About the Opportunity:

Visitor Center Operations Director (Full-time)

Based from FIND HQ in Pisgah Forest, NC or Remote in N. Georgia

FIND is an outdoor recreation nonprofit that centers forest education and stewardship. Working in partnership with public land managers like the US Forest Service, this position will manage five visitor centers in North Carolina, North Georgia and Kentucky. These visitor centers are culturally and historically important, provide a wealth of educational and interpretive programs and events, and support maintenance of public lands through retail sales and other revenue-generating strategies.

For this important role, FIND requires a strong, unifying and highly collaborative servant leader who is deeply committed to the success of FIND Outdoors. The Visitor Center Director should be a strategic big picture thinker, who is skilled at creating systems to make our non-profit organization operate effectively and efficiently. They should also be able to develop and implement customer-first strategies based on data-driven decisions and actionable metrics. The Director will actively coordinate with public- and private-sector partners to advance progressive plans, programs and responsibilities of FIND to serve the needs of the public lands it manages.

The Director will support FIND’s leadership team to ensure effective administration, financial management, and operations visitor centers and retail shops. The Director is responsible for making budget recommendations, identifying new business opportunities, managing all site operations and plans, including activities, human resources, and legal, social and economic issues affecting visitor center sites. The Director is held to a high standard for customer service, employee and community relations and will be a key leader in crafting and implementing visitor center strategic plans.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work in partnership with the CEO to proactively evaluate and refine process improvement across visitor center operational areas within FIND;
• Supervise visitor center managers and support them in working through field challenges that arise through the course of the season;
• Develop and manage budgets and staffing patterns for each site;
• Assist in development, managing and tracking success metrics and key performance indicators for each site;
• Identify merchandising, marketing and other promotional strategies that will assist each site in meeting and exceeding retail goals;
• Create and implement incentive and appreciation programs to recognize and reward top performers;
• Help lead development of intensive visitor center staff training, both onboarding and periodic;
• Ensure operational excellence and fidelity to permits and operating plans in all FIND locations;
• Maintain open and regular communication with all relevant partners including the United States Forest Service (USFS);
• Support FIND strategic goals around revenue increases and diversification;
• Identify, vet and assist in proposal development for new business opportunities;
• Hire, train, manage, and provide professional development opportunities for operations team members across all visitor centers;
• Partner closely with leaders of retail, finance, HR and education functions to help accomplish visitor center goals;
• In collaboration with program managers, advise and oversee the execution of deferred maintenance, emergency repairs, and annual upkeep and beautification;
• Help coordinate completion of relevant paperwork (GT etc.) pursuant to the above;
• Build systems and processes that ensure excellence and promote transparent communication with remote employees;
• Supportive a positive and supportive work culture based on collaboration, mutual respect, and shared leadership.

SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Leadership experience in nonprofit, outdoor education, museum, park, recreation, or mission-driven retail environments;
• Ability to manage remote and diverse management teams;
• Knowledge of marketing and promotional best practices associated with retail;
• Ability to balance fast-moving, ever-changing issues with long-term priorities;
• Passion for people development;
• Exceptional problem solver with impeccable follow-through;
• Working knowledge of USFS permits and agreements;
• Ability to balance vision with operational details; comfort working in both office and field settings;
• Experience managing large and complex budgets that included retail components;
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly and sometimes with little notice, highly flexible especially during peak season; travel anticipated to be at least 30% of time, annually;
• Working knowledge of basic facilities and maintenance topics;
• Sincere and abiding passion for public lands.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, Marketing, Hospitality, Outdoor Leadership or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• Preference for candidates who have a minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in retail management, including multi-site or district-level oversight.

FIND Outdoors is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Job Type: Full-time