Retail & Guest Services Manager

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden – Coral Gables, FL
 Full-Time
 Reports to: Assistant General Manager

Position Summary

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is seeking a dynamic, hands-on Retail & Guest Services Manager to lead admissions, retail, and bistro operations with a strong focus on revenue, team leadership, inventory control, and guest experience. This position is responsible for ensuring that the Garden’s front-facing operations are welcoming, efficient, well-staffed, and aligned with Fairchild’s service and presentation standards.

This role oversees day-to-day performance across admissions, retail, and bistro while leading staff, managing purchasing and inventory, supporting membership conversion, and driving revenue growth through strong operational execution.

About Fairchild

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is one of the world’s premier tropical gardens, home to internationally renowned plant collections and a dynamic calendar of festivals, events, and educational programming. Fairchild blends science, culture, and hospitality to create memorable guest experiences for members and visitors alike.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Guest Services & Admissions

• Lead daily admissions and front gate operations, including box office and kiosk experience. 
• Ensure efficient guest flow, minimal wait times, and clear communication at all entry points. 
• Maintain high standards of hospitality, professionalism, and service recovery. 
• Support membership conversion and upsell efforts through team training, scripting, and active guest engagement. 

Retail & Bistro Operations

• Oversee daily retail and bistro operations, including presentation, cleanliness, readiness, and service quality. 
• Own retail and bistro sales performance, including product mix, pricing, merchandising, and promotional execution. 
• Support the delivery of a consistent, high-quality guest experience across retail and food and beverage touchpoints. 
• Identify revenue opportunities through product curation, bundling, seasonal offerings, and guest engagement strategies. 

Inventory, Ordering & Vendor Management

• Be directly responsible for placing orders and managing inventory across retail and bistro operations. 
• Maintain inventory controls, replenishment systems, and purchasing discipline to support financial performance and product availability. 
• Monitor stock levels, product movement, shrink, and restocking needs. 
• Manage vendor relationships to ensure timely ordering, quality standards, and operational reliability. 

Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Recruit, train, supervise, and develop admissions, retail, and bistro team members. 
• Lead, motivate, and retain staff through proactive coaching, recognition, incentive programs, and team-building efforts. 
• Foster a positive, accountable, service-driven culture focused on teamwork, consistency, and guest care. 
• Prepare staffing schedules aligned with attendance patterns, operating hours, event activity, and business needs. 
• Provide ongoing performance feedback and support team development. 

Performance, Reporting & Operational Standards

• Track and report on key performance indicators including revenue, per capita spend, membership conversion, labor efficiency, and inventory performance. 
• Maintain standard operating procedures and ensure consistency in execution across all managed areas. 
• Identify and implement process improvements to strengthen operations and guest experience. 
• Partner with leadership to support peak periods, special events, and seasonal activations impacting guest-facing operations. 

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of leadership experience in retail, hospitality, admissions, guest services, food and beverage, or a comparable guest-facing environment. 
• Demonstrated experience managing staff and driving operational performance. 
• Experience with inventory management, purchasing, and product ordering. 
• Strong merchandising, hospitality, and guest service instincts. 
• Proven ability to motivate, manage, and retain staff. 
• Experience using performance metrics and KPIs to guide decision-making. 
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills. 
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. 
• Food and beverage experience preferred. 

Work Schedule Requirements

• Full-time position requires a flexible schedule. 
• Must be available to work weekends, holidays, and select evenings as required by business needs, events, and seasonal operations. 
• Schedule may vary based on attendance patterns, special programs, and Garden events. 

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time. 
• Ability to move throughout indoor and outdoor work areas in varying weather conditions. 
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull materials and supplies consistent with retail and operational needs. 
• Ability to perform hands-on operational work in guest-facing environments as needed. 

Work Environment

This role operates in a combination of indoor and outdoor environments and requires regular interaction with guests, staff, volunteers, and vendors. The position is active and operational in nature and requires visibility on the floor, responsiveness, and direct involvement in daily execution.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation is commensurate with experience. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden offers a benefits package for eligible full-time employees.

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter for consideration.