PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

About Friends of Waterfront Seattle

Friends of Waterfront Seattle (“Friends”) is a non-profit partner to the City of Seattle, established to help fund, steward, and activate a new 20-acre park along the downtown shoreline from Pioneer Square to Belltown. Construction of Waterfront Park will be fully complete in summer 2025. Friends is a new cultural hub in partnership with local nonprofits to deliver a full suite of free arts, recreation, and education programs at Pier 62. We are a safe and welcoming public space created through active programming, 24/7/365 on-site safety staff to support positive activity and discourage crime, and by compassionately connecting people in need to social services and resources. During the summer of 2022—in partnership with 41 community organizations—Friends hosted 75,000 visitors at 120 different events and programs, with 80% BIPOC representation.

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.

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.

The Role

The Production Assistant supports the onsite operational functions of the Public Programs team, ensuring efficiency and consistency in implementing department processes, onsite tasks, and communication. This role provides logistical support for all internal and external events with various complexities.

Reporting to the Production Manager and a member of the Public Programs team, the Production Assistant position requires continual demonstration of the following core competencies:

• Support all aspects of event production for institutionally driven programming and external partners to create high quality events.
• Commitment to thoughtful guest and partner experience, and strong attention to detail when it comes to guest experience.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills - with staff, partners, artists, vendors, and other constituencies to ensure successful execution of events.

Responsibilities

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

• Contribute to an inclusive workplace culture; adhere to and help evolve Friends’ Community Agreements.

• Propel a culture of inclusion while collaborating cross departmentally within Friends.
• Ensure Friends’ diversity, equity and inclusion values are upheld and advanced in the production of events.

Event Production Support

• Support the production and execution of events at Pier 62 as a function of the Programming and Production team
• Ensure the safety of all guests, performers, and personnel within this position’s areas of responsibility.
• Establish high quality of service and execution standards when Use a community-centered and collaborative mindset when working with the public, artists, clients, performers, staff, and vendors.
• Build staging, work with hand tools, and climb ladders.
• Set up and move sound equipment, install and move tents, set-up and strike site barricades.

• While on site, adhere to Friends’ public safety protocols which may include contacting leadership, law enforcement, and other community safety partners.
• Complete annual training and certification deemed necessary for the onsite roles and responsibilities.
• Use creative problem-solving to improve workflow processes and eliminate redundancies around events.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of one year experience working in the events, arts, culture, and/or entertainment industry
• A desire to propel diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism to the forefront of your work.
• An interest in community-centric public programming, outdoor arts and culture, recreation, and environmental stewardship.
• Ability work within a team.

• Willingness to operate with a flexible schedule. Must be able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability and willingness to work in different work environments, including outside, exposed to prevailing weather conditions for events.
• Effective communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.

Desired Qualifications

• Lived experience and cultural competency with underrepresented communities, including Black, Indigenous, Latine, disabled, and/or LGBTQ+ communities, and the ability to bring this lens to conversations about anti-racism, anti-oppression and embedding equity in all aspects of work.
• Additional years of experience in event and/or venue operations, preferably in the arts, entertainment, or hospitality fields.
• Familiarity working with a wide variety of art and culture performances encouraged.
• Experience with setting up sound systems and/or backline equipment.
• Comfort, familiarity, and ability to operate a soundboard.

• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Certifications, 2+ years of college education, and/or additional work experience

Compensation and Benefits

The Production Assistant is a seasonal, hourly, part-time, non-exempt position. The hourly salary range for this position is $20-28.

Work Environment

This role is in Seattle, WA. Friends has office space located in Pioneer Square. This position will primarily work onsite at Pier 62. Additional work sites will be added as more of Waterfront Park opens this summer.

Job Requirements

• Ability to individually lift and carry up to 30lbs and team lift up to 60lbs., stand for an extended period of time, climb ladders, work with hand tools. Ability to walk to various park locations, that may require climbing stairs, and traveling a minimum of 1 mile of waterfront property.
• Ability to work for an extended period in outdoor environmental conditions consisting of wind, rain, snow, and heat.
• Ability to monitor SPL (sound pressure levels) and differentiate a variety of sounds related to amplified music.
• Must be willing to work a flexible schedule as determined by business volume.

• Ability to pass a background check.

To Apply

Friends is committed to improving hiring practices to be more inclusive and anti-ableist. We have reviewed the job requirements and only include physical abilities when completely necessary. During the interview process, we email the panel questions ahead of time. We are also able to provide captioning and/or interpretation (e.g. ASL) if requested. If you need specific assistance and/or accommodation during the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please let us know by emailing our People & Culture team at dei@waterfrontparkseattle.org.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.