Garden Tram Tour Guide Lead at 132460 - Huntsville Madison Cty Botanical Garden – Huntsville, Alabama

Job Title: Garden Tram Tour Guide Lead

Department: Guest Experience

Supervisor: Guest Experience Manager

Supervises: Garden Tram Tour Guides

FLSA Salary Classification: Part-time; Non-Exempt

Revision Update: March 2026

Availability: Primarily Thursday-Sunday during daytime hours with some evening requirements for summer, evening events, and rentals. Days may vary during Galaxy of Lights and will primarily be evening shifts. Position requires flexibility including occasional holidays based on seasonal needs of the Garden.

Position Summary:

The Garden Tram Tour Guide Lead serves in a lead capacity for the Garden's tram operations, providing leadership, training, and direction to tram tour guides while delivering naturally delightful educational visits to guests. This position is responsible for coordinating tram operations, ensuring adherence to safety protocols, and maintaining the highest standards of guest experience and customer service. The Garden Tram Tour Guide Lead will also transport visitors on an 8-11 passenger open-air electric tram, provide guided tours and interpretation of the Garden's mission, highlight key garden areas, collections, seasonal elements, programs, and events, and act as an ambassador of the Garden.

Essential Functions:

• Under the guidance of the Guest Experience Manager, leads and supervises tram tour guide team by providing training, coaching, and ongoing feedback to staff. Trains tour guides on Garden policies, tram safety protocols, narration content, and standard operating procedures. Assists with hiring, selection, and scheduling of tram staff. Communicates expectations and provides performance feedback to ensure quality guest experiences.
• Coordinates daily tram operations and maintains adherence to standards. Develops and monitors schedules, suggests routes, oversees vehicle maintenance protocols, and ensures compliance with all safety guidelines and standard operating procedures. Ensures observance of both institutional and departmental policies and protocols.
• Delivers narrated tram tours for all seasons and multiple routes while serving as a model of excellence. Learns and masters content to provide educational and entertaining narration for visitors of all ages during both daytime and nighttime experiences. Educates passengers about the Garden's history, plant collections, key feature areas, and seasonal exhibitions.
• Serves as first point of contact for tram-related guest service matters and resolves issues in a calm and professional manner. Greets passengers, ensures passenger safety during tours, assists passengers in boarding and disembarking from vehicles if necessary, and addresses guest inquiries and concerns. Provides excellent customer service as an ambassador of the Garden with the ability to work independently or in a team.
• Maintains tram fleet cleanliness and monitors operating conditions. Inspects vehicle reports daily, reports maintenance needs, ensures proper cleaning standards, and coordinates with appropriate departments for repairs or technical issues.
• Stays current with Garden activities and communicates updates to team members and guests. Attends training sessions to obtain new and relevant information about displays, programs, events, and exhibitions. Shares appropriate messages and selling points for memberships, classes, group tours, tickets, and events to both staff and visitors.
• Provides operational support for the Garden's attractions, exhibitions, and events. Assists with ticket scanning, digital payment processing, line management, and transportation services for groups. Partners with departments such as Hospitality, Development, and Guest Experience to coordinate services as necessary and performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be at least 20 years of age, with a high school diploma or GED and a valid driver's license. Must maintain a safe driving record subject to motor vehicle record (MVR) checks before and during employment; and
• At least 2 years of experience in the service and/or tour industry as a public speaker with a talent for engaging an audience of adults and children; with at least 1 year of experience in a lead, supervisory, or training role providing direction and feedback to staff or volunteers; and
• Must obtain CPR and First Aid training; and
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office is required.

Success Factors:

• A commitment to, and ability to effectively convey, the Garden's mission of connecting people with plants with genuine passion that also embraces and exemplifies the Garden's core values.
• Ability to communicate well in small groups and work with a team toward shared goals. Excellent communication skills with a professional demeanor and the ability to articulate verbal presentations with a strong command of the English language.
• Skill in training, coaching, and providing feedback to team members. Ability to promote a positive team environment and communicate effectively with staff to resolve varying circumstances.
• Focused on teamwork, customer service excellence, and adaptability to various audiences and scheduling needs. Possess a desire for producing an engaging guest experience and realize the impact of work on the department and entire Garden.
• Ability to prioritize safety and effectively follow and enforce operating procedures. Safety-oriented mindset with attention to detail in vehicle operations and guest welfare.
• Ability to adapt, learn new information, and demonstrate open-mindedness which is crucial for the Garden's evolution over time. Continual interest in learning about the Garden including its history, plant collections, and programs.
• Ability to discern and adapt to the needs and interests of others and make sound judgments based on the environment. Must be polished and maintain a professional demeanor under pressure.
• Ability to multi-task, stay organized, and prioritize responsibilities while managing both operational duties and team coordination.

Preferred Qualifications:

Additional education of two or more years of college is preferred, or two additional years of experience in the service and/or tour industry. Previous supervisory or lead experience in a public-facing role is preferred. Horticulture and plant identification knowledge is a plus.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.?

• Physical Demands: Frequent driving of tram that requires continuous movement from standing, sitting, walking, while listening and speaking. Occasional requirements for lifting, pushing, and pulling items up to 50 pounds. Continuous exposure to the outdoor environment and to varied weather conditions. Standing for extended periods of time may be required.
• Work Environment: Primarily outdoor conditions on uneven terrain and can include working in inclement weather, heat, cold, and humidity. Noise level may be moderate with use of audio systems and two-way radios.
• Equipment: Equipment used includes tram, Bluetooth headset microphone/on-board audio system, accessible lift/ramp, two-way radio, First Aid supplies, golf carts, and computer. Point of sale (POS) system and tablets as needed for event support.
• Schedule: Tram operates on both weekdays and weekends with some evening requirements. Flexibility is essential. Must be available to work during daytime, evening, weekend, and occasional holidays as scheduled.

Job descriptions are guidelines that attempt to characterize essential functions and responsibilities of a job, and are subject to change as needs and programs change. At Huntsville Botanical Garden job descriptions are considered neither inclusive nor exclusive. It is expected that up to 20% of your duties may change annually.

Employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

The Huntsville Botanical Garden supports a culture of inclusion that attracts, inspires, and engages people to achieve success. The Garden is committed to hire and develop employees based on job-related qualifications irrespective of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or veteran status. To increase diversity in professions related to the public garden realm, we encourage applications from underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.