Visitor Relations Assistant Manager

Japanese Garden; Portland, Northern (OR, KY); Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance (

401k plan

Flexible spending accounts

Paid time off

Holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Portland Japanese Garden is seeking an experienced Visitor Relations Assistant Manager to oversee front‑of‑house operations at our Portland campus. You will lead daily staff activities, ensure exceptional guest experiences, and manage duties across admissions, memberships, and shuttle services.

The role requires strong supervisory background, CRM/POS experience (Tessitura preferred), and reliable cash handling.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years of supervisory or management experience in a visitor-focused nonprofit or similar experience in customer service, hospitality, or retail
• At least 1 year of experience with customer relationship management and/or point of sale programs. Experience with Tessitura a plus
• At least 1 year of experience with cash-handling, and/or demonstrated knowledge of financial best practices
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills
• Proven track record of excellent customer service with effective team leadership
• Proficient on a computer; familiar with Point-of-Sale software and other programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Current driver’s license; must be able to supply a satisfactory DMV report once hired

Responsibilities

• Work across several front‑of‑house locations daily, ensuring high service standards and proactive customer service to Members, guests, and staff
• Sell admission tickets, process memberships, and operate the Garden Shuttle as needed
• Monitor, coach, and encourage staff to meet service standards and facilitate growth
• Serve as Manager on Duty, handling opening/closing, POS/IT issues, staff scheduling, and guest concerns
• Supervise daily rotations to ensure continuous customer service across admissions, member support, and public offerings
• Assist with cross‑functional staff training and updating policies and procedures

Skills

Supervisory skills

Customer service

English communication

Team leadership

CRM experience

POS software

MS Office

Tools

Tessitura

POS systems

Job description

TheVisitor Relations Assistant Managers(VRAM)areresponsible forassistingwiththe day-to-day functionalityandstaffmanagementaspects of the Visitor Relations department,with a focus on ensuring an outstanding experience for visitors to Portland Japanese Garden.The Visitor RelationsAssistant Managersreport to the Director of Visitor Relations and are managed by the Visitor Relations management team. This positionworks from our primary Garden campuslocatedat 611 SW Kingston Ave.

PrimaryDuties

• Work as needed across several front-of-house locations daily, including theGarden Grounds,FukutaConcierge Office, the Tanabe Welcome Center, and the Pavilion Gallery,ensuring functional continuity, and providing proactive, positive customer service to Members, guests, and staff
• Develop knowledge of and ability to perform all front-of-house functions,including but not limited to, selling admission tickets, processing memberships, or driving the Garden Shuttle
• Monitor, coach, andencourage staffto meet the Garden’s service standards andfacilitateindividual growth
• Serve as Manager on Duty for the Garden, including opening/closing Garden grounds, troubleshooting POS or IT issues,managing staff scheduled across Visitor Relations functions,responding to guest concerns, communicating issues promptly cross-departmentally, and working closely with the Safety & Security Departmentforemergency response
• In conjunction withVR Managers,supervisedaily employee rotationsand dutiesto ensure continuous customer service presence and functionality with admissions, member support, and public offerings
• Assistwithcross-functional training of staff, ensuring guest experience istheprimary focus, including updating policy and procedure resources as needed
• Assistwithhiring, onboarding, and performance management, including participating in interviewsand addressing performance issuespromptly and fairly
• Managethe day-to-dayfront-of-house Visitor Relations functions andhow weassistmembers, guests, and staff byphone, email, social media, or in person, and keepingVR Managersapprised of all issues
• Ensure staff are following correct cash-handling, credit card processing, and financial procedures, and when needed, rectify daily cash deposit, prepare cashier bags, or oversee counting in/out
• Other duties as assigned

Other Responsibilities

• Work special Garden events asrequired, including necessarysetupor take-down tasks
• Attend regular meetings with Visitor Relations leadership to review staff performance, upcoming events, andattend otherGarden meetings asrequired
• Acquireandmaintaincurrent knowledge about the Garden and Garden events and responsible for regularly training staffonthese details
• Familiarize oneself with the organizationand the Employee Handbook
• Getto knowfellowstaff members, developing trust,establishingcredibility, encouraging teamwork,and creatinganatmosphere of open, honest, two-way communication?
• Serve as a role model for Garden volunteers, providing support and encouragement to volunteers in their roles across the Garden
• Maintaina high levelof professionalism in manner and appearance,adheringto Garden DressCode;business casual

Qualifications

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe theymeet every one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the position, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and qualifications for this role.

