Guest Experience Manager

Guest Experience Manager

SSA Group works with zoos, aquariums, museums, and other cultural attractions on integrating dining, retail, admissions and more. We increase revenue opportunities for partners across the United States. With 50 years in the business, SSA has refined the basics while pioneering better ways forward. With pillars of focus like sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, SSA is transforming the cultural attraction industry.

SSA was built by families, for families, with a family’s sense of love and dedication. We don’t just rely on the best practices in our industry, we customize best practices for each partner to set the bar higher and higher, always. We do all we can to further the mission of our partners because their guests and the communities they serve, deserve it.

Position Title: Guest Experience Manager

Reports to: Onsite General Manager with oversight from VP of Admissions

Job Description:

The Guest Experience Manager’s primary responsibility is to drive admissions/annual pass revenue and operational efficiency through strategical initiatives and effective operational processes. This primary responsibility is key to driving and fueling the mission of our partner.

Supported by the central Admissions team, the onsite Guest Experience Manager will be the key onsite contact working with the partner stakeholder team to provide management of the Guest Experience team, strategical input, and operational best practices. Guest Experience encompasses overseeing general admission tickets, annual passes, packages, group sales, 3^rd party sales, public ticketed events and more.

Key Responsibility Pillars

People

• Oversee Guest Experience Staff, including but not limited to, interviewing, hiring, training, performance management and terminations.
• Work with onsite Guest Experience Coordinator/Supervisor to ensure labor efficiency across all guest Experience staff.
• Staff motivation and accountability – ensure guest Experience staff are positively motivated and held accountable to perform their job responsibilities.
• Responsible for safety awareness and safety preparedness for the department and staff.

Strategy - Mission Driven Performance

• Strategy – The Guest Experience Manager is a critical part of the Admissions Stakeholder team and works closely with the central Admissions team to provide strategical input focused on driving attendance, revenue, and guest experience. The Guest Experience Manager is responsible for the execution of ongoing strategical initiatives within the Guest Experience team. Strategical initiatives include, but are not limited to:
  • Annual Admissions Strategical Plans

• • New product creation, including packages
  • Ongoing CRM campaigns
• Performance Analysis – Guest Experience Manager responsible for reviewing sales/attendance reports and providing status updates to the Partner and central Admissions team, as well as actionable proposals.
• Responsible for assisting in the creation of annual budgets in conjunction with the onsite General Manager and adhering to approved budgets.

Operations

• Work closely with the central Admissions team to implement best practices/processes on an ongoing basis and make changes to improve service as needed. Example processes include:
  • Ticket/Annual Pass Point of Sale (POS) use including upsell scripts
    • Sale of all products, returns, voids, upgrades, etc.
  • Cash-out process including cash handling processes
• Work closely with the central Admissions Systems team and onsite Guest Experience team to support the POS and associated systems.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree or combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years in Admissions/Annual Pass supervisory or management experience
• A demonstrated proficiency of Microsoft Office programs (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook).
• Proficiency in Ticketing, Retail & Food POS systems
• Ability to lift a minimum of 30 lbs.

Core Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including exhibiting professionalism and diplomacy when working with customers.
• Demonstrated, admissions operational knowledge and management of admissions teams.
• Demonstrated, technical knowledge of POS software and solutions.
• Organization and planning: Plans, organizes, schedules, and budgets in an efficient, productive manner. Focuses on key priorities.
• Attention to detail: Does not let important details slip through the cracks or derail a project.
• Persistence: Demonstrates tenacity and willingness to go the distance to get something done.
• Proactivity: Acts without being told what to do. Brings new ideas to the company.
• Flexibility/Adaptability: Adjusts quickly to changing priorities and conditions. Copes effectively with complexity and change.
• Intelligence: Learns quickly. Demonstrates ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information.
• Strategic thinking/visioning: Able to see and communicate the big picture in an inspiring way. Determines opportunities and threats through comprehensive analysis of current and future trends.
• Creativity/innovation: Generates new and innovative approaches to problems
• Teamwork: Reaches out to peers and cooperates with supervisors to establish an overall collaborative working relationship.
• Enthusiasm: Exhibits passion and excitement over work. Has a can-do attitude.
• Working additional hours beyond regularly scheduled hours as requested by management.
• Understanding of the necessity to meet stringent deadlines.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with this job description. The Company reserves the right to revise the job description or to require that other or different tasks are performed when circumstances change (i.e. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technological developments)