Director of Guest Experience

Job Description

Joyful Jobs is recruiting a Director of Guest Experience on behalf of Tohono Chul.

Position Title: Director of Guest Experience

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary: $85,000 - $90,000 DOE

Pay type: Salaried pay

Pay Status: Exempt; not eligible for overtime

Benefit status: Eligible for all benefits

Hours: 40 hours per week; 5 days/week

Some weekend and night hours through the year; on-call for emergencies

Hours may vary and are subject to change

Organization Summary

Tohono Chul is a beloved 49-acre public garden in Tucson, Arizona, founded in 1985. Our mission is to serve as a community oasis where reverence for the cultural and natural ecology of the Sonoran Desert region inspires responsible stewardship so that future generations may thrive. A destination for both local residents and global visitors, it has been recognized as "One of the World’s Ten Best Botanical Gardens" by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Position Summary

The Director of Guest Experience is a leadership role focused on delivering exceptional visitor experiences at Tohono Chul. The position involves managing all aspects of guest services, including admissions, events, retail, food and beverage, volunteer/docent programs, and visitor engagement. The Director will develop strategies to improve guest satisfaction, increase visitation, and help drive membership growth, all while promoting the garden's mission of horticultural education, environmental stewardship, and community outreach. The Director will articulate a culture of hospitality in which all visitors have experiences aligned with their needs and feel a sense of belonging in an accessible and inclusive environment.

Tohono Chul’s vision is to become a commons: integral to the community and meaningfully engaging with the diverse histories and cultures of the region. This position is ideal for someone inspired by this vision and passionate about enhancing guest satisfaction and attendance by leading initiatives that make Tohono Chul a destination for connection, learning, and enjoyment in our gardens and conservation areas.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Lead and manage the guest experience team, ensuring high standards of customer service.
Manage and increase overall earned income revenue while advancing our mission.
Oversee admissions, food and beverage, retail, events, membership sales, and guest engagement programs.
Plan, organize, direct, and supervise the operational staff in support of ongoing activities, exhibits, programs and facility rental events of the Garden
Manage the restaurant and catering external partner, ensuring that guest experience is seamless and that standards are achieved, coordinate on public events, and find ways for our mission to be woven into restaurant and private events.
Develop and implement strategies to enhance the overall visitor experience, including interactive displays, guided tours, educational programs, and special events.
Develop outreach initiatives to engage new and diverse audiences, expanding the garden's reach and ensuring an inclusive experience for all visitors.
Foster partnerships with community organizations to promote the garden as a cultural and educational resource.
Collaborate with marketing and communications teams to promote guest programs and increase visitor attendance.
Monitor and analyze guest feedback and visitor data to continuously improve services and operations.
Ensure accessibility, safety, and sustainability throughout all guest areas and services.
Manage budgets, staffing, and resources effectively to support guest services operations.
Work with department managers, staff and volunteers to establish and implement training programs that ensure the delivery of an excellent visitor experience to each guest.
Coordinate with horticultural, educational, and event teams to ensure the seamless integration of programs and activities.
Participate in the senior leadership team alongside the Executive Director and Director of Finance and Administration

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality, Event Planning, Marketing, Business or a related/adjacent field
Proven experience in a similar role within a botanic garden, tourist-oriented attraction or cultural institution, with responsibility for attendance, operations, customer service and retail sales. Demonstrated experience and excellence in customer service and operations and in developing and nurturing positive customer interactions.
Experience managing multiple departments with numerous direct and indirect reports. A desire to mentor direct reports and comfort handling complex employee issues.
Previous experience serving on a senior leadership team or serving in an organization-wide leadership capacity.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Demonstrated understanding of budget development and tracking with experience managing budgets of at least $1 million.
Previous experience spearheading and successfully implementing initiatives and programs designed to increase attendance and earned revenue.
Strong knowledge and familiarity with best practices in guest experience and customer service.
Excellent communication skills including communication in-person, virtually, over the phone and written, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
Time management skills and ability to effectively multitask and meet deadlines while adapting to changing timelines and circumstances.
Analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Knowledge of current trends in museum visitor experience, educational theory, and audience development.
Ability to exercise diplomacy and composure.
Supportive to colleagues with an ability to work collaboratively across departments.
Enthusiasm for botanic gardens, horticulture, conservation, and/or environmental education.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Tohono Chul is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential for fostering creativity and achieving our mission.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position often requires standing and walking, and will occasionally require bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

About Tucson

Tucson offers an exceptional quality of life— unparalleled weather, diverse, culturally rich, and embedded in the awe-inspiring and lush Sonoran Desert landscape. Outdoor enthusiasts will love Tucson's extensive network of hiking and biking trails, including the famous Sabino Canyon and the 131-mile Loop, a cyclist's dream. City residents can drive just 45 minutes to the top of Mount Lemmon to experience snow during the winter or pine trees and cool weather during the summer. Tucson is just 90 minutes to the fifth-largest metropolitan city, Phoenix, and to the border with Mexico; has an international airport; and has been featured in both the New York Times and Time Magazine best places to visit in 2023.