Job Listing: Guest Services Coordinator (Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden)

GUEST SERVICES COORDINATOR

Garden Overview

Mission

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s mission is connecting people through plants to improve communities.

Vision

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, including the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve, reveals the unity and integration of human and plant life, celebrates the fundamental significance of the natural world, and enriches communities through horticultural and educational excellence and innovative outreach activities.

Values

Responsibility, Innovation, Integrity, Hospitality and Inspiration

Founded in 1984, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a non-profit garden located in Richmond, Virginia’s Lakeside neighborhood. The Garden encompasses 82 acres, four lakes, 5,500 unique taxa of plants within 15 distinct outdoor gardens, 11 major buildings including a conservatory and greenhouse, plus an 80-acre branch site, the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve. Annually, Lewis Ginter engages over 17,000 students in innovative and exciting education programs. This cadre of identified learners is just a fraction of the more than 400,000 annual visitors to the Garden. In recent years, the Garden has been honored with inclusion in several top ten lists for botanical gardens in North America.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees. We support the diversity and inclusion policy adopted by The American Public Gardens Association: to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected and appreciated.

Job Description

The Guest Services Coordinator is a critical part of our forward-facing on-site welcoming committee for the Garden and leads staff and volunteers in customer service delivery and ticket sales. The role audits daily and event sales activity, performs cash management and basic accounting, and maintains sales and membership records.

The ideal candidate is customer service-oriented with experience leading a team and the ability to resolve customer concerns while working in a busy, public area. They will also be familiar with POS systems, like Tessitura, and maintain membership and sales databases to monitor attendance, financial, and sales information. 

Responsibilities and Requirements

• Creates a welcoming atmosphere for visitors by delivering exceptional customer service and modeling the Garden’s value of hospitality for guests, staff, and volunteers.

• Coordinates and administers ticket sales and cash handling activities for day-to-day and special events; reconciles daily sales and deposits, and ensures adherence to established policies and procedures.
• Leads the daily operations of the front desk, admissions, and visitor information areas, including maintaining internal and external communications, messaging, and signage.
• Establishes and maintains work schedules for Guest Services staff and volunteers, ensures effective customer service delivery, supervises the activities of staff and volunteers when on site, and serves as lead trainer. Works at the front desk as needed.

• Resolves problems related to transactions and guests’ experience; serves as liaison with other constituencies in the resolution of day-to-day administrative and operational issues.
• Maintains member and ticketing information through a POS/ticketing system.
• Provides detailed attendance, sales, and financial reports on a timely basis; maintains guest services records.
• Oversees the coordination of tours, special events, like GardenFest, and special ticketing, including communications, sales, scheduling, and greeting.
• Serves as the point of contact during emergencies, following policy and procedures to inform safety and emergency personnel.
• Performs associated administrative tasks, which may include special projects, correspondence, processing mail, and program-related activities.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and customer service orientation.
• Knowledge of cash management principles and/or procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to learn and operate the POS/ticketing database Tessitura and a Calendar database.
• Ability to efficiently and accurately use the membership database.
• Ability to multitask and manage detail-oriented transactions in a fast-paced, potentially noisy environment.
• Proven ability to remain calm and problem-solve in real time.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays, ensuring coverage for Horticulture and for special events at the Garden, including GardenFest, outside the traditional work week/day.
• Bilingual with a preference for conversational fluency in Spanish.

Physical Demands / Working Conditions

• Must be able to work for extended periods in one location, standing, bending and lifting.
• Must be able and willing to move periodically and quickly between departments as well as outside locations.
• Must be able to lift 20 pounds.
• Must be willing to work outside in all sorts of weather based on given assignment.
• Must be able to move around the Garden for orientation of Garden, exhibit and event locations in order to provide helpful instructions to guests, report to work locations.

Note: Duties described above, other duties and physical demands have been identified as essential.

Education and Experience

• Associate's degree and 2 years of experience in the hospitality or retail field.
• 1 year of supervisory experience, preferred
• Prior cashier, money handling experience.
• Efficient and accurate database entry skills.

Employees of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

• Must comply with provisions of the current Employee handbook, all published personnel policies and the requirements of their individual job descriptions.
• Must perform all duties in a manner consistent with a public garden serving all individuals and families in accordance with the organizations strategic plan and directives of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.
• Must be aware of surroundings and vigilant to threats to the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff or to security of their property, ensuring that all concerns are reported promptly.
• Must report all injuries and incidents immediately and ultimately in writing to supervisor(s) and to Human Resources.
• Must ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Must perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Note:  This position is represented by International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, to discuss the specific needs of your group, please reach out to 804-359-4058.

Please submit cover letter and resume to hr@lewisginter.org