Glowfari Operations Manager

Oakland Zoo•Oakland, CA

7d•$36 - $38•Onsite

About The Position

The Glowfari Operations Manager supports the safe, guest-ready operation of Glowfari, Oakland Zoo’s signature nighttime program. Serving as onsite manager during event hours, this role monitors event readiness, guest flow, lanterns, lighting, music, signage, rides, restricted areas, weather impacts, and site conditions. The manager coordinates with the Zoo’s Project Manager, Events, internal departments, and vendors on setup, maintenance, issue resolution, and breakdown of event systems. This hands-on, cross-functional role also handles elevated guest service issues, operational troubleshooting, service recovery, and emergency response coordination. This seasonal position begins in early September and runs through post-event closeout in late February.

Requirements

Minimum of 5 years of working experience in operations management or related field.
Strong vendor management experience, particularly in outdoor or event settings.
Excellent leadership and problem-solving skills, particularly in high-pressure or emergency situations.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and teams simultaneously.
Strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to engage with a variety of teams and guests.
Comfortable making sound operational decisions in real time, identifying when escalation is needed, and communicating clearly with frontline staff, supervisors, vendors, and managers.
Must be able to work evenings and weekends (Wednesday-Sunday, 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM); training will take place during normal business hours during the months of September and October and there will be some flexibility in schedule at that time.
Valid driver's license with a clean driving record that meets our insurance carrier requirements.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business, operations, recreation or a related field
Prior experience working in a zoo, park or other high-volume public-facing entertainment environment
Prior experience as a supervisor or manager of a team of 10 or more staff

Responsibilities

Work directly with the Project Manager, Events, Zoo departments such as Facilities & Marketing, and vendors to ensure the timely setup, maintenance, and breakdown of lanterns, lighting effects, and sound systems.
Ensure vendors meet safety and operational standards throughout the Glowfari program.
Identify and escalate repair needs early to allow vendors and/or internal teams time to resolve issues before program opening whenever possible.
Serve as the manager on duty during Glowfari hours, providing oversight and handling any elevated service issues that may arise.
Use reasonable independent judgment to resolve guest service issues, approve appropriate service recovery, make temporary operational adjustments, and temporarily close or restrict access to specific areas when needed for safety, crowd management, weather, or operational concerns. Escalate significant incidents, full attraction closures, emergency conditions, or issues with financial, reputational, animal welfare, or cross-departmental impact.
Act as the point of contact for various teams, ensuring smooth operations, cross-department collaboration, and troubleshooting.
Assist in maintaining a positive and welcoming atmosphere throughout the event.
Conduct daily pre-opening and ongoing walkthroughs to assess lantern condition, lighting, music, signage, rope fencing, trash and restroom conditions, restricted areas, Meadow ground conditions, attraction queues, and overall guest readiness.
Provide targeted operational support to high-demand areas, including train, gondola, rides, admissions, parking, and guest-entry points, with particular attention to queue management, line closure communication, signage, and guest expectation-setting.
Document key issues, guest feedback, operational needs, and nightly updates in the appropriate communication channel to support continuity, follow-up, and leadership visibility.
Support development, review, and implementation of Glowfari-specific emergency procedures, including power outage response, fire safety measures, nighttime evacuation response, and other event-specific emergency protocols.
Coordinate with department management to ensure all staff are trained on emergency procedures and are prepared to handle issues as they arise.
Coordinate and participate in Glowfari-specific preparedness activities, including emergency lighting checks, nighttime evacuation drills, fire drill planning, and review of blackout or full-evacuation procedures.
Collaborate with Guest Operations (Attractions, Admissions, Custodial Services, Public Safety), Facilities (Lift Maintenance, Maintenance, and Grounds/Hort), Animal Care, Food & Retail, and event vendors to ensure operational readiness and smooth execution.
Interface with the Membership and Admissions team to ensure proper integration of ticketing systems and seamless guest entry.
Track and monitor weather patterns leading up to and during Glowfari events to anticipate potential disruptions.
Collaborate with the Admissions and Operations teams to adjust ticketing, scheduling, or operational procedures as needed based on weather conditions (e.g., delays, closures, or safety measures).
Assess site conditions related to rain, wind, mud, debris, lighting, and guest comfort, and escalate mitigation needs such as additional trash cans, ground-cover solutions, barricades, signage, or cleaning support.
Coordinate and organize end-of-season Glowfari celebrations, recognitions, and appreciation efforts for staff.
Provide end-of-season report on day-to-day observations, activities, feedback, strengths, and opportunities for improvement within the Glowfari program.
Perform other duties as assigned.