Senior Manager of Visitor Experience

Gardens of Golden Gate Park•San Francisco, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Gardens of Golden Gate Park unite three historic gardens—the landmark Conservatory of Flowers (1879), the Japanese Tea Garden (1894), and the 55-acre San Francisco Botanical Garden (1940)—featuring more than 10,000 different kinds of plants from around the world, from rare orchids and cloud forest species to California native plants and serene Japanese landscapes. Our pioneering public-private partnership between the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department and San Francisco Botanical Garden Society combines the city's expertise in horticulture and facilities with the nonprofit’s strengths in visitor experience, education, philanthropy, membership, marketing, curatorial services, interpretation, and community engagement. Together, we connect people to plants, the planet, and each other, cultivating an internationally renowned destination where conservation, natural beauty, and community flourish. The Senior Manager of Visitor Experience is a critical leadership role within the Experience department—responsible for the day-to-day performance of a 25-person team across three garden sites, delivering over $8.2M in annual admissions revenue and serving more than 1.4 million visitors each year. This is a hands-on general management role responsible for the full operational cycle: staffing and scheduling, service standards, visitation and revenue tracking, and the physical visitor experience across three distinct and active public venues open 365 days a year. They supervise the Manager of Visitor Experience, and through the manager, a team of Visitor Experience Leads and Associates who are the face of the Gardens every day. The Senior Manager is also the Gardens’ primary day-to-day liaison with the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department on matters of visitor services, ticketing, amenities, safety, and accessibility—a relationship that requires both operational credibility and collaborative instincts. Reporting to the Chief Experience Officer, this role is a strong operational quarterback: someone who keeps the operation running, builds the team’s capacity, and elevates performance across a large, complex, public-facing operation. Due to the nature of the experience, many visitors attend on the weekend and major holidays. Your presence is essential, including weekends and select evenings and holidays. The Senior Manager’s schedule is Wednesday – Sunday or Thursday – Monday and is set in consultation with the Chief Experience Officer. This role calls for someone who leads with ethics, transparency, and a genuine commitment to the Gardens' mission, and who understands that great visitor experience is both a service imperative and a revenue driver.

Requirements

Progressive experience (4+ years) in customer experience or operations leadership within location-based entertainment, experiential retail, family entertainment, or similar attraction-based environments.
Proven operator with high drive and low tolerance for ambiguity. You make decisions quickly, follow through completely, and bring others along without losing momentum.
Strong financial discipline and business acumen, experience managing budgets and tracking revenue performance.
Organized and analytical, with strong attention to detail and a solutions orientation. Identifies the path forward without waiting to be asked; exercises sound judgment under pressure.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills; able to build collaborative relationships across a team and with external partners.
Demonstrates a genuine commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) and the ability to lead with an equity lens.
Upholds an unwavering commitment to great visitor experience and a genuine interest in the Gardens’ mission.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ticketing POS systems; familiarity with PatronManager is a plus.
Experience with workforce management tools such as Paylocity.
Experience with Microsoft Office suite and Asana.
Bachelor’s degree in business, liberal arts, social sciences, or a related field.
Degrees and/or certificates in hospitality and tourism.

Responsibilities

Run a one-team, three-site operation. Responsible for staffing, scheduling, service standards, and operational continuity across the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and San Francisco Botanical Garden—open every day of the year.
Drive admissions revenue. Manage over $8.2M in annual admissions revenue. Forecast performance, track actuals against targets, and surface growth opportunities in collaboration with Marketing, Programs, and Events.
Build systems that make excellence repeatable. Develop and maintain standardized operating procedures and train-the-trainer playbooks that hold across three distinct gardens and empower the team to do the right thing.
Lead and develop the team. Manage, coach, and support the Visitor Experience Manager, Leads, Associates, and volunteers. Recruit new team members and coordinate with the Volunteer Program to augment the team for peak periods and special opportunities.
Set the standard for visitor-first service. Model and embed a visitor-centric culture across the team. Develop and refine workflows for handling visitor inquiries by phone, IVR, website, and email. Ensure our experience serves every type of visitor.
Leverage data and technology to improve the visitor journey. Turn visitor feedback into operational practice. Maximize the full potential of ticketing POS and CRM systems to deliver a more consistent, end-to-end experience, from first click to garden gates. Maintain and improve public-facing interfaces including all operational signage and collaborate with Marketing to ensure the Gardens’ website is effective and up to date.
Serve as the Gardens’ primary operational liaison with SF Rec & Park. Represent the Gardens on visitor services, ticket pricing, public amenities, safety, and accessibility. Keep that partnership productive and the gardens operating to a shared standard.