Guest Services Manager in Draper, Utah at The Living Planet Aquarium
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Job Description
Position: Guest Services Manager
Reports To: Director of Guest Services
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 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 Guest Services Manager provides leadership and oversight for daily Guest Services operations, helping set the stage for welcoming, engaging, and memorable experiences from the moment guests arrive. This position leads and develops Guest Services Supervisors and front-line team members, fostering a culture of hospitality, curiosity, and genuine connection while establishing and reinforcing standards for guest engagement and service. The Manager oversees staffing, training, performance, operational processes, guest recovery, and the Show Readiness of guest-facing areas, ensuring every detail, from first impressions to final farewells, is ready to surprise and delight. Through thoughtful leadership and a keen eye for the guest experience, this role helps ensure each visit is safe, seamless, and filled with moments of discovery worthy of a day at the Aquarium.
Qualifications:
- 3+ years of experience in hospitality, tourism, or guest experience-focused roles
- Previous leadership and team development experience
- Bachelor’s degree preferred
Critical Skills/Competencies:
- Passion for delivering outstanding guest experiences and service excellence
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop both front-line team members and supervisors
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and conflict resolution skills
- Ability to model professionalism, courtesy, proactive hospitality, and a positive leadership presence
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Effective organizational and multitasking skills
- Proficiency in computers and Microsoft Office Suite
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to service consistency
- Ability to translate guest experience standards into clear expectations, training, coaching, and accountability
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead and develop Guest Services Supervisors and 50+ front-line team members to consistently deliver welcoming, proactive, and engaging hospitality throughout the guest experience
- Develop and implement consistent training programs that equip team members with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to deliver exceptional service and create meaningful moments of guest connection and discovery
- Ensure Supervisors consistently model, coach, and hold team members accountable for hospitality, professionalism, courtesy, and proactive guest engagement
- Establish and maintain show readiness standards for Guest Services areas, ensuring guest-facing spaces consistently meet expectations for cleanliness, organization, appearance, functionality, signage, supplies, and overall presentation
- Oversees recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new Guest Services team members
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve Guest Services training programs and resources to ensure consistent expectations for hospitality, guest experience, operational procedures, show readiness, and service recovery
- Develop Guest Services Supervisors as leaders through regular coaching, feedback, training, and accountability, ensuring they are equipped to effectively lead and develop their teams
- Provide leadership for complex or escalated guest concerns, ensuring situations are handled with empathy, professionalism, sound judgment, and appropriate service recovery
- Responsible for issuing appropriate performance coaching, conducting annual reviews, reviewing timecards, and ensuring proper staffing levels
- Evaluate departmental performance and guest experience outcomes, identify operational or service gaps, and implement improvements that strengthen efficiency, team performance, and guest satisfaction
- Maintain a regular presence throughout guest-facing areas to observe operations, support Supervisors and team members, engage with guests, reinforce guest experience and show readiness standards, and identify opportunities for improvement
Physical Demands of the Job:
- Extended periods of standing and walking
- Light lifting of 20-30 pounds may be required
- Frequent, high-level interaction with guests, members, donors, and team members
- Availability to work during Aquarium operating hours, including weekends, holidays, and evenings
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.