Director, Guest Experience

This is a Full Time Job

Summary:

The Washington Nationals are actively seeking a passionate, experienced, and proactive Director of Guest Experience whose main responsibility is to create a welcoming, safe, and positive experience for each guest entering Nationals Park. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Ballpark Operations, the Director of Guest Experience is responsible for developing, maintaining, and implementing an ongoing customer service program for Nationals Park. The Director is responsible for the oversite and direction of the Guest Experience operation as well as budgetary and operational management for Guest Experience. The Director works collaboratively with the Human Resources and game day department managers to train all new team members ensuring that they are given the tools needed to be successful as a member of the Washington Nationals organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Guest Experience Management
• Oversee Nationals Park game day staff operations, serving as the primary event manager for all events at Nationals Park.
• Manage Direct reports (Managers and Coordinator) and game day staff including guest experience staff, hospitality hosts, promotions staff, and Nationals Park tour guides.
• Support the creation of an environment of positive employee relations, keep confidentiality, establish trust and credibility, seen by employees as approachable and fair.
• Spend significant time interfacing directly with employees and establish positive relationships.
• Review work place environment and put plans in place to ensure team member satisfaction.
• Spearhead all recruitment efforts, maintaining appropriate staffing levels throughout the calendar year to support Nationals games and non-game day initiatives.
• Oversee all disciplinary actions for game day staff, working closely with Human Resources and the legal department as appropriate.
• Provide resolution to escalated guest complaints or concerns during games, concerts, and special events.

Training & Recruitment
• Develop and execute a comprehensive Customer Service Program for Nationals Park for Guest Experience, to include:
• Preseason training session
• Monthly Service meetings and follow-up trainings
• Review of service culture through Secret Shoppers and Experience Audits
• Daily pre-shift meeting topics
• Build relationships with various Team Service partners to ensure service buy-in and strengthen relationships.
• Yearly review of all service related material spearheading edits and production.
• Ensure all game day staff are in compliance with Nationals established service principles and training guidelines.
• In collaboration with Human Resources, manage the Recruiting process for Guest Experience.

Budget
• Prepare budgets relative to staffing, training, and recruiting of event service employees.
• Ensure game day actuals fall in line with budget projections.
• Monitor operational spending to ensure it is within budget.
• Estimate and explain future financial needs for departmental growth.
• Make all budget changes in a timely manner to ensure that they can be reflected in the upcoming year’s budget.
• Manage Guest Experience payroll and training budget.

Other
• Consult with other departments on guest experience needs for non-game day events and unique marketing initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality, Business Administration, Sports Management, or a related field.
• Ten years of experience in Customer Service staff management and training.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities necessary to perform essential functions
• Ability to interact well with fellow employees and the general public.
• Effective verbal and written communication and presentation skills; ability to interact with people of all different levels and backgrounds.
• Understands how to manage information, balancing employee confidentiality with business needs; knows when to communicate information upward.
• Understands need for data integrity and pays attention to maintaining accurate and timely data.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively employees, other departments, and leadership.
• Ability to manage several complex projects simultaneously while working under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Computer proficiency and technical aptitude with the ability to utilize MS Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Experience creating and managing a large budget.
• Ability to influence, negotiate and gain commitment at all organizational levels.
• Uphold Core Values: Excellence, Performance, and Accountability. These core values set the tone in everything we do, help us succeed on and off the field, make a difference in the community and provide the best guest experience in sports. It is important that the person in the position commits themselves to these core values so that we can constantly move forward in the same direction – Together.

Preferred Skills
and Experience:
• Team and/or sports experience.
• Knowledge of MLB policies and procedures.
• Experience with ABI software.

Physical/Environmental Requirements:
• Office: Working conditions are normal for an office environment. Work will require weekend and evening work.
• Gameday: Job requires employee to function in a high activity and heavily crowded outdoor professional sports venue. May work at heights. Employee will be exposed to inclement weather of varying degrees. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand for long periods of time, walk long distances, and climb up/down stairs. The employee is required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or sit and must lift and/or move up to 45 pounds.

All applicants for employment at the Washington Nationals are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to commencing employment. Applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment will be required to produce proof of vaccination status prior to their first day of employment. Applicants with qualifying disabilities or bona fide religious objections may be exempted from this requirement or otherwise accommodated if they are unable to be vaccinated.