The Guest Relations Assistant Manager is charged with delivering a consistently exceptional experience for all guests while leading Shedd’s Guest Relations operation efficiently. This individual will embrace and model outstanding customer service and develop and maintain high employee morale. This Manager is responsible for providing a welcoming guest experience, minimizing wait times and deploying staff and partners to assist guests throughout their visit.  

Acting as a leader in both front and back of house, the Guest Relations Assistant Manager demonstrates outstanding customer service skills as well as builds, monitors, and adapts strategic schedules. This individual will act as leader support for the floor. 

The Assistant Manager supports team engagement and retention through accurate timekeeping, as well as managing time off requests balancing team and guest needs. Working with leadership, the Assistant Manager will develop a schedule that balances staffing needs and budget requirements.  This person will suggest hiring needs and timing.  A key communicator through Humanity, this individual provides timely updates to the team. This person will develop and adapt post assignments, provide coaching and training, cover vacations, write and deliver performance appraisals, and act as an advisor for team members.   

This position supports administrative divisional functions; supply management, purchasing and invoice approval. This position requires the ability to work nights, weekends and holidays. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate commitment to Shedd’s vision, mission and values.   
  • Oversee daily operation of department functions, supervising GR team, providing seamless and joyful welcome 
  • Respond immediately to customer complaints and concerns; use judgment to resolve complaints to guest satisfaction 
  • Ensure outstanding customer and floor operations, lead team meetings, support process changes and per cap growth 
  • Work with internal and external partners to ensure execution of Shedd standards; provide a memorable guest experience. 
  • Be a liaison with all other Shedd departments as it relates to day-to-day operations, emergency situations, and special requests. 
  • Take the lead in ensuring that all public spaces the Guest Relations Team utilizes are set for the day ahead of opening. 
• Support development of effective staff schedule 
  • Create timely weekly staff schedules based on budget and post needs 
  • Monitor headcount and advise senior leaders of anticipated hiring needs 
  • Monitor daily attendance; provide staffing to ensure optimal coverage while maximizing operational efficiencies.  
  • Advise departmental management team on logistical and operational issues and new opportunities with regards to the total guest experience. 
• Support staff engagement and reduce turnover 
  • Actively create open staff dialog to develop schedules that support team member work life balance.
  • Actively participate in new-employee onboarding and training, professional development 
  • Support team member development through coaching, performance management, mentorship of assigned direct reports and review administration 
• Support divisional administration activities 
  • Order supplies and uniforms 
  • Manage EAM and GR purchasing process 
• Support divisional administration activities 
• Participate in departmental strategic planning.   
• Participate with teams as assigned. 

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.  

Experience:   

• Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience in a customer service/attraction environment. 
  Experience managing and scheduling a team of 100+ people preferred. 
  Experience with inventory management and loss prevention preferred.  

We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ community, veterans and active duty military, parents, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from all cultural backgrounds to apply. Shedd Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to select which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs).