Director of Guest Experience & Fan Engagement

New York Racing Association; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

New York Racing Association seeks a Director, Guest Experience to lead strategic vision and operational execution of hospitality at Belmont Park and Saratoga Racecourse. This senior role drives fan engagement across arrival to departure and oversees admissions, ushers, tours, and guest services.

The ideal candidate combines hospitality leadership with operational excellence, has experience scaling guest services in sports/entertainment venues, and can build high-performing teams while driving

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in hospitality, business administration or related field.
• 6 years of guest or event service experience in a managerial capacity.
• Experience in sports and entertainment facilities preferred.
• Willingness to work flexible hours including evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Strong public speaking skills and experience presenting to groups of 10–500 people.
• Ability to lead diverse teams and coach, mentor and develop staff.
• Spanish language skills preferred.
• Experience working in union environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Guest Experience management team with coaching, strategic guidance, and resource support.
• Coach frontline staff to uphold NYRA's guest service philosophy and brand expectations.
• Develop event staff into specialized supporting roles.
• Oversee development and distribution of guest-facing materials and resources.
• Ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements and labor laws.
• Meet with event operations to address Guest Experience needs per event.
• Oversee staffing, budgeting, and workforce planning for all events.
• Maintain accessibility and ADA compliance in event plans and layouts.

Skills

Leadership

Public speaking

Team management

Guest experience strategy

Budgeting

Cross-functional collaboration

Event operations

Customer service excellence

Bilingual Spanish (preferred)

Vendor relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM software

Microsoft Excel

Event management platforms

Ticketing systems

Job description

New York Racing Association seeks a Director, Guest Experience to lead strategic vision and operational execution of hospitality at Belmont Park and Saratoga Racecourse. This senior role drives fan engagement across arrival to departure and oversees admissions, ushers, tours, and guest services.

The ideal candidate combines hospitality leadership with operational excellence, has experience scaling guest services in sports/entertainment venues, and can build high-performing teams while driving