Audubon Nature Institute
Premium Experience Programs Coordinator
The Premium Experience Coordinator is responsible for the logistics and coordination of all revenue generating Premium Experiences involving Husbandry and the Aquarium animal collection. They will foster effective communication with Marketing, Operations, Administration, and Guest Services staff related to Premium Experiences. The coordinator will conduct sub- department, and facility meetings to support the efficient, safe, animal welfare-minded, and financially secure execution of Premium Experiences. Drives the exploration of premium experience integration into husbandry routines and is proactive in collaboration with husbandry staff to ensure safe husbandry and welfare best practices and procedures during premium experiences. The position will represent the Husbandry department in the development of Audubon Nature Institute wide initiatives related to guest enhancements and premium experiences.
To deliver on the Audubon mission, the Premium Experience Program Coordinator will:
Provide a guest experience of outstanding quality
• Approach all encounters with employees and guests in a friendly, service-oriented manner.
• Maintain the highest industry standards related to premium experiences and in support of Husbandry requirements and procedures.
• Work evening, weekend, holiday hours – required.
• Return telephone messages and e-mails in a timely fashion.
• Handle problems in the workplace, including anticipating, preventing, identifying, and solving problems as necessary.
• Make decisions consistent with Audubon Nature Institute policies and procedures.
• Perform facility and exhibit maintenance, including but not limited to, trash and debris removal, floor cleaning, painting, building repair, horticultural duties, etc.
• Interact positively and establish and maintain effective, efficient and cooperative relationships with employees, senior administration, vendors, and customers.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming including proper uniform standards,
• Ensure that educational and fee-based programming is entertaining and enhances the guest experience.
• Oversee and participate in public interaction including behind the scenes tours, speaking engagements, media communication, and guest education.
• Maintain a welcoming, positive and uplifting office environment.
• Cultivate positive relationships with staff, and guests.
• Practice selecting among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately to resolve guest problems that arise prior to and during each program occurrence.
• Assume full responsibility for the clerical functions of the Husbandry Premium Experiences so that the programs run efficiently.
• Work overtime as needed to ensure all details are finalized and logistics are fine-tuned.
• Seek out opportunities to promote conservation and activism through guest enhancement and premium experiences in accordance with the Audubon Mission.
Weave quality entertainment through the guest experience
• Support the welfare and care of the AAOA live animal collection through safe and collection-sensitive tour and experience practices and procedures
• Drive guest participation and revenue generation by coordinating Premium Experiences marketing needs with ANI marketing and PR department
• Create program evaluation processes and mechanisms to ensure programming is meeting guests’ expectations and ANI mission.
• Ensure timely and effective communication with husbandry staff to support quality welfare and care of the live collection and exhibit physical condition.
• Ensure safe and animal-sensitive approaches to Premium Experience planning and execution
• Assist the Husbandry Department in all phases of development, organization and follow-up with all Husbandry Department experiences, to include but not be limited to Premium Experiences (Husbandry) and Behind the Scenes tours and Animal Access Opportunities.
• Serve as a Husbandry Department liaison to various Audubon Nature Institute departments to facilitate efficient program operation, for each Husbandry department experience.
• Ensure that guests have a high-quality experience, striving to exceed all guest expectations, regularly evaluating and implementing program improvements as needed.
Exhibit the diversity of wildlife.
• Convey information and ideas clearly.
• Compose premium experiences-related information for publication in the following: Audubon’s website, AZA’s website and other publications.
• Work in partnership with husbandry staff and veterinarians to ensure effective health management and of the live collection as requested.
Provide a safe and efficient workplace that supports effective facility operations.
• Monitor and evaluate Guest Enhancements and Premium Experience operations and safety compliance.
• Assist in the development and preparation of educational materials associated with the program.
• Schedule and lead regularly scheduled program team meetings to facilitate timely and effective communications.
• Assist with the development, implementation, and evaluation of program operations and safety protocols, program procedures, and training.
• Review and recommend innovative technology and procedures that can enhance programming.
• Assist in the evaluation of staff with regard to knowledge, and program quality
Educate our diverse audience about the natural world.
• Coordinate and communicate program activities to Director of Husbandry, Husbandry staff, volunteers, and other Audubon departments as requested.
• Conduct behind-the-scenes tours for VIP’s, donors, and Audubon Education programs as scheduled.
• Interact with the public which may include on and off grounds educational and media presentations.
• Develop and present educational programs as required.
• Function as an interpreter and an ANI spokesperson.
Operate a financially self-sufficient collection of museums and parks
• Develop sound business plans for new revenue generating premium experiences (Wild Encounters).
• Develop business plans for revenue generating Behind the Scenes Tours offered by the Husbandry staff, collaborate with Information Central and Group Sales to coordinate logistics of offerings.
• Review and revise business plans for existing premium experiences
• Conduct monthly and quarterly, financial review of all Husbandry revenue generating programs, presenting results to Curatorial staff.
• Develop end of year ROI reports to assist in business plan development.
• Provide assistance to Husbandry Department in the daily management of existing experiences, new programs, animal training/conditioning, and other facets of animal care related to Premium Experiences.
• Maximize revenues by controlling cost and operating efficiently.
