What are the responsibilities and job description for the Guest Services Manager position at City of Seattle?
Position Description
About Seattle Center:
Seattle Center is the region's premier civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our city and region, home to more than 30 arts, cultural, and entertainment organizations, family attractions, and tourist amenities. Our mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. As a department of the City of Seattle, Seattle Center contributes to the quality of life for Seattle residents—and the region's economy and image as its top visitor destination.
About this position:
This position requires an expanding range of managerial skills including leadership, staff training and supervision, event production expertise, coordination with human resources on labor relations and union contract oversight, and public event safety. Fulfill a variety of other responsibilities such as being a professional advisor on numerous inter-department and cross department teams, supporting internal events or constituent organization promotional events, and providing leadership on Seattle Center Productions management team.
This team places a very strong emphasis upon providing excellent customer service to guests, clients and staff as well as helping to ensure their safety and enjoyment while they are at Seattle Center. The unit works 365 days a year on multiple shifts and operates 24 hours a day.
Job Responsibilities
Here is more of what you will be doing:
- This position requires extensive event background experience in both public and private sector to understand and develop protocols staffing events including public safety and customer service and event flow
- The position also manages staff scheduling software (Shiftboard) and an event management calendar and servicing database (Momentus)
- Work with City Labor Relations, HR and Director of Programs and Events to review policies and ways to improve and streamline dispatching, proper event coverage and union jurisdiction
- Analyze staffing levels and make recommendations on efficiencies
- Supervise, hire, train, evaluate and discipline staff for 500 annual campus events including one full time Dispatcher, one full time Accounting Technician, two Head Ushers and eight part-time Admissions staff—as well as 100 intermittent staff—and additionally manage a separate security contract which provides overfill staffing
- Oversee an event delivery budget over $2.2 million in labor expenses and $17,800 in non-labor expenses as well as generate revenues through reimbursed labor income and vendor agreements
- Craft, update, implement and train other leaders/staff on critical policies to ensure public safety and security within a variety of complex events and venues including customer service, crowd management, alcohol management and emergency response
- Communicate effectively and diplomatically with patrons, clients, co-workers and staff at all levels including converting information from Event Service Orders into clear instructions and appropriate scheduling
- Foster strong partnerships with external clients, City leaders, union representatives and staff including carefully overseeing the union labor agreements to ensure City compliance and appropriate discipline responses
Please note this job posting is not designed to cover or contain the complete listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change as conditions require.
Qualifications
This position requires the following education, training and/or experience:
- Progressively responsible professional work experience supervising and training guest services staff in multi-purpose public assembly facilities
- Two additional years of relabent experience/training/education or Bachelors' degree in Hospitality/Events Management, Sports Administration, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Working knowledge of principles and industry best-practices of customer service, event management, fire safety codes, ADA requirements, and alcohol management
You will be successful in this role if you have demonstrated expertise:
- Working across all levels demonstrating the skills to be politically astute with high level leaders, relate well with Guest Services staff and communicate effectively to everyone in between.
- Remaining calm under pressure and communicating effectively to a variety of personnel including police, fire department, clients, patrons, subordinates, coworkers and public officials
- Demonstrated successful personnel supervision
- Labor and non-laborer expense management
Work Environment/Conditions:
- Must be able to work indoors or outdoors in any kind of weather, quickly navigate multiple levels of a crowded public assembly venue or acres of outdoor space and be able to stand/walk/climb steep grades or stairs for extended periods of time.
- Ability to work any day of the year and at any time of day or night depending on event schedule
- The work is performed in an office environment. Hybrid work arrangements will be considered, but the Seattle Center office is open to the public during regular work hours and in-person work will be required. Employees will be expected to be in-office at least three times a week
Additional Information
This position is classified as a Manager 2, CSPI&P.
The full salary range for this position is $50.08 - $81.93 per hour. Salary will be evaluated based on experience.
How to Apply:
Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. You must submit the following items to be considered for this position no later than 4:00 pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, February 18, 2025:
- Completed NEOGOV online application.
- Supplemental questionnaire responses.
- Cover letter describing how your skills and experience align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications.
- Current résumé indicating relevant experience and education.
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To align with our commitment to equity and the City of Seattle's Race and Social Justice Initiative, Seattle Center is collecting cover letters and resumes without personal identifiers to achieve a blind screening process.
Background Check - This position involves background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
Why work at the City?
The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in dismantling racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and create and provide equitable processes and services. Seattle Office of Civil Rights)
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members
For helpful tips on the application process and recruitment process: Working at the City - Human Resources | seattle.gov
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.
Salary : $50 - $82
