The New England Aquarium is a catalyst for global change for our ocean. In pursuit of the Aquarium's goal of supporting a vital and vibrant ocean through public education and advocacy, our organization welcomes approximately 1.3 million visitors each year, allowing them to connect with a wide array of species that call the ocean home. The Associate Director of Visitor Services oversees the managerial frontline staff that ensures the positive, safe, and welcoming experience of all guests at all times. This role includes the oversight of the First Aid Responder program and other emergency protocols, development and refinement of customer service practices and policies, and collaborating regularly with other departments.
This is a full-time regular position offering a comprehensive benefits package. The schedule will be either Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday-Thursday, with the option to work one day each week remotely. Typical hours will be 8:30a - 5p or 9:30a - 6p depending on the season. Occasional earlier or later shifts may be required.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Support the development and maintenance of a collaborative, communicative, and supportive department culture that is focused on fostering transparency, respect, trust, and teamwork, and ensuring alignment toward shared goals and a positive, cohesive work environment.
Lead and coach Associate Managers to ensure the leadership team sustains an environment that prioritizes exceptional customer service and job performance, timely and effective communication, and an engaging experience for both staff and visitors. Help establish high performance standards for staff that align with organizational values and ensure accountability to those standards. Conduct performance evaluations and address performance issues as needed. Oversee Associate Managers in their interdepartmental projects and cross-training programs.
Conduct regular individual and team meetings with Associate Managers and attend regular meetings with Lead Visitor Assistants to ensure thorough communication, transparency, and the opportunity for staff to ask questions, provide feedback and ideas, and collaborate.
Ensure Visitor Experience staff are informed and updated on Aquarium news, such as exhibit changes, upcoming events, senior leadership announcements, and other collaborative work between Visitor Experience and other departments. Serve as the Visitor Experience representative on various organization-wide working groups and task forces.
Routinely evaluate departmental policies and procedures and updated to reflect best practices in terms of customer service, efficiency, safety, delivery of conservation messaging, and the protection of institutional assets.
Create and update overall seasonal schedules based on anticipated attendance and functional needs. Adjust overall schedules as needed to be responsive to changing conditions. Ensure that Associate Managers consistently follow a structured and equitable system for creating daily schedules in alignment with overall seasonal staffing needs, business demands, peak hours, required coverage, and time off requests.
Perform occasional shift coverage of the Ticket Booth, Information Desk, Simons Theatre, and on the floor in order to maintain awareness of and monitor the effectiveness of procedures, and to monitor and model standards for customer service, visitor interactions, collaboration, and communicative teamwork.
Provide strong leadership and demonstrate quick problem-solving and flexibility. Courteously respond to and resolve customer service complaints as they arise and refer to the Director as needed.
Ensure that the proper leadership staff are scheduled for the timely opening of the Aquarium and for safe and efficient operation throughout the day. Resolve operational issues as they arise and activate the Emergency Response Team as needed. Ensure that Associate Managers are knowledgeable about procedures related to ticketing time slot management in order to ensure the main building operates at a safe capacity that maximizes ticket sales while maintaining an engaging experience.
Manage all aspects of the First Aid Responder program including medical emergency response, incident reporting, and debriefs. Coordinate participation in training and recertification, meetings, and drills. Collaborate with Animal Care and Dive Safety departments to strengthen safety protocols and responses, mitigate risks, and enhance safety for staff, visitors, and animals.
Organize, conduct, and submit paperwork for regular medical emergency, evacuation, and other visitor-related emergency drills and simulations. Assist the Director to ensure compliance with regulatory standards per the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Manage additional drills to ensure VX team is competent and comfortable with all aspects of the Emergency Management Plan (EMP).
Serve as the Incident Commander or the Operations Chief (Staff & Visitors) during emergencies as needed. Manage emergency procedure training for the department as outlined by Director and in accordance with the EMP. Assist with regular revisions to the Emergency Management Plan and Emergency Response Team; help ensure all relevant Main Building staff are kept informed of updates.
Provide training and additional support as needed for Associate Managers in their roles as First Aid Responders, Operations Chief (Staff & Visitors), primary safety trainers of staff, and other duties related to safety and emergency preparedness.
Regularly coordinate with leaders in other departments to ensure that all Main Building and visitor-facing operations are running smoothly. Work with VX Senior Coordinator and other departments to organize and schedule VX staff participation in behind-the-scenes tours and other opportunities for professional development, team building, and morale boosting.
Perform other related duties, as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Training and Experience
Bachelor's degree preferred.
5 years of related experience in operations of a busy cultural institution or other visitor attraction.
2 years of experience managing supervisory staff in a customer service environment.
Experience developing Standard Operating Procedures for front-line customer service staff in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Required to have or willing to obtain First Aid/CPR/AED and Divers Alert Network (DAN) Diving First Aid (DFA) certifications.
Experience with emergency management preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Strong leadership skills that guide managers and staff to deliver on the mission of the department and the organization.
Demonstrated ability to create a positive work environment and to maintain staff morale and team spirit.
Demonstrated ability to remain calm and decisive during stressful emergency situations.
Ability to multi-task and deal with challenging visitor situations.
Self-directed and resourceful problem solver.
Willingness to have a flexible schedule including weekend work.
Passion for the mission of the New England Aquarium.
Familiarity with spreadsheet applications.
For more information and to apply online please visit: http://neaq.applicantpro.com/jobs/
New England Aquarium is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer as defined by the EEOC. Here we foster a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion. We strive to engage and inspire a broad audience with our efforts to protect the blue planet, and we believe a diverse workforce provides experiences, skills, and perspectives that enrich our programs, strengthen problem-solving, add creativity, and enhance our work environment.