JOB POSTING

Guest Services Coordinator

Posted: Open to internal and external applicants

Reports to: Guest Services Supervisor

Status: Full-time, hourly, benefitted position

Hours of work: Variable working hours, including holidays and weekends.Schedule will consist of shifts mostly within the hours of 8am and 7:30pm. Regular weekend availability is required. Occasional need for after-hours work as related to events and other projects.

Date needed: June 2024

Posting expires: When position is filled

Position description:

The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for a Guest Services Coordinator to join the Guest Services team. As a Guest Services Coordinator, you play a pivotal role in leading the guest services representatives group in crafting unforgettable experiences for our diverse global guests, in alignment with the Seattle Aquarium’s mission—Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment. Your aim is to embody hospitality by fostering warmth, understanding, and efficiency in guest and employee interactions. Leading by example, you will demonstrate compassion, stellar communication, and confidence. From warmly welcoming guests to seamlessly facilitating sales, you will be the smiling face setting the tone for each guest’s journey. As part of our vibrant Floor Lead group, you will collaborate seamlessly with departments throughout the aquarium to shape moments that last a lifetime. If you excel at connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds and languages, relish a dynamic, high-energy environment, and find satisfaction in creative problem-solving, then this is for you.

Key functions:

Leadership

• Provide meaningful guidance, clear communication, and focused direction to the GSR team, including setting and monitoring performance and engagement standards.
• Directly supervise and regularly check in with up to six GSRs.
• Set a high standard for work and service every day and lead by example to motivate the team to provide exceptional guest experiences.
• Build and maintain communicative, proactive, and respectful relationships across diverse interpersonal and interdisciplinary teams.
• Participate in advancing and integrating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
• Recognize and celebrate team members who demonstrate outstanding performance and value alignment.
• Participate in and advance equity-centered hiring processes for positions across the Aquarium.

Sales:

• Oversee the selling and renewing of Aquarium memberships, motivating the GSR team to maximize sales. Ensure compliance with policies and procedural documents when engaging with members.
• Oversee the daily operation of the Virtual Reality experience, motivating the GSR team to maximize sales, and assist in troubleshooting hardware and software issues.

Operations:

• Serve as a regular Manager on Duty/Floor Lead for the aquarium’s onsite team. Responsibilities include running morning meetings with other department heads, completing regular rounds, and acting as the point person to assist other departments and guests throughout the day.
• Oversee the daily onsite Guest Services team, including creating daily post and break schedules, and providing direction and feedback to the daily team of ~15 people.
• Act as the main contact for escalated customer issues, swiftly resolving complaints and inquiries from both the public and colleagues, and making executive decisions when needed.
• Oversee all aspects of sales and cash handling for admissions tickets, memberships, CityPASS, and other partnership tickets, ensuring compliance with departmental policies and audit requirements set by Finance and Membership.
• Assist in developing policies, procedures, and training programs in sales and customer service.
• Occasionally fill in as the greeter for school and group visits, providing orientation on visit expectations, logistical information, and general assistance. Additionally, assist during select evening events by facilitating guest arrival, providing wayfinding for vendors, and addressing guest inquiries.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Required skills and experience:
We will consider various combinations of relevant experience and education to meet minimum requirements.

• Experience in customer service roles or similar capacities, emphasizing the ability to effectively manage diverse tasks, interactions, and complex systems.
• Minimum one year of experience in a lead or supervisory role, demonstrating proficiency in team management, scheduling, task delegation, and strong leadership skills.
• English verbal and written proficiency is required for this role. Preference will be given to multilingual candidates (Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Lushootseed, or Japanese) and individuals with extensive personal or professional experience communicating across languages and differences.
• Personal and professional experience in managing conflict, de-escalating diverse groups of people, and promoting the well-being of impacted individuals in a respectful manner.
• Passionate about delivering exceptional hospitality and customer service, with a strong interest in conservation and education within an aquarium setting.
• Ability to thrive in high-pressure environments, consistently meet deadlines, and collaborate effectively with other Aquarium staff while demonstrating grace, resilience, and empathy.
• Committed to fostering a welcoming and enjoyable environment for guests and coworkers, and the ability to work well in a diverse team environment.

Working conditions:

• Constantly move about the Aquarium campus, occasionally working in outdoor weather conditions, while seldom remaining stationary for long periods.
• Frequently operate a computer and other office equipment such as a calculator or telephone.
• Occasionally move items such as stanchions and small boxes, either independently or in a team-lift situation.
• Constant in-person communication with co-workers, the general public, and culturally diverse individuals.
• This is a full-time position that requires availability to work variable hours, including holidays and weekends. The schedule will consist of shifts mostly between 8 am and 7:30 pm. Regular weekend availability is required. Occasional need for evening work related to events. The Aquarium is open daily, except on Christmas.

Salary and benefits: $26.50 to $28 hourly Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.

How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.

Interested candidates should upload a résumé to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.

SeattleAquarium.org/careers

Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.

Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.

About the Seattle Aquarium:

The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing an inspiring visitor experience, engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.

Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we’re among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 850,000 people each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we’re working to substantially increase our conservation impact by expanding our campus with a new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Learn more at SeattleAquarium.org.

Timeline:

We anticipate the following recruiting schedule for those candidates who are selected for consideration. The following dates are preliminary and subject to change. We will work with candidates to set interview dates. If hired, relocation assistance is not available.

• Priority given to applications received the first 2 weeks after posting
• Interviews completed by end of May 2024
• Start date: June 2024