Manager, Guest Services Admissions

About The Position

Pay rate: To maintain internal equity, we have identified the range for this position at the Oakland Zoo as $76,731 - $81,144 annually. An offer within this range will be determined by the experience and qualifications of a candidate and will be our best and final compensation offer, in alignment with Oakland Zoo's compensation philosophy.

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The Guest Services Manager, Admissions is responsible for overseeing the cash, credit, and check operations of all accounts within the Guest Services department. They are the point-person for admissions revenue inquiries from the Finance department. They help build and maintain constructive interdepartmental relationships to facilitate Zoo-wide decision making and actions, including occasional event planning, guest communications, and admissions policy and protocol changes. The Guest Services Manager, Admissions regularly discusses the progress and status of all the above with the Director, Guest Operations.

Operations—Ticketing

Department

Manager

Year-Round

Full-Time

$76,731 - $81,144 annually

Benefits

Application Deadline:

Oakland Zoo offers a comprehensive benefits package, including Health insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Flexible spending account, Retirement plan, Paid time off, Employee Assistance Program, and A Family Zoo Membership.

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Essential Job Duties

• Hire, train, develop, and oversee Guest Services and Admissions staff with support from Assistant Manager and Supervisors.
• Manage daily Admissions and Guest Services operations, ensuring accurate transactions and exceptional customer service.
• Oversee cash handling procedures, including cash drawer reconciliation, safe counts, and daily bank deposits.
• Monitor team timesheets, process payroll, and maintain attendance and accounting records in compliance with reporting deadlines with support from Assistant Manager.
• Collaborate with Finance on Operations revenue reporting, cash control procedures, and annual audit support.
• Maintain and communicate current Zoo admissions policies and operational procedures across departments.
• Co-lead admissions capacity planning and guest/parking flow strategies to support a positive guest and staff experience, including managing and crafting the Zoo’s business hours.
• Respond to and resolve escalated guest concerns in person and through virtual communication channels.
• Develop and manage Oakland Zoo operating hours and staffing coverage plans.
• Maintain working knowledge of all Guest Services and Admissions functions and support operational needs as required.
• Follow all guidelines and procedures outlined in department training manuals.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.
  
  

Supervisory Responsibility

• Hires, supervises, develops and oversees performance management of the Assistant Manager, Guest Services Admissions; Supervisors, Guest Services Admissions and Administrative Assistants, Guest Services Admissions.
• Hires, supervises, and develops the Cashiers with support from the Assistant Manager and Supervisors from Guest Services Admissions.
  
  

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Who You Are

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in admissions operations, accounting, banking, guest services, or a related operational environment.
• Minimum of 1 year of leadership experience supervising teams of 10 or more staff in a high-volume, customer-facing environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing cash handling, revenue controls, payroll, reporting, and operational compliance procedures.
• Strong leadership, organizational, administrative, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, including the ability to professionally manage escalated guest concerns and complex situations.
• Possesses a valid Driver’s License with a clean driving record to obtain authorization from the Zoo’s Insurance provider.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on operational needs, including weekends, holidays, evenings, and peak attendance periods; at least one weekend day required.
  
  

Bonus If You Have

• An Associate’s degree in Business or a related field.
  
  

Work Environment - Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Work in indoor office conditions with exposure to moderate noise levels.
• Work outdoor environments in various weather conditions, including inclement outdoor weather conditions such as heat, cold, wind and rain.
  
  

Physical Considerations - The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Able to bend and twist, lift and carry objects up to 35 lbs., stand, kneel, sit, walk, bend, stoop and speak regularly and for long periods of time (up to 8 hour shifts or more).
• Ability to navigate Zoo grounds.
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Required Education

Knowledge, Skills, and Qualities

May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills and abilities commonly associated with this position.

May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills and abilities commonly associated with this position.

• Leadership: mentors, advises, and develops people across identities with consideration for cultural relevance and responsiveness, self-awareness around implicit bias and understanding of the power dynamics that exist in organizations.
• Enjoyment – finds joy in one’s work, approaches tasks with thoughtfulness & intentionality, and fosters collective well-being by embracing the unique skills and qualities of colleagues.
• Dependability – demonstrates trustworthiness and reliability, including while working with little or no direct supervision
• Flexibility – nimbly adapts to evolving priorities and urgent needs; handles intervals of high pressure while maintaining perspective and humor
• Organization – strong attention to details and able to build and/or maintain efficient systems
• Communication – communicates respectfully and effectively with stakeholders across identities, both verbally and in writing
• Growth-Oriented - Inspired to perform well by the chance to take on more responsibility
• Solution-oriented – utilizes an open-minded and strengths-based approach to finding solutions for complex challenges.
• Inclusive Culture - fosters a culture of mutual respect, transparency, collaboration and belonging which allows all employees to feel appreciated, included, and valued.
• Passion – wholeheartedly believes in, represents, and models Oakland Zoo’s mission and PRIDE values at all times
• Wildlife Aware - understands mission to support the conservation and welfare of animals at The Zoo, locally and globally. This is demonstrated by a willingness/passion to reflect this mission in all actions and to continue to learn how to take action for wildlife
• Sustainability – oriented toward the mission and values of the Oakland Zoo and able to put those into practice by finding creative and resourceful ways to develop sustainable practices within your role and department
  
  

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Who We Are

Oakland Zoo (managed by The Conservation Society of California) is an award-winning facility stretching 100 acres and overlooking the city of Oakland atop the hills of beautiful Knowland Park. Our mission is to inspire respect for and stewardship of the natural world, while providing a quality visitor experience. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), The Zoo is part of the largest conservation organization in the nation. Our employees take PRIDE in our values of being Positive, Respectful, Inquisitive, Driven and Effective members of a team who places the care of our animals, stewardship of the natural environment, and the experience of our guests at the forefront of all that we do.

Oakland Zoo’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access

We believe that all people should have safe access to the Zoo and culturally relevant and responsive experiences with our staff, programs and curriculum. Oakland Zoo is also striving to create an equitable and inclusive internal culture where all staff members feel represented and valued for their identities and lived experiences. We examine how power, bias, race and other aspects of identity impact our organization. We work to build a culture of continuous learning and improvement toward a vision of equity and belonging for all staff. We are looking for team members who can actively join us in this process. We are committed to reflecting the diverse community in which we exist and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ identifying folks, and women to apply.

The Conservation Society of California is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, QAOV status, or other characteristics protected by law. The Conservation Society of California also promotes respect for all people and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics.

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Oakland Zoo participates in E-Verify to verify work authorization.

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