Director of Campus Experience

Status: Full Time, Exempt
Start Date: November 17, 2025
Reports to: General Manager
Submit materials: through our online portal linked here.
Submit all inquiries to: Alex Francis, ForestTheater.Manager@forestforward.org

Forest Forward is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization partnering with community stakeholders to drive equitable development, economic mobility, and improved outcomes for children, residents, and families of the South Dallas community. The Forest Theater serves as the anchor institution, with an anticipated grand opening scheduled Fall 2026.

We are seeking a Director of Campus Experience to design and deliver an unparalleled experience for every guest visiting the Forest Theater campus. Reporting directly to the General Manager, this strategic leader will orchestrate seamless front of house coordination of all performances and events, ensuring everyone encounters an experience commensurate with working within a premier performing arts venue. You will champion our Campus Experience team, fostering excellence across Guest Services, Ticketing, Front of House, Safety and external guest facing partnerships to deliver a unique, thoughtful people and care centered experience at all times.

What You’ll Drive

• Campus Experience Strategy & Calendar Management (40%)
  • Experience Blueprint: Architect and refine a superior experience for all visitors, ensuring every interaction of the Forest campus is seamless, consistent and well coordinated.
  • Dynamic Calendar Creation: Lead the development and ongoing management of the comprehensive Campus Planning Calendar for all performances, festivals, external events, internal events, and rehearsals across the Forest.
  • Policy & Access Design: Develop clear policies, trainings and best practices for space utilization, set curtain times, define space hold requirements, and establish usage guidelines for all campus spaces.
  • Patron Flow Optimization: Cultivate efficient and safe patron and visitor flow and emergency action plan throughout all public lobbies and spaces, continuously enhancing the overall guest experience and retention.
• Guest & Artist Journey Excellence (20%)
  • Front-of-House Leadership: Guide all front-of-house functions, elevating guest services and theater management operations.
  • Culture Harmonization: Develop and establish consistent policies, trainings, best practices and ethos for rotating house staff assignments, with consideration for operationalizing time, service, communication, and style across all venues within the Forest.
  • Event Readiness: Ensure robust front-of-house management is in place for all on campus experiences from large-scale public festivals and galas to community meetings and artist talks.
• External Event & Venue Partnerships (20%)
  • Revenue Generation: Lead and develop growth strategies for external theater and event rentals, including large-scale conferences, contributing significantly to our revenue goals.
  • Partnership Framework: Establish tools, resources and best practices for external partners hosting on campus that ensure a seamless and consistent experience, working in close coordination with the artistic, operations and facility teams.
  • Contract Lifecycle: Advise on all contracts for external theater and special event rentals, coordinating required house staff needs for execution.
• Team Development & Operational Leadership (5%)
  • Team Cultivation: Lead and develop a substantial team of full-time, part-time and project based employees and contractors
  • Talent Nurturing: Develop and implement tools, resources, best practices and trainings to ensure all staff receive comprehensive training in safety protocols, emergency procedures, exceptional customer service, and collaborative teamwork.
  • Continuous Learning: Champion continuing education and professional development for all division staff.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Strategic Integration (15%)
  • F&B Collaboration: Work closely with the General Manager, partner entities and other approved vendors to ensure value and exceptional service for all Forest Forward guests, including culinary, bookstore, cafe and arts workforce studio.
  • Leadership Team Contribution: Serve as an active member of the Director-level management team, contributing insights on organizational processes and the seamless integration of the Campus Experience team protocols.
  • Crisis Preparedness: Play a vital role as a lead member of the Forest Crisis & Emergency Management Team.

What You Will Build (Pre-Opening)

As our inaugural Director of Campus Experience, you will be instrumental in designing and establishing the coordination for a seamless flow and welcoming atmosphere for all guests.

Key pre-opening deliverables include:

• Comprehensive Guest Journey Maps: Conceptualize, design, and map the end-to-end guest and staff journeys across all campus spaces, identifying key safety touchpoints and opportunities for elevated experiences.
• Front-of-House Operational Playbooks: Build and implement detailed operational playbooks for all front-of-house functions, including ticketing, ushering, guest services, and emergency procedures.
• Staff Training & Onboarding Curriculum: Develop a robust training and onboarding curriculum for all Campus Experience staff, focusing on exceptional customer service, safety protocols, and brand ethos.
• Venue Readiness & Walk-Through Protocols: Design and execute pre-opening venue readiness checks, walk-through protocols, and system testing for all public spaces.
• Initial Event & Performance Staffing Matrix: Populate and finalize the initial event and performance staffing matrix, coordinating all necessary space holds and logistical requirements for the opening phase.

Direct Impact

This role is absolutely central to crafting the Forest Theater experience and ensuring operational excellence across our campus.

You will directly impact:

• Visitor Satisfaction: Elevate the experience for every visitor and partner, fostering memorable and seamless interactions across all events and spaces in both planning and execution.
• Operational Efficiency: Optimize front-of-house operations, patron flow, and event coordination, contributing to the overall smooth functioning of the campus.
• Revenue Growth: Drive significant growth in external venue rentals and partnerships, directly supporting the financial sustainability of the Forest.
• Team Excellence: Develop and empower a high-performing Campus Experience team, fostering a culture of exceptional service and continuous improvement.

Tools We Use

Our team relies on a modern tech stack to stay connected and productive, including Dropbox, Slack, Monday.com, Google Suite, RAMP, and Zoom.

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years of experience in campus planning, venue management, guest experience, or a transferable equivalent, ideally within a dynamic performing arts or large-scale event environment.
• Demonstrated success in operational planning, complex event coordination, and leading large teams in a public-facing setting.
• Strong expertise in managing front-of-house operations, booking systems, and external venue rentals.
• Exceptional attention to detail combined with superior project management and communication skills.
• Proven ability to maintain discretion, manage highly complex information, and navigate sensitive situations with diplomacy and grace.
• A deep understanding and commitment to racial equity, cultural access, and creating inclusive, welcoming experiences for diverse audiences.
• A growing passion for community, impactful storytelling, and our institutional mission to revitalize communities through arts and culture.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, salaried position with a fixed compensation of $100,000 annually, complemented by a comprehensive benefits package.

Employees who work an average of thirty (30) hours or more on a weekly basis may participate in medical, dental, vision, and other insurance programs. Under these plans, participating employees will receive comprehensive health and other insurance coverage for themselves and their families, as well as other benefits. Forest Forward presently pays a portion of the insurance premium for all eligible employees. Our Employee Benefits Package include the following:

Medical, Dental, Vision and other Voluntary options

Medical Coverage is provided through Blue Cross Blue Shield. Employees are eligible to enroll in the plan within 30 days of their hire date, and the coverage is effective on the first of the following month.

Retirement Plan

Forest Forward offers a 401(k) retirement plan administered by Lincoln Financial Services. Employees are eligible to participate in the plan 90 days after their hire date.

Paid Time Off/Vacation/Sick Days

All full-time employees are eligible to receive 80 hours of vacation time annually, 40 hours of sick time and three (3) paid personal/ or mental health days per calendar year.

Additional Information

This position will require occasional evening and weekend work, in conjunction with major performances and other special events.

Applications and Inquiries

Submissions will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis, through our online portal linked here. Please submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments. If you are in need of an alternative form of submission, email: ForestTheater.Manager@forestforward.org

Forest Forward provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.