Relationship development & student experience associate

Relationship Development & Student Experience Associate About Zak Barnett Studios

Zak Barnett Studios (ZBS) is a Los Angeles-based acting studio serving actors across film, television, theater, and the broader entertainment industry. Our philosophy centers on supporting the whole actor — their craft, confidence, consistency, mindset, and long-term artistic growth.

We are looking for a thoughtful, proactive, and relationship-driven team member to strengthen the student experience, build meaningful relationships with students, and support long-term retention.

Role Overview

The Relationship Development & Student Experience Associate will serve as a key point of contact for current students, helping ensure they feel supported, engaged, and connected throughout their time at ZBS.

This role combines student experience, relationship management, retention, and community building. The right person will proactively check in with students, identify concerns before they escalate, help resolve issues, and support students in continuing to get value from their training.

This is a full-time, work-from-home position, Monday through Friday, aligned with Los Angeles business hours.

Because this role works closely with actors, candidates must either be a current or former actor or have meaningful professional experience in the entertainment industry.

Key Responsibilities Student Experience & Relationship Building

Proactively connect with students and build strong, genuine relationships. Serve as a trusted point of contact for questions, concerns, and guidance. Create consistent student touchpoints to identify frustrations or challenges early. Help students feel connected to their classes, teachers, and the broader ZBS community. Look for ways to continuously improve the overall student experience.

Student Retention & Check-Ins

Conduct regular student check-in calls. Follow up with students who are missing classes, becoming disengaged, considering pausing, or showing signs of potentially leaving. Identify retention risks early and take proactive steps to re-engage students. Help students find the right class, teacher, schedule, or program fit when appropriate. Ensure students understand the value of their continued training. Maintain clear notes on student conversations, concerns, preferences, and follow-up items. Escalate important concerns to the appropriate team member when necessary.

Class Transfers & Student Support

Assist students who may need a different class, teacher, or schedule. Clearly communicate available options and next steps. Coordinate internally to ensure transfers and student transitions are smooth and properly documented. Use student support conversations as opportunities to improve satisfaction and retention.

Complaint Resolution

Listen carefully and empathetically to student concerns. Help provide thoughtful and practical resolutions whenever possible. De-escalate difficult conversations professionally and respectfully. Ensure students feel heard and supported, even when ZBS cannot provide exactly what they are requesting. Identify recurring complaints or student concerns and communicate patterns to leadership.

Reviews & Student Feedback

Encourage satisfied students to share honest feedback and Google reviews. Help collect authentic testimonials and student feedback. Share meaningful student feedback with the internal team.

Online Community Development

Help build and manage an online community for current students and alumni. Encourage participation, conversation, and engagement. Share relevant updates, opportunities, reminders, and community-building posts. Help reconnect alumni with ZBS and strengthen their long-term relationship with the studio. Ensure the community remains positive, professional, useful, and aligned with ZBS values.

Internal Coordination & Reporting

Maintain organized records of student conversations, follow-ups, complaints, transfers, and retention risks. Provide leadership with regular updates on student sentiment, recurring concerns, and retention opportunities. Coordinate with the ZBS team to ensure student issues are addressed consistently and promptly. Identify recurring themes that may be affecting student satisfaction or long-term enrollment.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who is naturally relationship-oriented, enjoys speaking with people, and can make students feel comfortable, heard, and cared for.

The ideal candidate is warm and empathetic while also understanding that this is a retention-focused role requiring strong follow-up, accountability, and communication.

You should be:

Warm, empathetic, confident, and professional. Excellent at phone and written communication. Comfortable regularly speaking with students by phone, email, and message. Strong at building trust and rapport. Highly organized with excellent follow-up habits. A strong listener and problem-solver. Comfortable handling complaints and sensitive conversations. Able to identify problems before they become larger issues. Comfortable balancing student needs with ZBS policies and business goals. Able to work independently in a remote environment. Passionate about acting, actors, education, or the entertainment industry.

Requirements

Must either be a current or former actor OR have meaningful professional experience in the entertainment industry. Must have a strong understanding of actors, acting training, and the realities of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. 3–5 years of experience in relationship management, customer success, client servicing, sales, student success, hospitality, education, community management, or another client-facing role. Strong verbal and written English communication skills. Experience in a sales, retention, or customer success environment is strongly preferred. Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records and notes. Ability to handle sensitive or difficult conversations professionally. Comfortable working full-time night shift hours, Monday through Friday. Experience with CRM tools, spreadsheets, online communities, or student management systems is a plus.

Work Schedule

Full-time Monday to Friday Work from home Night shift Schedule aligned with Los Angeles business hours

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means ZBS students feel more supported, connected, and engaged — and are more likely to continue their training.

The right person will help ZBS identify concerns earlier, reduce preventable student drop-offs, improve class fit, resolve complaints effectively, strengthen community engagement, and build stronger long-term relationships with both current students and alumni.