• At least2years of supervisory or management experience in a visitorfocusednonprofit or similar experience in customer service, hospitality, or retail
• At least1year of experience with customer relationship management and/orpoint of sale programs. Experience with Tessitura a plus
• At least1 yearof experience with cash-handling, and/ordemonstratedknowledge offinancial bestpractices
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills
• Proventrack recordof excellent customer service with effective team leadership skills
• Proficient on a computer; familiar with Point-of-Sale software and other programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Current driver’slicense;must be able to supply a satisfactory DMV report once hired

Special Requirements

• Flexible work schedule and able to accommodate changing Garden needs, including working weekends, evenings, and occasional overtime
• Must successfully complete first aid training, provided by the Garden
• Must be comfortablelifting upto 35lbs
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position and/or move about the Garden for several hours
• Knowledge of Japanese culture and/or bilingual in Japanese is a plus

Compensation& Schedule

• Wage: $47,500/year
• This is a full-time, salaried position with 40-45 hoursper week. Regular workdays may vary butgenerallyareTuesday-Saturday. Shifts are typically 8 hours (plus ½ hour lunch) between 7:00am-8:00pm
• health, dental, and vision insurance (premium 100% covered for employees)
• 401k plan (after6 months, with 4% employer match after 1 year)
• flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses
• paid time off:
• vacation: 2 weeks (10 days) per calendar year to start, with regular increases
• wellness:10 daysper calendar year holidays:
• 10 holidays per year
• free access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Transportation

The Garden islocatedat 611 SW Kingston Avenue, in Washington Park. Below are the transportation options for staff commuting to the Garden:

Parking:Staff may park in the pay-to-park spaces throughout Washington Park. The cost is $9.80/day, or staff may request parking permits from Washington Park. The Garden subsidizes aportionof the cost for parking permits; the cost for staff is $75/month during the high season (March – September) and $50/month during the low season (October – February).

Bus Passes:For staff who take public transit as their primary means of commuting to the Garden, we provide paid bus passes. Full-time staff receive a monthly TriMet pass, and part-time staff receive daily passes, based on their work schedule.

Transportation Stipend:Staff who take any form of alternative transit to get to work qualify for a $5 daily stipend. This includes taking public transit, walking, biking, carpooling, or getting dropped off. The only staff who do not qualify for the stipend are those who are receiving a bus pass through the Garden.

About the Organization Portland Japanese Garden is renowned as the most authentic and finest Japanese garden outside of Japan. The Garden typically has a year-round staff of 95+ FTE's and 35+ seasonal staff, supplemented by over 200 volunteers. All of our staff play a vital role in helping our visitors experience the beauty and tranquility of the garden and expand their understanding of Japanese culture. A few of the benefits our employees enjoy include: Working for a beautiful, authentic Japanese garden, overlooking the city Incentives for alternative transportation for your commute to work (applies only to those working at the campuses in Washington Park) A workplace culture that prioritizes hiring and promoting from within Access to the Garden for you, your family, and your friends The opportunity to attend a variety of cultural events A 30% discount on most items in the gift shop Reciprocal access to other area attractions, such as the Portland Art Museum, OMSI, and the Oregon Zoo

EOE Statement Portland Japanese Garden is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, national origin, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. It is also the policy of Portland Japanese Garden that all employees are entitled to a work environment free from all forms of discrimination. Discrimination or harassment based upon any of these factors is inconsistent with the policy and philosophy of Portland Japanese Garden and will not be tolerated at any time.

This position is currently accepting applications.