Manager of Visitor Services: Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse

Reports to: Director of Facilities and Operations

Position Classification: Regular, part-time, 37 hours weekly

Wage Classification: Hourly, Non-Exempt, $12.00-$14.00 per hour, must be willing to work weekends

Job Summary

Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse, located in East Fairmount Park, has been a treasured destination for over 100 years. Smith’s mission is to provide and promote opportunities for unstructured free play for children. The Manager of Visitor Services is responsible for supervising full-time, part-time, and seasonal staff. He/She/They manages daily operational aspects of the Playground and Playhouse to ensure a safe, fun, and engaging visitor experience. Responsibilities include: front desk reception, facility rentals, public and private visits, programming support, data collection, Smith store, and management of all aspects of visitor experience. The Manager of Visitor Services also works closely with the Director of On-site Programs and Fun, and Director of Facilities and Operations to further Smith’s mission.

Essential Functions (Key Duties and Responsibilities)

1. Set the tone for excellent and fun customer service.
2. Become a play resource and Smith connector for adult caregivers. Advocate for the relevance of play and support staff to do this as well.
3. Support creation and implementation of nature-based activities, accessible to the whole family.
4. Lead the process of hiring part-time seasonal staff, including identifying, creating, and coordinating training sessions for seasonal staff throughout the Playground season.
5. Supervise security associate as well as part-time seasonal staff who work in the Playground.
6. Supervise and support interns in collaboration with relevant staff.
7. Ensure visitor needs are met, basic safety guidelines and rules are communicated, conflict is handled, complaints are validated, and all such issues are resolved appropriately including filing appropriate and timely incident reports, doing follow-up and sharing with staff as needed.
8. Act as a working supervisor on the Playground as Manager on Duty, including opening, closing, and communicating any changes (such as closing due to weather) to seasonal staff as needed.
9. Evaluate job performance of staff, including issuing warnings, creating write-ups, and firing as needed in coordination with the Director of Facilities & Operations. Support staff by ensuring there are first aid supplies, water, fans, or other supplies as appropriate.
10. Manage Smith Store.
11. Manage all aspects of the front desk and administrative tasks including schedules, timesheets, filing, scanning, copying, answering phones and returning messages, booking and processing, and managing online reservation systems.
12. Ensure appropriate data, including daily attendance, is being collected, organized, and entered in an appropriate and timely fashion for effective record keeping.
13. Organize, maintain, and beautify play spaces including restocking, reorganizing, and rotating natural materials, books, or other play materials in collaboration with Director of Visitor Programs & Fun.
14. Work in collaboration with colleagues to create and implement organization-wide improvements.
15. Support efforts to increase membership.
16. Schedule time off to ensure adequate supervision/management coverage.
17. Provide support for events, grant-funded programs, tabling opportunities, and other efforts on and off-site as needed.
18. Act as on-site supervisor and client contact during evening private events as needed.
19. Ensure that public spaces are clean, safe, and ready for play. Communicate facility needs effectively with Maintenance Assistants and/or the Director of Facilities & Operations.
20. Additional tasks as needed.

Specifications / Qualifications (What Enables Me to Succeed in the Job)

Education / years and type of experience:

GED or high school equivalent, CDA or Bachelor’s preferred. Two years experience supervising staff in customer service, hospitality, community, environmental education, or preschool setting preferable. Experience working with youth in urban communities and familiarity with Philadelphia non-profit sector is a plus. Experience and enthusiasm for life but particularly with being outdoors in all kinds of weather required.

Baseline Knowledge and Skills:

1. Ability to recruit, train and motivate staff.
2. Interest in communicating to the public the importance of play.
3. Playfulness, sense of humor, patience, flexibility! Ability to work collaboratively in a fun, unconventional, and fast-paced environment.
4. Completion of background clearances, including PA Child Abuse History and criminal background check required.
5. Experience supervising and managing work schedules for full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees.
6. Commitment to excellent customer service.
7. Experience working with youth and children ages 1-10.
8. Proficiency in Google+, MS Office Suite preferred.
9. Ability to solve problems tactfully and on the spot.
10. Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people including visitors, volunteers, donors, and staff.
11. Must be able to multitask, prioritize, and work independently.
12. Must work well with colleagues to coordinate and support Smith activities.
13. Ability to work weekends, some evenings, hours that vary, work outdoors, climb stairs, and lift 25 pounds.