Job Description

Land Acknowledgement  

Waterfront Park is situated on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, who have resided here since time immemorial and continue to thrive. With respect and humility, we acknowledge the history of the waterfront, the dispossession of land from the Coast Salish people, and, most importantly, the strength and resilience of Native people and their culture through this history and to the present.

 

About Friends of Waterfront Seattle  

Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends) is a 501c3 non-profit.  Through a public-private partnership with the City of Seattle, Friends is leading operations, fundraising, programming, public safety investments, and long-term stewardship of Waterfront Park now and for generations to come. This model of a nonprofit managing and ensuring the success of a park is common across major U.S. cities, including Friends of the Highline and Brooklyn Bridge Parks Conservancy in New York, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, and Friends of the Underline in Miami.  

Nearly 15 years in the making, Waterfront Park project represents a grand community vision for reimagining Seattle’s waterfront in the footprint of the old viaduct, a 1950’s infrastructure; creating a new kind of civic and cultural space.  Seattle is a city known for innovation and Waterfront Park represents that spirit – it is so much more than simply a park. Waterfront Park is creating 20-acres of green space, inviting locals and visitors to reconnect with the water, the mountains, and each other. It will run from Belltown to Pioneer Square, and has a large urban footprint for programming, activation, and other park uses. Opening in 2025, Waterfront Park will serve as a fresh cultural anchor for downtown, offering free public programming co-curated with communities from across the region.  

 

Friends’ vision goes far beyond the park’s 20 acres. Alongside the City of Seattle, we envision a common space that is truly safe and welcoming to everyone; a space that is centered in equity. Friends has an opportunity and an inherent responsibility to disrupt patterns of exclusion and serve as a model for public spaces in Seattle and around the country. We have already made progress by working to establish strong community ties and trust and delivering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community led programs at Pier 62, the first piece of the park to open to the public.  

 

Equity Commitment   

Friends recognizes and acknowledges historic and existing systemic racism embedded in our city. We are committed to becoming an anti-racist organization by prioritizing racial equity within the organization and in the public spaces we operate. 

 

Position Summary   

 

The  Park Events Assistant role is a seasonal, temporary, non-exempt (May/June 2024 through October 2024) with flexible hours. This role will support the Community Impact and Programs team and Production team, reporting to the Programs Senior Manager. This position will focus on providing onsite administrative, logistical, artist, and program support. 

Position Responsibilities  

 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility 

• Contribute to an inclusive workplace culture; adhere to and help evolve Friends’ Community Agreements.
• Seek out and listen to different perspectives. 
• Help Friends ensure that Waterfront Park is safe, welcoming, and inclusive. We strive to focus on social support and holistic community safety.   
• Propel a culture of inclusion while collaborating cross departmentally within Friends and across the program and engagement division.  

 

Park Events Support

• Support the execution of performances, festivals, exhibits, filming, recreation classes, pop-ups and other public events, working closely with the following departments: marketing and communications, production, community impact and programs, and operations.   
• Work outdoors to facilitate various public programs, including setup, breakdown, check-ins, and on-site presence.
• Act as the main point of contact and frontline hospitality for program partners, including giving an orientation of the space and other staff/support people, cross checking their setup and breakdown needs, and asking for feedback. Ensure the program partner has a positive and easy experience with Friends. 
• Help facilitate relationships with program attendees for events ranging from 10-3000 people, including making announcements on stage, introducing artists and program partners, checking people in, getting waivers signed, taking pictures, putting up signage, and answering questions about programs and Waterfront Park in general. 
• Maintain public programming equipment, tracking inventory and organizing all supplies in a professional manner. 
• Track visitor information, including waivers, surveys, and demographic information for collaborations with other departments including community impact, operations, and production. 
• Complete end-of-program reports, including documenting program participant numbers and ensuring all data and program numbers get properly entered into the internal database. 
• May be asked to assist with internal and external correspondence, documents, and presentations for multiple audiences including staff, community partners, and artists.  
• Support the capturing and monitoring of metrics and data. 

 

Qualifications and Competencies  

 

Minimum Qualifications 

• An interest in community-centric programming in an urban outdoor space 
• 1+ years of experience supporting public programs and events with a focus on hospitality and proactive customer service 
• Comfortability with public speaking and working directly with the public
• 1+ years of experience providing administrative support 
• An interest in propelling diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront of your work 
• Ability to lead small projects independently or with groups
• Weekday evening (4:00-9:00pm) and weekend (9:00am-9:00pm) availability, with typical shift-length being 4-8 hours 
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel) and Microsoft Teams 
• Able to work independently and collaboratively   
• Desire to contribute to a positive workplace culture
• Ability to multitask and prioritize
• Demonstration of initiative and creative, cooperative problem-solving  

 

Desired Qualifications 

• Experience with applications such as Asana (or other project management software)
• An interest and background in public programming, outdoor arts and culture, recreation, and environmental stewardship is welcome 
• Excellent planning, organization, and communication skills
• Oral and/or written fluency in multiple languages a plus 

 

Other Requirements     

• This position is contingent on passing a criminal background check.     

 

Work Environment

 

The Park Events Assistant role is located in Seattle, WA. Friends has office space located at Pier 56. The administrative portion of the position, which is currently a hybrid of remote and in-office work, can be done remotely at times. However, the majority (about 90%) of the work will be in-person at Waterfront Park.

Office Space Working Conditions 

• Our office is on the second floor. There is elevator access at the front entrance. 
• Most separate rooms and offices have braille labels. 
• The office building contains a parent’s room, a wellness room, a kitchen, as well as several quiet meeting rooms. 

 

The physical requirements of this role listed below are representative of those that may need to be met by an employee in this role:   

• Operating a computer and other office equipment. 
• Ability to work in an open office format with a fluctuating noise level – Friends' office is located on the waterfront. Music and ferry horns can often be heard from the office. However, noise cancelling headphones and other accommodations are provided. Noise levels are low to moderate in the office.  

 

Event Working Conditions 

The physical requirements of this role listed below are representative of those that may need to be met by an employee in this role:

• Ability to individually lift and carry 30lbs and team lift 60lbs, stand for an extended period of time, travel a minimum of 1 mile of waterfront property during events 2-3 times per week
• Ability to answer questions from the public as a park ambassador.
• Must be willing to work a flexible schedule as determined by business volume
• Ability to pass a background check

Compensation and Benefits  

 

• This is a seasonal position with flexible hours. The anticipated contract duration is June 2024 through October 2024, with the possibility of extension based on business needs. 
• June projected average 15-20 hours a week. 
• June through August projected average 20-30 hours a week.
• September through October projected average 15-20 hours a week. 
• Please indicate your preferred number of hours and schedule availability in your application.   
• The hourly pay for this role will be between $22-25 per hour.
• Benefits include paid time off, ORCA card, and an optional 3% retirement account match. 

Benefits include paid time off, ORCA card, and an optional 3% retirement account match. 

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Contract work, Temporary work, Seasonal work, Local area, Remote job, Outdoor, Flexible hours, Shift work, Weekend work, Afternoon shift, Weekday work,

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