutes from Pittsfield, MA.



The Williams College campus and the 62’ Center for Theatre and Dance are within walking distance of Spring Street, which has several restaurants with dine-in and takeout options, a pharmacy, a coffee shop, an ice cream shop, a movie theater, and several stores. The nearest grocery store is a 10-minute drive from campus and not within walking distance. Having a personal vehicle does provide more flexibility in grocery-shopping and expands dining and activities options. For those who bring vehicles, parking is free at designated locations on Williams campus with a parking pass. For a list of all the things to do and see in Williamstown and the Northern Berkshires, visit DestinationWilliamstown.org.



All seasonal staff are provided housing free of charge on campus at Williams College. Housing is dorm-style with private bedrooms and shared common areas, including bathroom and kitchen. Williams College housing is not air-conditioned. Weather ranges from evenings on the cooler side but can also be quite warm with temperatures in the 90s with high humidity.



We acknowledge that Williamstown Theatre Festival is a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) located in a county that is 91% white, according to the US Census Bureau. We are actively engaged in the work of becoming a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, accessible, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive institution that not only welcomes BIPOC artists and staff but nurtures an environment that allows everyone to thrive. More specific actions on these efforts can be found in our Progress Report on our website: https://wtfestival.org/work-learn/.



Williamstown Theatre Festival is committed to telling diverse stories and to fostering an inclusive environment both onstage and off. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. We believe that opportunity, access, resources, and rewards should be available to and for the benefit of all. Therefore, WTF is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants shall be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, sex/gender (including pregnancy and gender identity), disability, military status, veteran status, marital status, familial status, ancestry, genetics, or any other class or characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Candidates from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply.
Salary: $18/hour