NPO Manager, Party

Lava Island•Denver, CO

9d•$62,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

The NPO Manager, Party is a member of a four-person New Park Opening team that opens each new Lava Island park. The Manager arrives on site 1-2 weeks before opening with the NPO GM, the NPO Manager, Café, and the NPO Manager, Park & IT, and stays through the grand opening and the first 2-3 weeks of stabilized operation. This role brings deep party operations fluency to every opening. The Manager is responsible for party room readiness, service hall readiness, party team hiring input, party training, execution through the opening, and the standard of the party experience through stabilization. The Manager must be able to run Lava Island parties to standard from day one and produce capable Party Leads at the new park before handoff. The role functions in a manager-on-duty capacity during deployments, supervising the team and making operational decisions in real time. Over time, the long-term aim is for NPO Managers to develop dual-fluency across their partner areas; on entry the role specializes in party.

Requirements

Prior experience at Lava Island as an AM with party depth, or as a Crew Member with strong party experience and demonstrated readiness for a salaried leadership role.
Party Lead experience strongly preferred.
Strong operational fluency in party operations: the full party flow (check-in, deliveries, room cleaning and reset, host check-out), service hall management, and team leadership in the party rooms.
Demonstrated ability to lead through high-intensity shifts with calm and clarity, and to coach a brand-new team to performance quickly.
Willingness to travel continuously, with no home park base, in 4-6 week deployment cycles.
Comfort working in unfamiliar environments and bringing the Lava Island standard to a brand-new park, brand-new team, and brand-new community.
18 or older.
ServSafe Manager Certification current, or completion within 30 days of hire.
Comfort with email, spreadsheets, scheduling tools, and digital documentation. Lava Island operates in a Microsoft 365 and Outlook environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with new entertainment venue openings; familiarity with Lava Island party systems and Party Lead training materials.

Responsibilities

Confirm the party rooms and service hall are ready to operate to Lava Island standards.
Complete setup work outside the scope of MCS, including party room staging, service hall setup, gift cart and supply readiness, and delivery flow.
Support the HQ Creative team with balloon bouquet color selection for each party room.
Confirm safety standards are met across party operations; surface anything that needs HQ or vendor support to the NPO GM early.
Interview party candidates alongside the NPO GM; provide input on hiring decisions.
Build a party team with the right shape and depth for the park's opening volume and party calendar.
Lead on-site training across the full party flow: check-in, room cleaning and reset, deliveries, gift cart and supply management, hosting, and the Party Lead role.
Teach Lava Island party standards: the party schedule and flow, the key moments of the host experience, room reset between groups, and guest experience standards in the party rooms.
Build the new park's Party Lead bench. Train and develop crew members against the established party crew and Party Lead training trackers so the park has capable Party Leads in place by the time the NPO team hands off.
Lead the party team through grand opening week as the on-shift leader.
Make real-time decisions on party schedule and flow, room timing and reset, gift cart and supply coverage, and guest issue resolution.
Hold the line on hospitality and pace under high volume.
Serve as Manager on Duty on assigned shifts during the deployment.
Hold team members accountable to performance expectations and Lava Island standards during shifts.
Remain on site 2-3 weeks post-open. Continue to coach the team, address performance and attendance issues in real time, and refine party operations.
Walk the incoming party leadership through the team, current state of operations, and any open items before departing.
Adapt to the unexpected. Find the party solution on the ground when the standard approach does not fit; push issues that require HQ support to the NPO GM and the right HQ team quickly and clearly.
Coordinate closely with the NPO Manager, Café on party food timing and cross-area handoffs, and with the NPO Manager, Park & IT on overall flow.
Partner with the HQ party booking team on initial party scheduling and volume at the new park.
Provide tactical input on what the team can support through opening and stabilization, and adjust as the team develops capability.
Coordinate with the local marketing team on party promotions and grand opening events.
Model the Lava Island standard at all times in front of the team, the incoming leadership team, and any external partners on site.