Guest and Member Services Manager

Join the Adventure at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum!

Passionate about people and wildlife? Do you have what it takes to transform ordinary visits into extraordinary memories? Merge your interests as our Guest and Member Services Manager , where you and your team will create a welcoming environment and shape the first and lasting impressions of our valued guests.

This position is considered open until filled; however, application review will begin immediately. Please understand that if offered a position, you will, as a final condition of employment, be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screen, a criminal background check, and provide the equivalent of a satisfactory 39-month DMV report.

Job Title: Guest and Member Services Manager
Department: Guest Services
Reports To: Associate Director of Operations
FLSA Status: Exempt; Full-time
Compensation: Anticipating starting salary $61,110-$64,705 per year DOE, plus a comprehensive benefit package, which includes medical, dental, vision, life and LTD insurance, FSA, HRA, 403(b) retirement plan, paid holidays, personal business, sick leave, and vacation.

Summary
The Guest and Member Services Manager is responsible for leading front-of-house operations and defining the standard for guest experience at the Desert Museum. This role ensures that daily operations at the point of entry are efficient, welcoming, and well-coordinated, while actively identifying and addressing opportunities to improve flow, reduce friction, and elevate service. It includes responsibility for how the membership program is presented and facilitated.

The Manager builds and maintains a high-performing team through clear expectations, structured onboarding and training, and consistent accountability. This position plays a key role in shaping how guests experience the Museum from their first interaction, ensuring staff are prepared, supported, and delivering service that reflects organizational values.

The role is primarily operational, with a strong presence in the field, balanced with planning and administrative responsibilities necessary to support staffing, training, and overall effectiveness of the operation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Lead Frontline Guest Operations

• Oversee daily guest entry operations, including admissions, membership, and guest entry flow, ensuring an efficient, and welcoming experience.
• Actively monitor and manage guest flow, identifying and addressing confusion or inefficiencies.
• Maintain ownership of the front entrance area, ensuring spaces are organized, functional, and meeting guest experience standards.
• Serve as primary Manager on Duty (MOD), acting as the main point of contact for operational support and escalated issues.
• Maintain working knowledge of ticketing and POS systems and processes sufficient to properly support staff and ensure smooth daily operations.

Support and Deliver a Culture of Service Excellence

• Establish clear, practical expectations for the Guest Services team and ensure consistent execution.
• Lead by example in guest interactions, demonstrating strong communication, professionalism, and effective service recovery.
• Address service breakdowns directly and coach staff to improve performance.
• Ensure guest-facing communication, including in-person and written responses, is clear, professional, and aligned with Museum standards.

Build and Develop the Team

• Oversee all aspects of Guest Services staffing, including scheduling, onboarding, training, and performance management.
• Develop and implement structured onboarding and training processes to ensure new staff are prepared and supported from day one.
• Provide ongoing coaching and feedback to continually reinforce expectations and support employee success.
• Supervise and train department volunteers, holding them to the same service and operational standards.
• Membership-specific training expectations.

Ensure High-Quality Guest Interactions

• Support staff in communicating professionally and consistently in ways that enhance the guest experience, including membership as a value-based option when appropriate.
• Ensure effective execution of membership programs and promotions in coordination with senior leadership and marketing.
• Provide feedback on guest and member interactions to inform membership strategy and improve messaging.
• Train and reinforce simple, effective communication approaches that facilitate awareness and understanding, without creating a high-pressure sales environment.
• Monitor and improve how staff engage with guests to ensure interactions are helpful and aligned with established service standards.
• Regularly observe staff interactions and provide timely, constructive feedback and coaching to underscore expectations and improve overall performance. Periodically review and share guest service resources and materials, model best practices.

Oversee Scheduling and Administrative Functions

• Develop and manage complex staff schedules across a 7-day operation, balancing attendance patterns, staffing levels, employee classifications (full-time, part-time, temporary), and individual availability to ensure appropriate coverage and efficient use of resources.
• Adjust staffing plans as needed to respond to changing operational demands, including peak periods and evening events. Awareness of staffing for peak membership opportunities and fulfillment periods.
• Ensure operations are effectively planned and supported during periods when the Manager is not on site, with clear expectations and coverage in place.
• Oversee other administrative functions including payroll processing, cashiering procedures and related documentation, and digital check deposit processes. Coordinate group reservations and logistics. Maintain appropriate inventory of operational supplies, establishing systems to ensure critical items are consistently available. Run and distribute standard reports as needed.

Identify and Implement Operational Improvements

• Regularly assess operations, staffing, and guest interactions and takes initiative to identify areas for improvement and adjust processes.
• Take initiative to adjust processes, staffing approaches, and workflows to improve efficiency and guest experience. Ensure operational issues within the assigned area are identified and addressed proactively, without reliance on direction from others.
• Support cross-department coordination when operational changes impact the guest experience.

Supervisory Responsibilities
Directly supervises multiple employees and volunteers with a variety of job functions. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience/Commitment Requirements
Bachelor’s degree preferred. A minimum of 5 years of related experience required. Employment experience in a cultural attraction setting preferred.

Language Skills
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule form.

Required Knowledge and Abilities

• Strong written communications skills; ability to write and edit clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive proposals, reports, and public communications.
• Outstanding guest service skills including the ability to successfully perform sensitive, high-level service recovery.
• Ability to support and manage organization change - leading the "people side" of departmental/business changes and the techniques of minimizing negative outcomes.
• Knowledge of membership and related marketing techniques and strategies.
• Knowledge of POS/CRM, database, spreadsheet, and word processing software. Experience with Raisers Edge preferred.
• Understands business implications of decisions; displays orientation to profitability; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• This is a salaried, exempt position. Non-traditional work hours are often required with a varying schedule.

Physical Requirements
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.

• The ability to effectively communicate with the general public.
• The ability to use standard office equipment and technologies including computers, keyboards, touch screens, telephones, etc.
• The ability to spend extended periods of time sitting, standing, and walking.
• Occasional lifting of up to 30 pounds.
• The ability to safely traverse through an unpaved natural desert environment.
• Able to withstand extended periods exposed the adverse weather conditions typical of southern Arizona.

IDEA Commitment
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is committed to fostering a welcoming space and a diverse, inclusive team that reflects the communities in which we live and work. We understand that inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) are integral to the fulfillment of our mission, and to our success as an organization. To that end, we are working to build the structures, policies, hiring practices and organizational culture that ensure representation and opportunity for all, and create an environment of belonging where everyone feels respected, safe, and understood. Additionally, as we continue to engage in this work, we are working to integrate the core values of IDEA into our programs, exhibits, communications, and other public offerings. Valuing each other’s differences brings us together to create a thriving workplace and fair work culture, allowing us to fulfill our mission more effectively.

We believe inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. Ways in which commitment is demonstrated include continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively addressing bias. Visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's IDEA page to learn more.

The Museum’s IDEA Coalition consists of staff members who are driving our efforts to build a culture where people feel they belong and have a voice.

The above description reflects a general overview of the responsibilities, reporting relationships and position requirements for this job classification. It is not intended to be a complete description of all duties and requirements that may be inherent in the position.

ABOUT US
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a non-profit institution dedicated to the conservation and research of the Sonoran Desert region with the goal of making the Sonoran Desert accessible, understandable and valued. We are a fusion experience zoo, botanical garden, aquarium, art gallery, natural history museum, and research institute. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums has recognized the Desert Museum for over 25 years of continuous accreditation.

The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.