Portland Japanese Garden – in Portland, Oregon – is hiring for a Visitor Relations Supervisor. The Visitor Relations Supervisors (VRS) are responsible for working closely with Visitor Relations Managers to supervise daily cross-functional support in our front-of-house locations, with a focus on ensuring an outstanding experience for visitors to Portland Japanese Garden. The Visitor Relations Supervisors report to the Director of Visitor Relations and are managed by the Visitor Relations management team. This position works from our primary Garden campus, located at 611 SW Kingston Avenue. Primary Duties - Work as needed across several front-of-house locations daily, including the Fukuta Concierge Office, the Tanabe Welcome Center, Garden grounds, and the Pavilion Gallery, ensuring functional continuity, and providing proactive, positive customer service to Members, guests, and staff
- Develop knowledge of and ability to perform all front-of-house functions, including but not limited to, selling admission tickets, processing memberships, or driving the Garden Shuttle
- Responsible for serving as a role model and encouraging staff, by being a proactive and friendly presence while conducting Garden rounds or staffing front-of-house locations, including greeting guests, answering questions, and enforcing Garden etiquette
- Supervise daily employee rotation and duties to ensure continuous customer service presence and functionality with admissions, member support, and public offerings
- In conjunction with VR Managers, responsible for keeping the Visitor Relations team informed and trained on Garden information (policies and talking points, events, exhibitions, etiquette, and memberships) and the local area (bus schedules, wayfinding, and providing local suggestions)
- Oversee lower-level customer service issues and flag staff performance issues, keeping Visitor Relations leadership apprised of all issues
- Assist with cross-functional training of staff, ensuring guest experience is the primary focus, including assisting with updating policy and procedure resources as needed
- Participate in opening/closing front-of-house locations, troubleshooting POS or IT issues, and working closely with Manager-on-Duty with emergency response
- Participate in maintaining a world-class appearance of Garden grounds and front-of-house locations, including conducting regular housekeeping tasks indoors and outdoors, and restocking supplies, brochures, etc
- Process all types of Membership enrollment, including processing new and renewal memberships, upgrades, and answering general questions about our membership program
- Assist with providing customer service by phone or email, keeping Visitor Relations managers apprised of all issues
- Rectify daily cash deposit, including preparing cashier bags, overseeing counting in/out, and preparing change orders
- Enforce Garden policies and etiquette, including evaluating ADA service animal requests
- Attend regular department meetings and other Garden meetings as required
- Acquire and maintain current knowledge about the Garden and Garden events and responsible for regularly training staff on these details in conjunction with the Visitor Relations managers
- Other duties as assigned
Other Responsibilities - Work special Garden events as required, including necessary setup or take-down tasks
- Familiarize oneself with the organization and the Employee Handbook
- Get to know fellow staff members, develop trust, establish credibility, encourage teamwork, and create an atmosphere of open, honest, two-way communication
- Serve as a role model for Garden volunteers, providing support and encouragement to volunteers in their roles across the Garden
- Maintain a high level of professionalism in manner and appearance
- Adhere to Garden Dress Code and wear Garden uniform; solid earthtone colors for pants, skirts, shorts, and accessories (closed toed shoes, socks, sweaters); a Garden provided dark blue button up shirt and black multi-layer winter coat.
Qualifications Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the position, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and qualifications for this role. - Minimum 2 years customer service experience, with supervisory experience preferred
- At least 1 year of experience with customer relationship management and/or point of sale programs; experience with Tessitura a plus
- At least 1 year of experience with cash-handling, and/or demonstrated knowledge of financial best practices
- Excellent verbal and written English communication skills
- Proven track record of excellent customer service and effective problem-solving skills
- Proficient on a computer; familiar with Point-of-Sale software and other programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
- Current driver’s license; must be able to supply a satisfactory DMV report once hired
Special Requirements - Flexible work schedule and able to accommodate changing Garden needs, including working weekends, evenings, and occasional overtime
- Must successfully complete first aid training, provided by the Garden
- Must be comfortable lifting up to 35lbs
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position and/or move about the Garden for several hours
- Knowledge of Japanese culture and/or bilingual in Japanese is a plus
Compensation & Schedule - Wage: $21.00/hour
- This is a full-time, hourly position with 40 hours per week. Regular workdays may vary depending on occasional Garden events but will include weekends. Shifts are typically 8 hours (plus ½ hour lunch), between 7:45am and 7:00pm
- Benefits:
- health, dental, and vision insurance (premium 100% covered for employees), with partial deductible reimbursement
- 401k plan (after 6 months, with 4% employer match after 1 year)
- flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses
- paid time off:
- vacation: 2 weeks (10 days) per calendar year to start, with regular increases
- wellness: 10 days per calendar year
- free access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Transportation The Garden is located at 611 SW Kingston Avenue, in Washington Park. Below are the transportation options for staff commuting to the Garden: Parking: Staff may park in the pay-to-park spaces throughout Washington Park. The cost is $15.12/day, or staff may request parking permits from Washington Park. The Garden subsidizes a portion of the cost for parking permits; the cost for staff is $75/month during the high season (March – September) and $50/month during the low season (October – February). Bus Passes: For staff who take public transit as their primary means of commuting to the Garden, we provide paid bus passes. Full-time staff receive a monthly TriMet pass, and part-time staff receive daily passes, based on their work schedule. Transportation Stipend: Staff who take any form of alternative transit to get to work qualify for a $5 daily stipend. This includes taking public transit, walking, biking, carpooling, or getting dropped off. The only staff who do not qualify for the stipend are those who are receiving a bus pass through the Garden. Union Information This position is part of an on-going bargaining unit set to establish a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and as such the incumbent will be bound by the language of said agreement and party to all benefits, dues and requirements associated with being a member of a union and the (CBA). Applications To apply, please submit a resume, and three work-related references.?Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please no phone calls or hand delivered applications. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. All submitted applications will be held in confidence. We encourage all potential applicants to watch our video entitled “Come to Understand: Welcome to Portland Japanese Garden” (5:56 minutes).
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