Description
JOB SUMMARY: The Director of Visitor Engagement is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that enhance the visitor experience at Bok Tower Gardens. This leadership role oversees a team of managers in various programs including education, guest services, volunteer program, interpretation, and non-living collections to ensure that all visitors enjoy a welcoming, educational, and inspiring experience. The Director will lead a multidisciplinary team to foster meaningful connections between visitors and the garden's collections, landscape, nature, and mission.
Key Responsibilities:
Visitor Experience & Guest Services
- Oversee Guest Services Manager, staff and volunteers, including front desk, admissions, and visitor support to lead and innovate visitor experience strategies to ensure quality experience with high levels of satisfaction, inclusivity, and accessibility.
- Address guest emergencies (medical, situational, etc.) and document in incident reporting.
- Use visitor feedback, data, and analytics to inform decision-making and improve services.
Education Programming
- Oversee Education Manager to develop, implement, and evaluate mission-driven education programs for diverse audiences, including families, adults, and schools. These would include both in-person and digital education programming; didactic as well as experiential learning; for registered attendees as well as the daily visitor.
- Partner with other departments (e.g., Horticulture and Business Development) to assist in creating integrated events that aligned with institutional goals.
Interpretation & Engagement
- Oversee interpretive strategies that communicate the significance of the Gardens' landscape, nature, history, and conservation efforts.
- Ensure signage, tours, exhibitions, and digital tools enrich the visitor experience and reflect best practices in inclusion and accessibility
Volunteer Program
- Oversee Manager for Gardens' volunteer program of 160 non-paid staff for areas ranging from horticulture, conservation, retail sales, guest services, garden and historic house guides. Develop strategies to train, motivate, and cultivate the volunteer corps.
Non-Living Collections
- Oversee the House and Collections Manager for the operations and collections management of the Historic El Retiro House for public visitation and education and for the preservation of the historic house and its collections. Included in the non-living collections is the Anton Brees Carillon Library and the Bok Tower Gardens Archives housed in the Tower.
Leadership & Administration
- Manage departmental budget, staffing, and resources effectively.
- Evaluation and reporting of tracked attendance, engagement levels, and visitor satisfaction.
- Use data to adjust programs and inform future initiatives.
- Supervise, coach, and develop a team of managers, educators, and front-line staff.
- Serve as a member of the senior leadership team, contributing to strategic planning and cross-departmental initiatives.
Requirements
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in, education, museum studies, environmental science/agriculture, nonprofit management, or a related field; master's preferred
- 5 years of progressively responsible experience in visitor engagement, public programming, or guest services, preferably in a museum, garden, or cultural institution.
- Proven leadership and team management experience.
- Strong understanding of audience development and accessibility principles.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience with Customer Relationship Management/ticketing systems and visitor analytics tools a plus.
Work Environment & Schedule:
- Requires occasional evening, weekend, and holiday work.
- May involve walking, standing for long periods, and outdoor work in various weather conditions.
- Office and garden-based
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