Vice President of Guest Operations in Raleigh, North Carolina at Marbles Kids Museum

Vice President of Guest Operations

Marbles Kids Museum is a vibrant, nonprofit children’s museum and IMAX Theatre located in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Marbles has been sparking imagination, discovery, and learning through play since opening its doors in 2007. Marbles serves a diverse population of families, school groups, and community organizations through award-winning play-based exhibits, summer camps, IMAX documentaries, feature movies, and special events year-round. Today Marbles ranks among the top family destinations in North Carolina providing learning experiences for children with creative programs, and larger-than-life movies.

The Opportunity

Marbles Kids Museum is seeking a dynamic, visionary leader to shape every moment of the guest journey, overseeing experiences across the museum, IMAX, and PlayStore. As Vice President of Guest Operations, you will uphold and advance Marbles’ standards for an exceptional, engaging, and seamless visitor experience while driving operational excellence and inspiring future generations to learn through play. This high-impact executive role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, guiding teams, influencing culture, and ensuring every interaction reflects Marbles’ mission and supports its continued growth.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight for the guest-facing operations, including but, not limited to staffing, budgeting, and customer service experience, to ensure an exceptional and consistently high-quality visitor experience.

• Oversee the museum’s guest-facing operations, including but not limited to the Welcome Desk, Exhibit Activation, Groups, and Birthday to ensure a smooth, friendly, and efficient experience for our museum guests.

• Oversee PlayStore and IMAX Theater operations to ensure guest-focused, friendly service and operational efficiency; provide strategic leadership and support to the Director of Retail, empowering them to manage day-to-day operations, including product purchasing, team oversight, and execution of retail and theater functions.

• Oversee the implementation, development, delivery, and coaching of on-the-job training.

• Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate standard operating procedures, training manuals, and operational processes.

• Collaborate with the Events, Learning Engagement, and Community Engagement teams to support museum programming, guest stars, camps, and other opportunities offered within the museum.

• Build strong cross-functional relationships with Exhibits, Marketing, Customer Support, and Events to support museum operations, including but not limited to maintenance needs, promotions, and sales.

• Regularly work alongside the team to and provide a leadership presence in guest-facing areas to assess experience quality, reinforce standards, and inform strategic operational decisions.

• In collaboration with the Customer Support and Community engagement team, oversee the collection, dissemination, and actions taken to guest feedback through surveys, comment cards, and in the moment feedback.

• Execute emergency preparedness plans and oversee Marbles’ emergency response processes from a guest face perspective.

• Analyze guest behavior, market trends, and retail performance to drive strategic decisions.

• Collaborate with the VP, Facilities and Technology to align third-party cleaning and security services with operational priorities, enhancing visitor safety, cleanliness, and overall experience.

• Monitor and oversee operational systems and vendor contracts, assessing effectiveness and recommending improvements or alternative solutions when performance or value does not meet organizational needs.

• Develops and implement the guest-facing budgets (Guest Facing staff, attendance for Museum, PlayStore, and Theater).

• Oversee and improve operational efficiency related to scheduling, staffing, and inventory management.

• Maintain awareness of trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in children’s museums, retail, and entertainment operations.

• Collaborate with the Volunteer Coordinator to strategically deploy and engage volunteers in guest-facing spaces to enhance the visitor experience.

• Cultivate relationships with downtown Raleigh partners, including local businesses, public spaces, and community programs, to enhance participation in shared events and activations.

• Direct and oversee inventory of guest service-related supplies and organize behind-the-scenes operational spaces.

• Participate in strategic, short- and long-term planning as the Guest Experience representative on the Executive and Senior Leadership Teams.

• Perform all other duties assigned by supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Oversee recruit, hire, train, and develop leaders and team members across Guest Engagement and Retail Operations teams.

• Oversee daily workflow, performance management, and evaluations.

• Provide ongoing coaching and development to managers and team leads to ensure high performance and engagement.

• Handle disciplinary actions and terminations in alignment with company policies.

Ideal Experience and Skills

• 8+ years of leadership experience in museums, entertainment, retail, or related fields.

• Strong background in guest-facing services ideally in a family-friendly setting.

• Proven track record supervising large teams.

• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, resources, and operational performance.

• Excellent organizational, planning, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong communication, interpersonal, and coaching abilities.

• Proficiency with operational software and tools (e.g., Tessitura, Teams, Humanity, Microsoft Office).

• Knowledge of child development, play, and family-focused guest experiences.

• Commitment to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and mission-aligned environment.

Physical Demands

• Walking, standing, stooping, bending, reaching, and occasional use of ladders.

• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds.

• Ability to stand for long periods of time.  

Work Environment

• Must be able to navigate between indoor and outdoor museum spaces in varying weather conditions.

• Exposure to high-energy, guest-filled environments.

Schedule

• Flexible schedule required, including weekends, evenings, holidays, and additional availability during peak seasons.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance 

• Health Savings and flexible spending accounts 

• Life and AD&D insurance 

• Short and Long-Term Disability 

• Parking benefits and GoTriangle Bus Pass

• Paid time off for 17 vacation days and 9 holidays 

• Eligible to participate in the Company’s 401k program with employer matching after a waiting period 

• Employee Assistance Program 

• Great Marbles Perks & Discounts 

• Fitness Benefits

If you require reasonable accommodations to complete the hiring process, please contact the People Team at ojohnson@marbleskidsmuseum.org or 919-857-1069.

Please be aware that employment with Marbles Kids Museum is contingent on a satisfactory background check and references.

Marbles Kids Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment opportunities because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, disability, genetic information or any other federal, state or local protected class.