Associate Director, Visitor Services and Operations [Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site]

Associate Director, Visitor Services and Operations

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESPHS) seeks an organized, engaging and creative professional for the position of Associate Director, Visitor Services and Operations. This position works to ensure a high quality visitor experience for the daytime prison tour program and all public events, including Terror Behind the Walls. In addition, this position oversees all ticketing operations for the organization and is the main contact for any vendor or contractor that has a direct impact on the visitor experience.

This position is responsible for the daily operations of the historic site, ensuring the professional operation and appearance of the site during all public hours and events (including clean up) and will coordinate with the Associate Director for Tour Programs and Education ensuring both the smooth operation of the site and an exceptional visitor experience.

Responsibilities include direct supervision of the Manager, Visitor Services and the Specialist for Group Tours and Administration. Through these managers, the position is responsible both for quality of the customer service experience, both in person and via phone/email, and operations as they relate to visitor services department and group sales. These responsibilities includes overseeing all cash handling, the operation of the museum store/retail sales (developing merchandise, ordering, and displaying merchandise and analyzing sales trends), the operation of the group sales department (group outreach, booking scheduling and correspondence), and coordinating the hiring, training, scheduling, evaluating and firing of visitor service staff.

During Terror Behind the Walls, this position will assist the Director of Operations in overseeing the Box Office, Retail and Line Staff Departments to ensure the organization’s high standards for cash handling and delivering an exceptional visitor experience are maintained during the Halloween fundraiser.

Other responsibilities include event planning, communicating with staff across the organization, coordinating a response in emergencies, and working closely with the tour program staff. Some weekend and evening work is required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree with course work in hospitality, hotel management, business or arts administration preferred.
• Five years of related customer service work experience including at least three years of supervisory/management experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Knowledge of visitor service principles, practices, and procedures; knowledge of arts and/or leisure audiences preferred.
• Commitment to team process and fostering a collaborative working environment.
• Passion for working with visitors from a wide range of ages, backgrounds and interests.
• Comfortable speaking with the public.
• Ability to be an energetic leader that models best practices for staff.
• Skilled in problem-solving, multitasking and time management.

Salary and benefits:

Competitive salary and benefits.

To Apply:

Please send a resume and cover letter to Brett Bertolino, Director of Operations at bb@easternstate.org. In your letter, explain why you are passionate about providing exceptional customer service and give a specific example of how you made a direct impact on the quality of the visitor experience at a previous place of employment. The deadline for applications is Monday, January 12, 2015 at 5 PM. No phone calls please.

About ESPHS:

When Eastern State opened more than 180 years ago, it changed the world. The first prison of its kind – a penitentiary – it was designed to inspire true regret in the hearts of criminals. The building itself was an architectural wonder; it had running water and central heat before the White House, and attracted visitors from around the globe. Although the prison now stands in ruin, its story remains relevant today.

Eastern State Penitentiary opened as a historic site in 1994, and attracted just over 10,000 daytime visitors – in 2013 it was visited by more than 180,000. The penitentiary is open every day, year-round from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information please visit easternstate.org.

About Terror Behind the Walls:

2015 will mark the 25th year that Eastern State Penitentiary has held a Halloween fundraiser. Since 1991, Terror Behind the Wallshas grown to become one of the largest and most sophisticated haunted attractions in the country. Today, Terror Behind the Walls is the single largest source of revenue for Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc., the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization that administers both the daytime prison tour program and the Halloween fundraiser.

Terror Behind the Walls runs on select evenings from mid-September through mid-November and does not affect operation of the historic site, which remains open for daytime tours seven days a week, year round.