Careers

Title: Senior Manager of Guest Experience
Reports to: CEO/Director of Finance and Administration
Type: Full-time / Exempt
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Compensation: $53,000 – $56,000 per year (based on experience)
Benefits: Pittock Mansion Society offers an excellent benefit package including 100% employer paid employee medical, vision and dental insurance, PTO, retirement plan with company match up to 3%, and an Employee Assistance Program.

 

ABOUT PITTOCK MANSION:

Pittock Mansion is a 1914 historic house museum and one of Portland’s top tourist destinations. Pittock Mansion Society, a private nonprofit organization, collaborates with the City of Portland, Parks and Recreation, to operate the Mansion. The premises include the Mansion, the Gate Lodge, and the Garage with beautiful gardens adjacent to the Pittock Viewpoint. Our mission at Pittock Mansion Society is to inspire understanding and stewardship of Portland history through the Mansion, its collections, and programs.

The organization, now under new leadership, is at an exciting juncture of strategic growth and reimagination having laid out a new vision Pittock 2.0, which aims to make the museum a relevant history institution, a dynamic destination, and a key community partner.

To achieve these goals, the Guest Experience team has been reorganized to align with the forward-looking vision of the organization. We are seeking team members who are enthusiastic about playing a collaborative role as Pittock moves into its next chapter. A perfect fit would be those who are passionate about history, serve as a model for excellent hospitality and service, and hold cultural sensitivity values close.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Senior Manager of Guest Experience will be a key team player who will lead with humility and take ownership in ensuring a welcoming first impression and the highest quality of guest experience for all visitors to the Pittock Mansion, including local and international visitors, patrons, members, and community partners. As a key team player, the Senior Manager of Guest Experience will also supervise our current team of Visitor Services Representative (VSRs), which also includes the Museum Store staff.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative, detail-oriented, as well as a critical thinker and problem solver. They will be a role model for the Guest Experience staff team of 8 to 10 full- and part-time staff, working very closely with interdepartmental management and volunteers so that Pittock Mansion is able to provide a seamless and memorable guest experience.

Responsibilities include working with internal and external stakeholders:

Internal Team

  • Ensure the Guest Experience department is accountable for providing the highest level of guest experience and safety at Pittock Mansion.
  • Ensure that each member of the Guest Experience team is well equipped with the technical know-how of sales transaction through Pittock’s Point of Sales system (for both the museum store and ticket sales) but is also resourced to offer an engaging and contextual experience that a history museum strives to offer.
  • Train Guest Services to proactively anticipate and address visitor needs, respond to unexpected scenarios, address complaints, and respond to emergencies in a thoughtful yet courteous manner.
  • Own hiring, on-boarding, training, providing feedback, and conducting mid-point and annual performance reviews, working closely with management per institutional policies and procedures.
  • Address concerns/complaints by visitors and staff, bringing them to executive management’s attention per administrative policies and protocols.
  • Integrate volunteers in the Guest Services team as part of the larger guest experience delivery and collaborate with volunteer management staff on scheduling, training, and debriefing of volunteers to be conducted regularly.
  • Work with management to provide recognition to Guest Services team members and build a strong camaraderie with the whole Pittock staff team.

Guests

  • Ensure that the Mansion collections, exhibits, and properties are safeguarded during public hours.
  • Identify and develop solutions for guest experience challenges.
  • Proactively interact with guests and gather informal sense about their guest experience, address questions and articulate membership or other forms of ongoing engagement with organization.
  • Handle guest concerns, comments, and complaints without delay, documenting the information appropriately. Relate guest concerns about pricing, experience, and exhibits to management.
  • Oversee group tours scheduling, commercial photo requests, media visits, and walk-in sales of memberships or donations.
  • Work with management to gather guest information in the POS system, conduct surveys, or gather feedback as requested.
  • Immediately report related guest issues on Park property (non-Pittock Mansion premises) to Parks safety department, keeping Pittock management informed.
  • Collaborate with Pittock’s Buildings Caretaker to be the co-point of contact on the Parks communication group and act as the back-up responder for security alarm situations.

Administrative

  • Supervise department operations, including ensuring best practices, overseeing cash handling and phone sales, and reconciling daily transaction reports.
  • Serve as primary specialist and administrator on Point of Sales software or admissions and museum store for input, reporting and training.
  • Provide and ensure inventory check-in and processing support for the Museum Store.
  • Create weekly and daily schedules for the Guest Experience team to ensure seven-day coverage of the sites, the museum store and appropriate breaks are met.
  • Hold daily check-in meetings before the start of the business day, fully informing VSR staff of planned events.
  • Attend weekly management meetings and share written highlight summary from the management meetings with the Guest Experience staff team so that team members fully understand institutional goals, priorities, needs, and changes.
  • Track and generate monthly and “as needed” attendance and revenue reports and museum sales and inventory reports for management, and attend discussions with CEO and Director of Finance and Administration regarding trends and adjustments needed to stay within budget target goals.
  • Develop training manual and additional training materials for Guest Experience staff. Conduct monthly trainings on content and customer service skills. Make sure Guest Service staff are kept engaged with training, reflective writing and dialogues or supporting other institutional work during mansion closures (such as during inclement weather). Provide tools and resources to the team during such times.
  • Collaborate with Collections Care staff to provide Guest Experience staff support for collections cleaning as scheduled.
  • Assist with other institutional needs, including providing support for programmatic and special events. Work with the development, marketing, collections care, building maintenance and programmatic team members so that guest experience team and management team are fully integrated and seamlessly supportive of each other.
  • Other tasks as assigned.

 

Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent supervisory experience in hospitality, management, operations, or retail.
  • 5+ years frontline, customer service supervisory experience preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience and success managing and motivating staff, fostering a positive work environment, and modeling best practices.
  • Museum, cultural institution, or other public attraction experience preferred.
  • Familiarity with DEAI principles and cultural sensitivity practices.

Requirements

  • Combines efficiency, management, and organizational skills with explicit expression of humility and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Proven high level of critical thinking, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
  • High proficiency with technology applications and POS systems a must.
  • Positive, professional attitude and approach.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Physical Activities/Environmental Conditions

  • Light to medium work that includes moving objects up to 30 pounds.
  • Front-line workstations may not be in a climate-controlled environment.
  • Wearing of personal protective equipment (e.g. face covering, gloves) may be required.

Schedule

  • Able to work weekends, holidays, and special events.

To Apply:  Please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@pittockmansion.org. Please include “Senior Manager of Guest Experience” in the subject line.

The qualified candidate must complete background check prior to hiring.

Pittock Mansion Society is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discrimination practices.