Manager On Duty

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, MI, is seeking a Manager On Duty (MOD) to lead guest experiences, oversee daily operations, and coordinate across departments during events.

The role requires calm, professional leadership in emergencies, strong communication, and collaboration with staff, volunteers, and leaders to maintain world-class standards of service and safety.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of customer service, hospitality, operations, or guest experience leadership.
• Experience in fast-paced, public-facing environments such as hospitality, events, parks, museums, hotels, or entertainment venues.
• Strong interpersonal communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to remain calm, organized, and professional during high-pressure or emergency situations.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and leading through influence.

Responsibilities

• Lead with a guest-first mindset while supporting a welcoming, professional, and inclusive environment.
• Provide visible operational leadership throughout the property during daily operations and events.
• Support staff and volunteers in delivering exceptional guest experiences across the organization.
• Help ensure smooth day-to-day venue operations, programming support, and organizational readiness.
• Coordinate cross-functional communication between departments during operational and event activity.
• Monitor operational flow and respond proactively to minimize guest disruptions or downtime.
• Respond to emergencies and operational incidents in a calm, professional, and solutions-oriented manner.
• Partner with Safety and Security leadership to support emergency preparedness and incident management.
• Serve in a first responder or incident leadership capacity depending on operational needs and situations.
• Facilitate operational updates, break-out meetings, and building-wide communication efforts.
• Build strong working relationships with staff, volunteers, and leaders across departments.
• Support a collaborative operational culture focused on accountability, professionalism, and service.

Skills

Customer service

Hospitality

Operations leadership

Guest experience

Interpersonal communication

Problem-solving

Calm under pressure

Team collaboration

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Job: Manager On Duty (MOD) Department: Safety & Security Location: Grand Rapids, MI Schedule: Full-Time, Salary, Exempt | Varies to include Nights, Weekends, Holidays, and Events as needed Be Part of a World-Class Horticulture Experience At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, every guest interaction helps shape one of the nation’s premier cultural and botanical destinations. From concerts and exhibitions to daily operations and special events, our Safety & Security team creates welcoming, safe, and memorable experiences for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. We are seeking a Manager On Duty (MOD) who thrives in fast-paced environments, leads with confidence and professionalism, and enjoys bringing people, operations, and guest service together to support exceptional experiences across the organization.

Why This Role Matters

The Manager On Duty serves as an operational leader and visible presence across Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, helping ensure smooth daily operations, guest satisfaction, safety, and cross-functional coordination.

This role is critical in supporting front-line teams, responding to operational challenges in real time, and maintaining a world-class experience for guests, members, volunteers, staff, performers, and event partners. The Manager On Duty plays a key role in operational communication, emergency response, and building-wide collaboration while helping uphold organizational standards and service excellence.

What You’ll Do

Guest Experience Leadership

• Lead with a guest-first mindset while supporting a welcoming, professional, and inclusive environment.
• Provide visible operational leadership throughout the property during daily operations and events.
• Support staff and volunteers in delivering exceptional guest experiences across the organization.

Operational Oversight & Coordination

• Help ensure smooth day-to-day venue operations, programming support, and organizational readiness.
• Coordinate cross-functional communication between departments during operational and event activity.
• Monitor operational flow and respond proactively to minimize guest disruptions or downtime.

Incident Response & Safety Support

• Respond to emergencies and operational incidents in a calm, professional, and solutions-oriented manner.
• Partner with Safety and Security leadership to support emergency preparedness and incident management.
• Serve in a first responder or incident leadership capacity depending on operational needs and situations.
• Facilitate operational updates, break-out meetings, and building-wide communication efforts.
• Build strong working relationships with staff, volunteers, and leaders across departments.
• Support a collaborative operational culture focused on accountability, professionalism, and service.

Administrative & Operational Reporting

• Maintain operational records, logs, reports, and documentation as needed.
• Escalate concerns appropriately while supporting efficient problem-solving and follow-through.
• Assist leadership with operational coordination, reporting, and organizational support initiatives.

What You Bring

• 3–5 years of customer service, hospitality, operations, or guest experience leadership experience preferred.
• Experience working in fast-paced, public-facing environments such as hospitality, attractions, events, parks, museums, hotels, or entertainment venues.
• Strong interpersonal communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to remain calm, organized, and professional during high-pressure or emergency situations.
• Strong operational awareness and ability to make sound decisions in real time.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and leading through influence.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including Word and Excel.
• CPR/AED, First Aid, or Bloodborne Pathogen certification preferred or ability to obtain certification.
• Flexibility to work weekends, holidays, evenings, and non-traditional schedules.

What Makes This Opportunity Unique

• Play a visible leadership role within one of the nation’s premier cultural and botanical destinations.
• Support concerts, exhibitions, special events, guest experiences, and daily operations across a dynamic campus.
• Work closely with teams across operations, events, security, horticulture, guest services, and programming.
• Help shape memorable guest experiences in an environment where art, nature, culture, and community intersect.
• Be part of an organization committed to hospitality, collaboration, operational excellence, and innovation.

Our Values

We seek team members who embody our shared Values:

• Welcoming: Fostering joy and an inclusive, accessible environment for everyone
• Excellence: Approaching all we do with world-class intentionality
• Innovation: Creating engaging experiences in art, culture, and nature
• Integrity: Operating with honesty, transparency, and accountability
• Stewardship: Preserving and enhancing our community and resources

If you enjoy leading through fast-paced situations, solving operational challenges, supporting teams, and creating exceptional guest experiences, we’d love to talk with you.

Working Conditions: Work is performed throughout Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in a combination of indoor and outdoor environments, including offices, exhibition spaces, event venues, gardens, guest areas, and operational spaces. The role requires frequent movement across the property and regular interaction with guests, staff, volunteers, performers, vendors, and leadership teams. Managers on Duty may work during concerts, exhibitions, special events, peak attendance periods, and emergency situations. Evening, weekend, holiday, and non-traditional schedules are regularly required based on operational and event needs. The work environment may include noise, crowds, varying weather conditions, and fast-paced operational activity requiring strong situational awareness and communication.

Physical Requirements: This role requires the ability to stand, walk, and remain active throughout extended shifts while moving throughout the property and operational areas. The position requires the ability to observe details at close and moderate distances, communicate clearly and accurately with others, and operate standard office and communication equipment. Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or moving of materials or equipment may be required, including items weighing up to 50 pounds. The role may also require navigating stairs, uneven terrain, crowded public spaces, and active event environments while maintaining professionalism, responsiveness, and operational awareness.

As part of our onboarding process, all new hires are required to complete our background check.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.