Director of Guest Experience & Operations

American Association for State and Local History; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent benefits package (medical,  

Fitness club membership discount

Cafe/gift shop and Monticello online"

Employee Assistance Program

$500 employee referral bonus

Job summary

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, VA, is seeking a Director of Guest Operations for a full-time, on-site role at Monticello. Reporting to the VP for Education and Guest Experience, you will lead admissions, guest services, and transportation, shaping guest flow and sustaining world-class experiences.

You will manage budgets and a team of managers, plan major events like the July 4th Naturalization Ceremony, set access policies, and collaborate on safety and security.

Qualifications

• Director-level experience planning guest facilities, operations, and experiences at scale.
• Strong knowledge of ticketing, admissions, and guest-facing CRM platforms, with data reporting to drive decisions.
• A passion for guest service and cultivating an institutional guest-first culture.
• Strong business and financial acumen.
• Proven leadership and team-driven results.
• High-level analytical and project management skills.
• Ability to anticipate guest flow and mitigate impact.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across diverse staff and visitors.

Responsibilities

• Foster a guest-centric culture with robust feedback systems and staff training to sustain world-class guest experience ratings.
• Manage budgets and personnel for Admissions, Guest Services, and Transportation, including three manager-level direct reports.
• Plan operational logistics for major events, including Monticello's July 4th Naturalization Ceremony.
• Set policies for online and on-site admissions, access control, service recovery, accessibility, and wayfinding.
• Oversee Monticello's fleet of six shuttle buses and collaborate on security screening procedures, safety programs, and DOT compliance.

Skills

Director-level experience

Guest facilities

Operations at scale

CRM platforms

Ticketing knowledge

Guest service mindset

Leadership

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

CRM platforms

Ticketing systems

Job description

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, VA, is seeking a Director of Guest Operations for a full-time, on-site role at Monticello. Reporting to the VP for Education and Guest Experience, you will lead admissions, guest services, and transportation, shaping guest flow and sustaining world-class experiences.

You will manage budgets and a team of managers, plan major events like the July 4th Naturalization Ceremony, set access policies, and collaborate on safety and security.