Jobs

About La Nube

We are on a mission to serve the many communities that make up the greater El Paso and Juarez region through engaging exhibitions as well as relevant and responsive programming. La Nube exists to enrich the lives of children and their families and thereby change our communities in positive ways. We are proud and grateful to have the opportunity to serve the incredible people of El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, and the Borderland region.

La Nube’s anticipated opening date late 2023 with soft openings in the month prior to the official opening. The entire La Nube team will be hired, trained, and ready for the soft openings.

About the Role

The VP of Guest Experience & Business Operations serves as a key member of the executive leadership team and directs all aspects of guest relations, ticketing, event rentals, retail and café. The VP is responsible for ensuring an excellent guest experience, supervising, training and mentoring front-line staff, managing daily admissions operations, cash handling, and retail and café operations. This position is both a strategic thinker and a detail-oriented leader and must be a passionate and articulate spokesperson for the objectives and goals of the museum. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the VP of Guest Experience & Business Operations supervises a large team of full-time and part-time team members, serving La Nube guests in all front-of-house areas of the museum—indoors and out.

The work week for this position is typically Monday – Friday; however, flexibility in scheduling is needed for some evenings and weekends, including special events.

This job is for you if you are/have…

• A proven track record of delivering exceptional guest service and customer experience.
• Minimum 3 years of experience leading and managing diverse staff at all levels, within a consumer-facing environment.
• Experience with integrated POS, CRM, web and email marketing systems; system start-up/transition project experience is a bonus. Comfortable in learning new technologies.
• Energized by working in a fast-paced environment. Able to juggle competing priorities with enthusiasm and good humor.
• Experienced working with vendors and managing contract deliverables.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking abilities and proven experience as a strategic partner.
• Results oriented – demonstrated ability for goal setting and accomplishment; self-motivated and excellent at motivating guest service staff.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively engage with a wide variety of constituents – diverse guests, management, the Board of Directors, donors, vendors and team members.
• Commitment to being a team player – our success is based on what we accomplish together.

Responsibilities

Because La Nube is a startup, you’ll be given lots of responsibility, and opportunities to shape the organization. We are at a pivotal moment in building the organization, and you must have the vision and drive to build the team that will be the front line of La Nube. You must be collaborative, resourceful and a creative problem-solver. The VP of Guest Experience & Business Operations will be the primary leader in establishing the tone of La Nube’s guest experience, and is critical to helping ensure that the museum is an inviting, welcoming and joyful destination for all. Leading up to museum opening, the VP will establish policies and procedures for all cash-handling and reporting in conjunction with the VP of Administration & Finance, and lead training to ensure front-of-house staff has working knowledge of POS systems and are prepared for opening. The VP will work in collaboration with the VP of Talent & Culture to staff retail amenities at La Nube (store and café), event and parties rentals, and establish timelines for pre-opening tasks and training to ensure both areas are fully operational at opening. The VP will work with other teams to develop safety procedures and trainings for the wellbeing of both guests and team members.

Once La Nube is operational, responsibilities for this position include:
Admissions and Front-of-House Operations

• Establish and maintain an exceptional guest experience through safe, efficient and guest-focused daily operations of the museum.
• Hire, train and supervise all front-of-house staff and volunteers
• Lead by example and ensure that all front-of-house team members are supported appropriately so that they provide excellent service and a positive guest experience
• Develop staffing schedules and ensure necessary staffing for all public operating hours and special events
• Manage La Nube’s POS system for admissions, on-line reservations and ticketing.
• Collaborate with the Development team to ensure the connection between POS and CRM. Collaborate with the Development and Marketing teams to promote membership sales and member relations.
• In collaboration with the Facilities & Exhibits Team, create contingency plans for maximum building capacity and specific needs for high-visitation periods.
• Maintain collaborative relationship with the Learning Experiences Team to support group visits, camps, public programs and special events.
• Maintain relationships with vendors, including IT, POS, etc.

Retail Amenity Operations (Gift Shop & Café)

• With the Retail Manager, Café management and the VP of Administration & Finance, develop an annual sales plan and provide monthly sales reports to senior leadership team.
• Oversee the Retail Manager in sourcing and purchasing merchandise, managing inventory levels and records of items sold. Oversee the Café vendor operations so that food service and hospitality meet the museum’s objectives for guest experience.
• Oversee the event and party rentals operation.
• Ensure the lobby, gift shop and café are clean, safe and inviting.
• Develop tools to better understand customer trends and interests. Create sales opportunities as appropriate via on-line or off-site locations.
• Collaborate with the Facilities & Exhibits and Marketing & Communication teams on promotional graphics and materials for retail amenities.
• Hire and oversee management of retail staff and volunteers.

Collaborative Projects

The VP will actively participate in a variety of team meetings and collaborate on cross-functional projects that will further enhance La Nube’s guest experience, and elevate the museum as the top destination in the Borderplex region. Projects may include:

• Development of the museum’s emergency management plan and related training for all team members and volunteers
• Development and presentation of special events, holiday programming, adult after-hours programs and other activities that greatly enhance La Nube’s service to the wider community.
• Development and implementation of La Nube’s sustainability and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging goals (DEIB) and objectives

Reporting and Strategic Thinking

As senior leader of the front-line team, the VP will provide ongoing reporting to senior leadership to better understand visitor trends, revenue fluxuations, etc., and information to help inform operational and strategic decisions.
• Develop annual team operating budget and revenue goals for admissions, museum gift shop, café, rentals, and any additional amenity-based revenue programs.
• Implement regular guest satisfaction assessments to inform senior leadership in making data-driven decisions.

Logistics Pre-Opening

• For the time being, your “desk” could be in any number of places—home, coffee shop, downtown office spaces. We just need you to be in a place with reliable cell phone access and high-speed internet. Prior to opening, we will be working as a team in a leased office space.
• If you do not currently own a laptop or phone, La Nube may be able to provide one prior to opening.
• You can expect a 40-hour work week, via phone/Zoom/email, but you are willing to invest the time needed to get the job done.
• We are very flexible for caregivers who might need to provide rides, support, attend appointments or be available for caregiving.

Must Have

• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and commitment to the vision and purpose of La Nube
• Exceptional guest service attributes, and the ability to mentor diverse team members at all levels.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills. Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize them to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated resourcefulness and creative problem-solving.
• Excellent communication and analytical skills are essential
• Be both a team player and team leader
• Comfortable with innovation and implementing new ideas

Nice to Have

• Fluent in English and Spanish
• Comfortable working independently as we ramp up staffing, structures, and policies
• Committed to keeping current on industry best practices and policies, and the ever-changing role museums play in the community
• Bachelor’s or advanced degree from an accredited university

Why La Nube?

• The opportunity to join a talented team that is passionate about serving the children and families of El Paso and the Borderland region
• The opportunity to work within a team to shape the culture and build a great organization
• Personal and professional growth. We invest in people because we believe growth leads to organizational impact and personal fulfillment.
• Competitive salary, equity, and benefits
• Flexible time-off policy

How to Apply

This is a challenging opportunity for a dedicated and highly motivated professional. If you would like to join our team, please submit your application to jobs@la-nube.org including the name of the position in the email subject line.

Your application should be addressed to HR and include the following:

• An updated resume or CV with contact details: email address and phone number
• A cover letter and pay requirements

Applications not including all of the above information will not be reviewed. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Please note that La Nube requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

La Nube is an equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, which includes providing equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.