Public Relations Specialist (Guest Experience Coordinator) - Gray Wildlife Park - 200024863

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife•Gray, ME

25d•Onsite

About The Position

The Maine Wildlife Park is a highly visible and cherished public program within the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually. The Visitor Experience Coordinator is a full-time, year-round role based at the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. During the park's operational season, this position will provide direct leadership for daily visitor services, overseeing areas such as the gatehouse, admissions, the retail gift shop, group visits, point-of-sale systems, seasonal staff, and customer service volunteers. In the off-season, the role focuses on preparing for the upcoming season by assisting with hiring and training, enhancing visitor service procedures, managing group visit coordination, supporting retail and admissions planning, and collaborating with park staff and MDIFW's marketing team on events, visitor engagement initiatives, and overall guest experience improvements. The ideal candidate will be adept at leading front-line staff and volunteers, resolving daily customer service issues, utilizing retail and admissions systems, and fostering a welcoming, organized, and professional environment for all Maine Wildlife Park visitors.

Requirements

A four (4) year combination of education, training, and/or experience in outdoor education, public relations, or program management.
Education in other fields must be supplemented by two (2) years of work experience which provides knowledge of professional outdoor education, public relations, various media, and/or information dissemination techniques.

Nice To Haves

Experience supervising, training, scheduling, or supporting front-line staff.
Experience in visitor services, hospitality, retail, admissions, parks, museums, tourism, recreation, or another public-facing setting.
Strong customer service skills and the ability to respond professionally to visitor questions or concerns.
Ability to manage seasonal workflows, daily staffing needs, group visits, reservations, and competing priorities.
Ability to work effectively with both paid staff and volunteers.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and clear communication skills.
Interested in wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation, public education, and creating a positive experience for Maine Wildlife Park visitors.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day leadership for visitor services operations, including the gatehouse, admissions, retail gift shop, group visits, and visitor information.
Support, train, schedule, and provide daily directions to seasonal temporary staff in customer service, admissions, and retail roles.
Coordinate volunteers serving in guest-facing roles, including visitor information, retail support, and special event assistance.
Operate, monitor, and help troubleshoot point-of-sale systems, online ticketing, admissions processing, retail sales, cash handling procedures, daily reconciliation, and related customer service tools.
Respond to visitors’ questions and concerns, explain park policies, and help ensure a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable visitor experience.
Coordinate group visits, field trips, shelter reservations, and other scheduled visitor experiences.
Work with park leadership to improve visitor flow, customer service procedures, retail presentation, signage, and front-facing operations.
Collaborate with MDIFW’s marketing and communications team to support special events, seasonal promotions, visitor engagement activities, and on-site activations.
Track visitation, customer feedback, group visit information, and retail activity to support planning and visitor experience improvements.
Work collaboratively with park staff, seasonal employees, volunteers, Friends of Maine Wildlife Park, and other partners.

Benefits

13 paid holidays
12 days of sick leave
3+ weeks of vacation leave annually
Health Insurance Coverage (State pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums)
Health Insurance Premium Credit (Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%)
Dental Insurance (State pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums)
Retirement Plan (State contributes 14.11% of pay to MainePERS)
Gym Membership Reimbursement (up to $40 per month)
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness eligibility
Living Resources Program (employee assistance program)
Parental leave (42 consecutive calendar days of fully paid leave for welcoming a child)
Voluntary Deferred Compensation (MaineSaves 457(b) account)