Fair Manager

Pierce County

Position Description

Name: Department: Fair

Date: 2021 Pay Grade: J

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Title: Fair Manager Reports To: Fair Committee

Hours: Actual hours may vary Monday-Friday with occasional evenings and weekend commitments.

Purpose of Position:

Responsible for the planning, managing and coordinating the operations and scheduling of the County Fair and fair ground usage.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily and in a timely manner. The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive. Other duties may be required or assigned.

Administration of Fair Office:

• Develop, present and administer the annual operating budget for the County Fair. Monitor and approve expenditures, prepare vouchers, and monitor budgetary limits.
• Prepare Annual Report for State and County.
• Prepare Fair Committee agendas, meeting materials, minutes and related correspondence for the committee.
• Participate in the hiring of regular employees. Assign tasks and review work.
• Hire and supervise temporary positions including summer assistants, superintendents, ticket takers/sellers, parking attendants, building guards, beer garden supervisors, judges and numerous volunteers. Provide pre-employment training and monitor activities of personnel. Administer collection of employment forms and prepare all timesheets for payroll.
• Prepare ticket taker/seller and parking schedule.
• Maintain knowledge of personnel supervision principles, negotiation principles, safety policies and procedures.
• Process timely payment at conclusion of all contracted services (seasonal/monthly).

Plan and coordinate operation of the Fair and grounds usage:

• Negotiate contracts with carnivals, entertainers, food concessionaries, security, PA, parking & first aid, pulling services, veterinarian, manure hauler, other contracted services, advertisers and other services required for the Fair.
• Negotiate all non-fair time rental contracts and coordinate execution with groundskeeper.
• Collect and oversees all revenues prior to and during the event. Collect exhibitor entry fees, advance sales season and ride tickets, daily tickets, grandstand event gate and contestant fees.
• Order tickets, ribbons, trophies, plaques and supplies essential for the operation of events.
• Supervise preparation of fair book, judging sheets, entry tags, vendor placement and fair reports.
• Complete official and accurate report to Wisconsin Department of Agriculture detailing fair activities within specified time limit.
• Promote, schedule, negotiate contracts, and monitor non-fairground usage and coordinate with maintenance personnel.
• Oversee security and safety at events. Monitor law enforcement, traffic, car parking, and emergency medical services. Schedule ambulance, fire protection, water trucks and motor graders for grandstand events.
• Perform safety inspections, monitor weather and review related policies and practices with emergency management.
• Responsible for activation of all emergency protocols such as severe weather, extreme heat, lost children, animal health issues, police/security and medical.
• Work collaboratively with event staff with planning and conflict resolution
• Review special events, entertainer, food, commercial and contracted services and vendor liability insurance documentation for compliance with County established standards for loss protection. Maintain copies on file.
• Work cooperatively with 4-H Program Educator, Extension Staff, County Treasurer’s office, Sheriff’s office and other county departments in areas related to smooth operation of the Fair.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Write grant applications for appropriate Fair related opportunities.

Public Relations and Fund Raising:

• Represent the County in promotion of the Fair and grounds.
• Provide information to the public regarding fair and non-fair activities via news releases, advertising, social media, and other fair related promotional functions and activities.
• Develop long-range plans for County Fair in consultation with Fair Committee and Administrative Coordinator. Assist in development of long-range plan for fair grounds in conjunction with other county staff and committees.
• Act as the liaison between the Friends of the Fair Foundation and the Fair Committee. Assists to facilitate fund raising efforts for the fair and grounds.

Minimum Qualifications:

Associates degree in Business, Communications, Event Planning or related field, 3 years’ experience supervising employees and events planning or, any combination of training and experience that qualifies the individual for the position. Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

High energy individual with great organization skills, financial background/knowledge, management skills, ability to multi-task, communication skills and high degree of customer service skills for dealing with public. 4-H or fair knowledge helpful.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of County administrative guidelines and procedures concerning personnel, purchasing, and general administrative rules. Knowledge of recordkeeping and fiscal requirements and activities associated with Fair operations. Knowledge of recruiting, orienting, directing events personnel.

Ability to organize work and develop work procedures with minimum supervision; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County personnel, supervisors, vendors, the public, media, press and County officials; ability to prepare and maintain records. Must be dependable, tactful, and maintain confidentiality. Ability to plan, organize, coordinating and overseeing fair events, programs and activities. Promoting, advertising, and inform the public concerning fair events, programs and activities. Ability to negotiate contracts and services with fair vendors, talent, security, medical personnel or others required for the Fair. Ability to administer and monitor approved Fair budget and expenditures. Ability to maintain and keep ground maintenance records/file. Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rates, ratios, and percentages. Must be able to read, write, and understand English.

Physical Requirements:

This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work requires speaking and hearing, repetitive motions, frequently requires standing and reaching with hands and arms and occasionally requires sitting, walking, climbing stairs, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, pushing, pulling and lifting. Work requires close vision, ability to adjust focus, color perception and peripheral vision, vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities.

Environmental Ability:

Ability to work under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to environmental factors poses little risk of injury.

Pierce County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the American Disabilities Act, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $41,683.00 - $47,623.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Associate (Preferred)

Experience:

• Events management: 1 year (Preferred)
• Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: One location