Senior Manager, Visitor Operations & Services/Gestionnaire principale ou gestionnaire principal, Opérations et Services aux visiteurs

Ottawa Tourism•Ottawa, ON

2d•CA$83,251•Hybrid

About The Position

Ottawa Tourism's vision is to be one of Canada’s most visited, sustainable, vibrant, and valued urban destinations and the tourism authority for key economic development and city-building decisions in Ottawa. Ottawa Tourism's mission is to market and sell Ottawa as a compelling leisure and business destination and lead or participate in initiatives that improve Ottawa’s visitor experience. We contribute to the broader economic development objectives of the city and the success of our stakeholders and, by doing so, enrich the quality of life for all Ottawa residents. Reporting to the Director, Destination Development, the Senior Manager, Visitor Operations & Services provides strategic leadership, governance, and oversight for the Ottawa Visitor Centre. The role is responsible for setting the ongoing direction and priorities for the Ottawa Visitor Centre, maintaining consistent service excellence over time, and establishing the operational standards, structures, and accountabilities that guide day‑to‑day operations. Overseeing the Manager, Visitor Services and other part-time staff, the Senior Manager ensures that operational execution aligns with Ottawa Tourism’s priorities, service standards, and risk management requirements. This position is based out of downtown Ottawa (a mix of Ottawa Tourism’s office and the Ottawa Visitor Centre), aligned to strategic and operational needs; occasional weekend and public holiday work may be required.

Requirements

Fluently bilingual in both English and French, including fluency in both written and spoken components of each language
Post-secondary qualification in a related field (office administration, business, communications, etc.)
Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in a public-facing service environment (e.g., visitor services, customer experience, tourism/hospitality, retail operations, or a comparable customer-focused setting), with experience overseeing day-to-day service delivery.
Experience in a supervisory or lead capacity, including providing performance feedback and supporting staff development.
Demonstrated experience with service standards and operational oversight in a customer-facing environment (e.g., implementing procedures, supporting consistency, and maintaining quality expectations).
Strong judgment and decision-making capability, including assessing issues, resolving problems effectively, and recognizing when escalation is required with clear recommendations.
Experience using data and performance information (formal or informal) to identify trends, support reporting, and inform service improvements.
Business-level proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and comfort working with digital tools used in service environments.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of or experience with the tourism industry, or in a member-based association or non-profit
Knowledge of Ottawa’s attractions and activities
First aid training

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership, governance, and oversight for the Ottawa Visitor Centre, in alignment with Ottawa Tourism’s priorities and risk management requirements.
Set the ongoing direction and priorities for the Ottawa Visitor Centre, ensuring consistent service excellence and a clear focus on continuous improvement.
Establish and maintain operating standards, service expectations, escalation pathways, and risk controls that guide day-to-day operations.
Lead the evolution of visitor servicing models and visitor experience improvements, informed by best practices and changing visitor needs.
Define and oversee staffing approaches and workforce models (paid, seasonal, and/or volunteer, as applicable), including role clarity, training standards, and performance expectations.
Provide day-to-day people leadership support for Ottawa Visitor Centre staff, including coaching, performance feedback, and staff development, in alignment with HR policies and with Director involvement in key decisions.
Serve as the primary escalation point for higher-risk operational, reputational, or people-related issues, providing recommendations and ensuring appropriate escalation to the Director when required.
Set the strategic approach for visitor-facing programs, partnerships, and ancillary offerings (e.g., retail/programming models, partner integration), and oversee implementation through the operating model.
Lead the data and insights approach for the Visitor Centre, including what is tracked, reporting cadence, and how insights inform operational decisions and visitor experience improvements.
Provide strategic guidance and oversight to the Manager, Visitor Services, ensuring alignment between daily operations and longer-term priorities.
Other duties as assigned.