Director of Experiential Guest Services

Position Title: Director of Experiential Guest Services

Reports to: EVP, Guest Experience

Job Description:

The Director of Experiential Guest Services owns the strategy, growth, and performance of SSA's experiential guest offerings - attraction guest photography, face painting, temporary tattoos, caricature artists, and emerging service lines. This is a builder's role: the Director is responsible for developing this line of business from concept through execution, establishing the operating model, defining service standards, and driving profitable growth across SSA's portfolio of partner locations. The Director ensures opportunities measure to market performance and viability, partnering with Growth and Regional Vice President for pipeline opportunities. Sets and delivers revenue and margin targets, partnering closely with location leadership for operational implementation and continued success. Partners with key stakeholders to ensure every experiential touchpoint enhances the guest visit and strengthens SSA's relationship with its partners. Success in this role means turning a set of individual services into a scalable, repeatable, high-performing line of business.

Responsibilities
Business Development & Revenue Growth

Identify and pursuing expansion opportunities for SSA's pipeline and successful program launches in partnership with Growth team and Regional Vice President.

• Identify and pursue expansion opportunities across existing and prospective partner locations
• Build the business case and present new experiential programs, alongside RVP and/or GM, to partner and executive stakeholders
• Lead new program launches from proposal through opening
• Influence annual revenue growth targets for the experiential portfolio, forecast accurately, and drive corrective action with the P&L owner when results trend off plan

Operating Strategy

• Design and document the operating model, including staffing structures, workflows, and quality benchmarks across all service lines
• Establish equipment, technology, and inventory management standards utilizing existing enterprise tools
• Monitor execution against standards and refine the model as the business scales
• Evaluate and manage vendor relationships, imaging platforms, and equipment sourcing to support quality, efficiency, and scalability

Revenue Optimization & Guest Engagement

The Director drives per-capita spend growth by shaping pricing, packaging, and guest-facing merchandising in partnership with Growth (marketing).

• Drive per-capita spend through pricing strategy, package design, and product mix
• Improve capture and conversion rates through upselling programs and placement/flow within each venue
• Partner with Growth (marketing) on promotional strategy, on-site merchandising, and campaigns that increase guest awareness and participation

Team Leadership & Partner Relations

The Director builds the talent pipeline and standards that let this business scale, and serves as the senior point of contact for experiential services for General Manager and Regional Vice President of the location.

• Recruit, train, and develop talent
• Build training programs, KSAs, and career pathing in partnership with People Department that support consistent execution at scale
• Serve as the senior point of contact for experiential services with SSA's General Manager and Regional Vice President, aligning programs to each partner's brand and guest expectations

Education & Experience

• Prior experience operating an attraction guest photography business, with direct accountability for revenue and operational performance
• Strong working knowledge across the full range of experiential guest services, including guest photo, face painting, temporary tattoos, caricature artists, and comparable offerings
• Demonstrated success building a business line or program from the ground up - not solely managing an established operation
• P&L ownership experience, including budgeting, forecasting, and delivering against revenue and margin targets
• Proven ability to develop new business and present effectively to partner and executive stakeholders
• Experience leading distributed, multi-site teams and seasonal or high-turnover workforces
• Background in cultural attractions, zoos, aquariums, museums, or a comparable guest-facing hospitality environment
• Bachelor's degree in business, hospitality, marketing, or a related field preferred or the equivalent combination of education and demonstrated leadership experience

Position Requirements

• Regular travel to partner institutions expected, including weekends and peak operating periods
• Able to walk and tour venues for extended periods
• Flexible availability during peak seasonal periods as business requires

Work Environment
The Director operates across a portfolio of active partner institutions, each with the fast-paced, high-energy characteristics of cultural attraction operations, and works cross-functionally with location leadership and Growth to bring new experiential programs to life. Regular travel across the portfolio is expected and central to the role. The position requires the ability to build from the ground up in an ambiguous, still-forming business line while maintaining the pace and adaptability of a guest-facing hospitality environment.

Compensation and Benefits

• Full-Time, Exempt

• $75 monthly cell phone stipend
• Bonus eligible based on company performance and guidelines outlines by your manager.

• Flex Time Off: no accruals; employees are encouraged to schedule time off as needed within business scope.

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and other voluntary benefits for you and your family; employee premiums applicable.

• Participation in a 401(k) program with a 15% company match (must be 21 years or older, eligible after one year of employment with 1,000 hours worked, available to enroll during Open Enrollment Periods).

• Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability, employer sponsored; scaled salary pay following submission and approval of leave

• Parental Leave: Birthing Parent Plan covers up to (6-8) weeks fully paid leave, based on the birthing event.

• SSA Paid Benefit: Up to 120 hours of Paid Leave for qualifying reasons, including Parental Bonding and your family's serious medical conditions.

• Up to 5 days Paid Bereavement Leave

• On-Demand Pay Program: Get access to a portion of earned wages before payday.

• Meal Plan & Employee Discounts where applicable

• Paid sick leave is provided in accordance with applicable state and local laws. Accrual rates, caps, and usage rules vary by location.
  Locations include: Arizona, California, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C.. Colorado: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year, under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). Maryland: Employees accrue at least 1 hour of paid sick and safe leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year, as required under the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. Washington: Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked, in accordance with the Seattle Paid Sick and Safe Time.