Description

Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, located in Playa Vista, is a unique community space featuring pet adoptions, a humane education program, and a leadership institute for animal science and welfare advancement. Annenberg PetSpace focuses on the mutually beneficial and dynamic bond between people and their pets, as well as the origins and community impact of that relationship.

Position Summary:

• The Guest Experience Specialist is responsible for providing high-quality service to all guests who visit PetSpace. Responsibilities include welcoming and directing visitors, assisting potential adopters, facilitating in-space programming, operating the gift shop, and providing support for onsite events. This role plays an essential part in sharing our mission with the community and offering a memorable experience. 
• The position will require weekend availability. 
• This is a part-time, temporary position for up to three months depending on the needs of PetSpace. 

Essential Position Functions:

The list that follows is not intended to be comprehensive; it is intended to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities of the position. Incumbents may not be required to perform all duties listed, and may be required to perform additional, position-specific tasks.

Reporting to the Guest Experience and Events Manager and Guest Experience and Events Coordinator, the Guest Experience Specialist will be held accountable for the following. 

• Offer a truly memorable and fulfilling guest experience for each patron of PetSpace whether they are intending to adopt or visiting to enjoy the space. 
• Establish and implement a customer-centered culture that identifies, nurtures, and reinforces guest service as a primary value. 
• Maintain excellent customer service and work to create a positive public face for PetSpace. 
• Be fully informed about daily PetSpace events, services, and the building itself. 
• Be fully informed about the services offered by partner organizations that use our facilities, such as the West Coast Grooming Academy and California Animal Rehabilitation. 
• Assist the Adoptions team by soft-vetting potential adopters and helping them complete the initial steps of the adoption process. 
• Manage guest expectations for adoption wait times and keep track of the order and status of potential adopters. 
• Assist with set-up for booked programming and events by working with the Programs and Facilities teams. 
• Lead educational programming with other GE members to provide guests with a unique, memorable, and positive experience. 
• Assist or lead activities for community events by facilitating check-in, wayfinding, answering guest questions about event rules and schedules, etc. 
• Provide prompt and courteous service to all Annenberg PetSpace retail guests by determining their needs and sharing product knowledge to suggest the appropriate merchandise. 
• Assist with the unloading, pricing, and stickering of merchandise to ensure the store is well stocked, and that supply counts are accurate.
• Dress and maintain product displays.
• Perform routine housekeeping tasks such as sweeping, dusting shelves, etc.

Requirements

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent; associate degree or bachelor's degree in hospitality or education-related field preferred. 
• 1-2 years of hospitality/guest service/events/retail experience. 
• Day-to-day experience in caring for or interacting with domesticated pets preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to work weekend and/or evening hours. 
• Strong customer service skills and ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. 
• Strong communication skills to ensure consistent messaging to guests of PetSpace policies. 
• Strong public speaking or performative ability to lead or assist with educational presentations and programming. 
• Experience working with or communicating with children of various ages.
• Knowledge of retail merchandising practices. 
• Up-to-date knowledge of smartphone apps, phones, and tablets. 
• Experience in retail point of sales applications and software, including contactless payment methods. 
• Proven ability to build consensus and work effectively within a cross-departmental team. 
• Possess poise, professionalism, diplomacy, teamwork and the ability to interact with people from all walks of life. 
• An individual who can contribute to the culture of respect for all individuals and animals. 
• Commitment to, and passion for, the mission of PetSpace. 

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear, stoop, bend, squat, kneel, grasp grip, put fingers together firmly and reach above and below shoulder level and lift, push or pull 50 pounds for situations of restraining or moving animals and lifting food and animal care supplies, repetitively use hands to operate computers; flex the neck upward and downward; twist the neck and the waist.

Work Conditions:

• Standard office environment with exposure to environmental conditions that include working near and caring for animals.

Wallis Annenberg Legacy Foundation, PetSpace, is a company that respects the uniqueness of each employee and offers everyone the means to find their place and thrive. We promote initiatives aimed at supporting professional equality for everyone. We strive to go above and beyond purely symbolic measures by building a culture focused on meaningful strategies aimed at creating an inclusive workforce.

Upon notice, the company engages with applicants and employees requesting reasonable accommodations. Please notify Human Resources to explore further.