Guest Experience Manager

This is a Full Time Job

Who are we: A professional basketball team and state-of-the-art arena/entertainment venue that specializes in creating memorable experiences for each guest we interact with. Some of our favorite things are live sports, concerts, comedy shows, family shows, and most any other world-class event you can think of, and we're looking for someone who shares the same interests. We live for the fast pace world of sports & live entertainment, and as such, we work hard, run fast, execute flawlessly, and party it up when it all comes together. Lastly, we strive to deliver wonderful experiences that create lasting memories, and we prefer to surround ourselves with those who are the best at what they do.

Who are you: An enthusiastic lover of sports, live entertainment and people. You have true passion for engaging in meaningful interactions and creating memorable experiences for all guests. You strive to be helpful, engaging and knowledgeable of all things Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. You enjoy being a part of an exciting and dynamic group, and you're committed to continuously enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of your team. Lastly, you enjoy working hard and celebrating hard, and you'd be shocked if guests weren't positively impacted by their interactions with you.

Summary:
The manager will be a strategic/critical thinking leader, serve as a people-first advocate while providing professional development and training aimed at motivating and equipping employees and partners to consistently provide a world class, Fan First guest experience. They will assist in leading efforts focused on welcoming fans, continually improving processes that improve the guest experience, creating opportunities to exceed their expectations and empowering employees to fulfill our collective service philosophy, which is S.M.I.L.E. They will build, coach and develop direct reports into exceptional leaders. This will include working collaboratively and strategically with arena partners (Levy, Pritchard, Security, Box Office, Event mgmt.) ensuring all Smile Makers are serving our guests by providing exceptional Southern Hospitality.

Responsibilities:

• Embody and live the core elements of SMILE in service to our Team Members and Guests (Southern Hospitality, Make a Moment, Individuals Matter, Listen & Learn, Empowerment)
• Passionately inspire and lead the team via demonstration of our cultural values and exemplifying authentic leadership principles
• Create an environment of genuine care in order to empower employees to bring all of their skills, talents and abilities to their work
• Lead the guest experience operations for Hawks games and State Farm Arena events
• Provide evaluations, continuous feedback, and coaching to part time team members. This individual will coach first but also manage disciplinary actions when necessary
• Assist with the development of Guest Experience policies and procedures that foster a culture of trust and empowerment
• Champion and execute the rewards & recognition efforts to foster a fun, engaging and successful work environment
• Serve as a core member of the SMILE and leadership training team helping to facilitate training and developing hourly trainers
• Develop and implement strategies that demonstrate that each individual team member matters and are valued by the organization
• Be a curious, creative, dynamic leader helping to drive innovation in the guest experience space, transforming State Farm Arena into a model for other organizations to follow
• Identify pain points in the guest experience and develop plans and/or processes to improve the guest experience
• Partner with teams throughout the organization to standardize the team member experience for all departments (Guest Experience, Security, Food & Beverage, Environmental, etc.)
• Regularly review and analyze guest service data to generate action plans that address service deficiencies/goals, help to develop process improvements and/or training plans to enhance team member performance
• Other duties that may be assigned

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree with work experience in hospitality or service industries
• 5-10 years of hospitality experience at industry leading brands or sports organizations with experience leading high performing teams (direct reports)
• A visionary, servant leader, with a passion for serving others and creating exceptional guest experiences
• Customer obsessed individual, that works vigorously to understand guest needs and earn their trust
• A bias for action, with the ability to work in ambiguous and changing environments with little direction
• Performance driven individual, with a focus on delivering results and on maintaining the highest standards
• Effectively communicate business strategy organization-wide and ensure buy-in and execution from all levels. Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence others to drive change
• A creative thinker, with the ability to think big and work backwards to implement a vision
• Must be able to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays