Director of Guest Experience in Draper, Utah at The Living Planet Aquarium

Position: Director of Guest Experience

Reports To: Senior Director of Operations

Why Utah?

Utah is home to five national parks, world-class skiing and snowboarding, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, and stunning deserts, mountains, and lakes, all within easy driving distance. Outdoor adventure is part of everyday life. The Salt Lake Valley consistently ranks high for safety, clean communities, short commute times, and family-friendly amenities. Draper offers a balance of suburban comfort and urban access, with downtown Salt Lake City just 15 minutes away. Enjoy all four seasons without extremes—sunny summers, colorful falls, snowy winters, and mild springs, perfect for both outdoor recreation and city living. Utah’s communities are known for being engaged, supportive, and service-oriented, making it easy for newcomers to feel at home.

About Loveland Living Planet Aquarium:

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (LLPA) is a mission-driven institution dedicated to inspiring people to explore, discover, and learn about Earth’s diverse ecosystems. Founded in 1997, the Aquarium provides impactful educational experiences for guests of all ages and backgrounds.

Since opening its Draper, Utah facility in 2014, LLPA has welcomed more than 10 million visitors and delivered over 650,000 educational experiences to students. Home to over 4,000 animals representing 650 species, the Aquarium features immersive habitats from around the world, including coral reefs, kelp forests, the deep ocean, Antarctic waters, tropical rainforests, Asian cloud forests, and Utah’s freshwater ecosystems.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2019, LLPA is in an exciting phase of growth. With the opening of the Sam and Aline Skaggs Science Learning Center, the Aquarium became the largest in the Mountain West and the fifth largest aquarium in the continental United States, offering expanded opportunities for education, research, and professional impact.

Position Summary:

The Director of Guest Experience provides strategic and operational leadership for Loveland Living Planet Aquarium's Guest Services team and is accountable for delivering a welcoming, engaging, accessible, and consistent experience throughout the guest journey. The role's scope includes arrival and entry, admissions and ticketing, queues and guest flow, wayfinding, guest inquiries, complaint resolution, service recovery, and departure. The Director also represents the guest perspective in planning for public programs, private events, and other campus experiences that affect visitors.

The Director develops Guest Services leaders and team members, establishes clear operating and show-readiness standards, and uses guest feedback and operational data to improve performance. This position manages departmental labor and operating budgets, leads cross-functional projects, and coordinates the guest-facing response to incidents and operational disruptions. Success requires sound judgment, disciplined execution, strong communication, and the ability to translate organizational goals into measurable results.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business, tourism, recreation, organizational leadership, or a related field preferred
• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in guest services, hospitality, attractions, or a similarly complex, high-volume operation
• Experience in a zoo, aquarium, museum, theme park, amusement park, cultural attraction, entertainment venue, or similar guest-focused environment strongly preferred
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience leading leaders and large front-line teams in an operation with significant daily guest interaction
• Experience developing and implementing operational standards, training programs, performance measures, continuous improvement initiatives, and cross-functional projects
• Experience working with ticketing, admissions, point-of-sale, or other guest-facing technology systems preferred; experience with Galaxy Ticketing Software preferred

Critical Skills/Competencies:

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop managers, supervisors, and front-line team members
• Strong understanding of hospitality and guest experience principles, including proactive guest engagement, de-escalation, service recovery, world-class guest service
• Ability to establish clear expectations, standardized procedures, accountability measures, and measurable performance goals
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate operational and guest data into meaningful insights and action
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with a commitment to transparent and timely communication
• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills, particularly during complex guest situations and operational disruptions
• Strong understanding of labor planning, staffing, scheduling, and workforce needs within a high-volume operation
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, including the ability to establish scope, coordinate stakeholders, manage timelines, and complete deliverables

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Guest Services, establishing a clear vision for world-class service, guest engagement, operational excellence, and the overall guest experience
• Lead and develop Guest Services managers, supervisors, and team members through clear expectations, coaching, recognition, performance management, and consistent leadership practices
• Establish, document, implement, and continuously improve operating procedures, training resources, service standards, and show-readiness expectations for guest-facing areas
• Ensure Guest Services Managers and Supervisors are equipped to effectively coach team members, reinforce expectations, recognize strong performance, and address performance concerns
• Establish departmental KPIs and reporting practices that measure guest satisfaction, complaint response and resolution, wait times, ticketing accuracy, show readiness, labor efficiency, training completion, and other operational priorities
• Establish meaningful departmental KPIs and reporting practices using guest feedback, attendance, wait times, staffing levels, service recovery trends, ticketing data, and other operational measures to evaluate performance and identify opportunities for improvement
• Analyze guest feedback, attendance, staffing levels, service-recovery trends, ticketing data, and other operating information to identify root causes, evaluate performance, and implement sustainable improvements
• Develop a strong working knowledge of Galaxy Ticketing Software and ensure Guest Services effectively utilizes ticketing system capabilities and reporting to understand guest behavior and support operational decision-making
• Develop and manage annual labor and operating budgets; monitor forecasts, expenditures, and variances; and align financial resources with attendance patterns, operating priorities, and guest needs
• Represent the Guest Services perspective in cross-departmental planning for daily operations, public programs, private events, and campus initiatives; communicate potential effects on guests and frontline operations and advocate for practical solutions
• Ensure organizational updates, operational changes, priorities, and expectations are communicated to Guest Services team members in a timely, clear, and consistent manner, while providing leadership and accountability for team follow-through
• Lead departmental change initiatives with thoughtful planning, clear communication, appropriate team member involvement, and follow-through
• Develop annual and long-term Guest Services goals that support the Aquarium’s mission, organizational priorities, and desired guest experience
• Manage departmental staffing and operating budgets responsibly and ensure resources are aligned with operational priorities and guest needs
• Oversee the Guest Services components of the guest journey, including arrival and entry, admissions and ticketing, queues and guest flow, wayfinding, guest inquiries, complaint resolution, service recovery, and departure

Physical Demands of the Job:

• The position will primarily be in an office environment
• Periodic weekend, evening, and holiday work is expected
• Interacts with diverse populations and a wide variety of team members
• Noisy workspaces, large crowds, along with cool and warm environments

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees including:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus optional FSA/HSA accounts
  • Paid time off & 12 paid holidays per year
  • Paid bereavement leave and paid new child leave (birth, adoption, or placement)
  • Employer-paid short-term disability; optional long-term disability coverage
  • Convenient onsite childcare (employees pay approximately 20% of the cost)
• 401(k) with match up to 4% - fully vested from day 1 of contribution
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Free Aquarium membership
• Discounts on tickets, gift shop, and café purchases
• Free and discounted animal encounters
• Pet insurance and discounts
• Footwear discounts
• Entertainment, travel, and retail savings through Tickets at Work

While this job description attempts to describe the essential functions of the position, it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. It does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties or responsibilities to this job at any time. The overall work environment while performing this job includes exposure to weather conditions and the noise level is usually moderate. The employee is expected to adhere to all policies and to act as a role model in the adherence to the policies.

The Living Planet Aquarium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or military status. The Living Planet Aquarium is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application and interview process.