Chief Guest Engagement & Revenue Optimization - Agency Division Director Senior

About the Role

The Chief Guest Engagement & Revenue Optimization at the Minnesota Zoo drives an exceptional, modern, and mission-centered guest experience while maximizing revenue generated through admissions, membership, events, educational programming, and third-party food, beverage, and retail operations. This position serves on the Director’s Advisory Team as a principal advisor and strategist for guest engagement, revenue generation, educational program creation and delivery, brand position, and go-to-market strategy. The role plans, directs, and implements strategies to generate statewide, national, and international engagement with the Zoo’s educational and conservation mission. The position supports operations across a large campus environment and requires travel between multiple buildings and work sites. When job duties require operating a motor vehicle, the employee must safely operate a vehicle and possess a valid and unrestricted driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage division staffing in accordance with applicable policies, procedures, and labor contracts to ensure a high-performing division structured for scalability, cross-functional collaboration, and long-term sustainability.
• Establish and direct a comprehensive guest experience strategy across all guest-facing departments to ensure experiences are mission-aligned, financially sustainable, operationally excellent, and responsive to public accountability standards.
• Establish and direct the Zoo’s earned revenue strategy to maximize revenue generated through admissions, membership, events, educational programming, and third-party food, beverage, and retail operations.
• Provide executive leadership for the creation, delivery, and evaluation of educational programming aligned with conservation priorities and financial sustainability.
• Provide executive oversight of major third-party partners including retail, food, and beverage operations and other service delivery partners.
• Serve as a key member of the Director’s Advisory Team to develop and lead Zoo-wide strategies and policies and ensure management decisions and actions align with state values and the priorities of the Director and Deputy Director.

Requirements

• Ten (10) years of progressive leadership experience in guest engagement and revenue operations, commercial strategy, within a complex, public and mission-driven organization with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Demonstrated leadership experience must include time as an executive leader. Total demonstrated leadership experience may include experience as a manager, supervisor, or team/project lead.
• Master’s degree may substitute for 18 months of experience; Bachelor’s degree may substitute for one year of experience; Associate’s degree may substitute for six months of experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing $10M+ in earned revenue, including revenue forecasting, pricing strategy, budgeting, and financial performance management.
• Ability to create and communicate division-level strategy, a roadmap to achieve the vision, and experience managing and/or leading diverse partners or constituent groups through change.
• Experience leading and developing leaders, fostering accountability and collaboration, and translating organizational strategy into measurable results.
• Experience using customer-centered approaches or community feedback to improve organizational strategies, decisions, operations, and services.
• Experience overseeing third-party vendor contracts and performance-based agreements.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in hospitality, business, communications, education, or related field.
• Experience in zoological, aquarium, museum, comparable attraction, or retail leadership.
• Experience leading projects from planning through implementation while meeting established timelines and objectives, and maintaining operational excellence.
• Experience establishing ongoing feedback structures with customers or community to inform organizational strategies and decisions.
• Experience creating and managing large-scale ticketed events.
• Advanced proficiency with POS, CRM, ticketing, and analytics systems.
• Fluency in a second language such as Spanish, Hmong, or ASL.

Physical Requirements

• Flexible availability, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Proficiency with modern digital tools and communication platforms.

Applicants must meet the physical requirements and work in the environmental conditions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations.

Pay

$55.68 - $79.79 / hourly; $116,259 - $166,601 / annually

Schedule

• Day Shift; 8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
• Monday - Friday
• Travel required: up to 25% of the time

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays each year
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans
• Fertility care, including IVF
• Diabetes care
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children
• Pension plan that provides income when you retire (after working at least three years)
• Employer-paid life insurance to provide support for your family in the event of death
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance that can provide income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care
• Resources that provide support and promote physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being
• Training, classes, and professional development
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (some positions may qualify)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for work/life support, including mental health, relationship challenges, grief and loss, finances, and legal issues
• Daily living/convenience services: chore services, home repair, trip planning, child/elder care

Programs, resources, and benefits eligibility varies based on type of employment, agency, funding availability, union/collective bargaining agreement, location, and length of service with the State of Minnesota.