The above listed duties are general statements of required major duties and responsibilities performed on a regular and continuous basis. They do not exclude other duties as assigned.
To deliver on the Audubon service promise, the Premium Experience Program Coordinator will:
Welcome
• Make eye contact with every customer encounter, smile at every person, offer friendly phrases and greetings.
• Wear identification badge.
• Go above and beyond to offer assistance to guests in need.
• Assume ownership of potential safety hazards (wipe-up spill, pick up trash).
• Assume ownership of camera-ready standards in assigned exhibit spaces.
• Use proper professional phone etiquette when answering phones on behalf of Audubon.
• Refrain from cell phone use in the public space, maintaining a welcome, approachable appearance.
Share
• Maintain positive attitude, pleasant tone of voice (remember it is not what you say, but how you say it).
• Meet the standards of guest engagement -positive attitude, pleasant tone of voice, willingness to go above and beyond.
• Coach coworkers, interns and volunteers on service expectations, leading by example
• Utilize the power of teamwork to give excellent service. Work with your department and others in pursuit of excellence in customer service.
• Shares information vital to team and ANI success freely and in a timely manner. Identifies and corrects poor communication situations and habits. Proactively works to ensure good communications within and outside of departmental team. Assists curatorial staff in creating strategies to ensure good communication internal and external to the departmental team.
• Know when to involve management to correct problems in a timely fashion, ideally before they impact a guest, exhibits, or live animal collections.
• Initiate and execute team building activities and encourage others in the same.
Inspire
• Know the answers to questions or seek out the answers.
• Ensure work area is free of food, drink, socialization, and personal business.
• Follow Dress Code Policy on clothing and grooming.
• Acknowledge guests when working in the public space and seize every opportunity to engage guests in the wonders of nature
• Know the answers to questions or seek out the answers in an attempt to exceed guest expectations.
• Follow Dress Code Policy on clothing and grooming. Be an ambassador of Audubon at all times.
• Keep unpleasant concerns behind closed doors. Keep the guest space a positive environment.
• Utilize proper phone etiquette (answer phone within three rings, smile before answering call, ask for permission and wait for response before placing caller on hold).
• Ensure work area is free of food, drink, socialization, and personal business.
• Follow Dress Code Policy on clothing and grooming.
• Keep unpleasant concerns behind closed doors (vent backstage).
Supervision: Not applicable
Experience: At least two years’ experience in project logistics coordination, education programming; animal behavioral training, or visitor services in a public aquarium, museum, nature center, zoo, or amusement park. Experienced SCUBA diving in a leadership role is a plus. Experience with AZA Animal Handling techniques is a plus.
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology, education, psychology, business, project management or related field preferred
Licensure/Certification:
1. Valid driver’s license
2. Certified SCUBA Diver Preferred
Software Requirements: Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Machinery/Tools/Equipment Requirements: Must have the ability to use mobile devices, computer, fax, scanner, phone, and copy machine.
Physical Requirements:
1. Heavy work: lifting up to 80lbs pounds occasionally, or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Will involve standing most of the time, but may involve walking or sitting for brief periods of time.
2. Must be able to lift 80 pounds.
3. Must possess strong swimming skills and be able to pull oneself out of a pool.
4. Must be able to walk, bend, kneel, and climb stairs and ladders while in dive gear.
5. Constant adequate range of motion and mobility required.
6. Regular near acuity with clarity of vision at 20 inches or less required.
7. Typical ability to collect and analyze numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions and ability to determine the time, place and sequence of operations or actions required.
8. Must have cognitive and communication skills required to function within the department.
9. Regular hearing and the ability to perceive the nature of sounds.
10. Must possess excellent organizational skills.
11. Must be able to read, write and speak English.
12. Must be safety conscious.
13. Demonstrate effective communication skills with supervisors and co-workers.
14. Demonstrate the ability to make sound decisions in the absence of supervision, assume responsibility without direction and willingness to assist in achieving facility and Audubon Nature Institute goals.
If SCUBA certified the Coordinator will be:
• Able to swim efficiently at the surface
• Able to swim efficiently underwater
• Able to tow another diver while in full SCUBA gear
• Able to tread water/float on the surface
• Able to assemble, ditch and don SCUBA gear
• Excellent control of buoyancy
• Able to clear SCUBA mask and swim without a mask underwater
• Regulator skills – recover and clear, and breathe through free-flowing regulator
• Comfort underwater in all conditions, stressful or otherwise
Environmental/Working Conditions:
1. Must be willing and able to dive up to four hours per day in temperate (50F- 78F) fresh and salt water.
2. Working long hours between breaks or meals required.
3. Ability to work under and handle stress in an appropriate manner required.
4. Must be able to work in moderately noisy environments, dirty conditions and cramped spaces.
5. Must be willing and able to handle raw seafood.
6. Must be able to work with potentially hazardous chemicals associated with analysis and treatment of exhibits.
7. Must be able to work unsupervised and with a team.
8. Affinity for animals preferred.
9. Exposure to fluctuations in air temperatures may be required.
10. Must be able to work in all types of weather both indoors and outdoors, working long hours between breaks or meals required.
How to Apply
https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/careers
Audubon Nature Institute
6500 Magazine street
New Orleans, LA 70118
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