Glowfari Operations Manager

Description

Pay Range: To maintain internal equity, we have identified the starting range for this position at the Oakland Zoo as $35.84 to $37.89 per hour. An offer within this range will be determined by the experience and qualifications of a candidate and will be our best and final compensation offer, in alignment with Oakland Zoo's compensation philosophy.

Note: This position will be filled as either one full-time seasonal position or two part-time seasonal positions, starting as soon as possible and anticipated to end on February 19. The work schedule is structured as follows:

• Oct 1 – Oct 31: Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm
• Nov 1 – Jan 31: Wed – Sun, 3pm – 10pm
• Feb 1 – Feb 19: Mon – Fri, 9am - 5pm

Current benefited employees will retain their benefits for the duration of this interim position, either by working it full-time or by combining it part-time with their current role.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting September 26 2026.

Position Summary

The Glowfari Operations Manager supports the safe, guest-ready operation of Glowfari, Oakland Zoo’s signature nighttime program. Serving as onsite manager during event hours, this role monitors event readiness, guest flow, lanterns, lighting, music, signage, rides, restricted areas, weather impacts, and site conditions. The manager coordinates with the Zoo’s Project Manager, Events, internal departments, and vendors on setup, maintenance, issue resolution, and breakdown of event systems. This hands-on, cross-functional role also handles elevated guest service issues, operational troubleshooting, service recovery, and emergency response coordination. This seasonal position begins in early September and runs through post-event closeout in late February.

Essential Job Duties

Vendor Coordination & Management

• Work directly with the Project Manager, Events, Zoo departments such as Facilities & Marketing, and vendors to ensure the timely setup, maintenance, and breakdown of lanterns, lighting effects, and sound systems.
• Ensure vendors meet safety and operational standards throughout the Glowfari program.
• Identify and escalate repair needs early to allow vendors and/or internal teams time to resolve issues before program opening whenever possible.

Onsite Management & Leadership

• Serve as the manager on duty during Glowfari hours, providing oversight and handling any elevated service issues that may arise.
• Use reasonable independent judgment to resolve guest service issues, approve appropriate service recovery, make temporary operational adjustments, and temporarily close or restrict access to specific areas when needed for safety, crowd management, weather, or operational concerns. Escalate significant incidents, full attraction closures, emergency conditions, or issues with financial, reputational, animal welfare, or cross-departmental impact.
• Act as the point of contact for various teams, ensuring smooth operations, cross-department collaboration, and troubleshooting.
• Assist in maintaining a positive and welcoming atmosphere throughout the event.
• Conduct daily pre-opening and ongoing walkthroughs to assess lantern condition, lighting, music, signage, rope fencing, trash and restroom conditions, restricted areas, Meadow ground conditions, attraction queues, and overall guest readiness.
• Provide targeted operational support to high-demand areas, including train, gondola, rides, admissions, parking, and guest-entry points, with particular attention to queue management, line closure communication, signage, and guest expectation-setting.
• Document key issues, guest feedback, operational needs, and nightly updates in the appropriate communication channel to support continuity, follow-up, and leadership visibility.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Support development, review, and implementation of Glowfari-specific emergency procedures, including power outage response, fire safety measures, nighttime evacuation response, and other event-specific emergency protocols.
• Coordinate with department management to ensure all staff are trained on emergency procedures and are prepared to handle issues as they arise.
• Coordinate and participate in Glowfari-specific preparedness activities, including emergency lighting checks, nighttime evacuation drills, fire drill planning, and review of blackout or full-evacuation procedures.

Cross-Departmental Coordination

• Collaborate with Guest Operations (Attractions, Admissions, Custodial Services, Public Safety), Facilities (Lift Maintenance, Maintenance, and Grounds/Hort), Animal Care, Food & Retail, and event vendors to ensure operational readiness and smooth execution.
• Interface with the Membership and Admissions team to ensure proper integration of ticketing systems and seamless guest entry.
• Track and monitor weather patterns leading up to and during Glowfari events to anticipate potential disruptions.
• Collaborate with the Admissions and Operations teams to adjust ticketing, scheduling, or operational procedures as needed based on weather conditions (e.g., delays, closures, or safety measures).
• Assess site conditions related to rain, wind, mud, debris, lighting, and guest comfort, and escalate mitigation needs such as additional trash cans, ground-cover solutions, barricades, signage, or cleaning support.
• Coordinate and organize end-of-season Glowfari celebrations, recognitions, and appreciation efforts for staff.
• Provide end-of-season report on day-to-day observations, activities, feedback, strengths, and opportunities for improvement within the Glowfari program.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Who You Are

• Minimum of 5 years of working experience in operations management or related field.
• Strong vendor management experience, particularly in outdoor or event settings.
• Excellent leadership and problem-solving skills, particularly in high-pressure or emergency situations.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and teams simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to engage with a variety of teams and guests.
• Comfortable making sound operational decisions in real time, identifying when escalation is needed, and communicating clearly with frontline staff, supervisors, vendors, and managers.
• Must be able to work evenings and weekends (Wednesday-Sunday, 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM); training will take place during normal business hours during the months of September and October and there will be some flexibility in schedule at that time.
• Valid driver's license with a clean driving record that meets our insurance carrier requirements

Bonus if you have...

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business, operations, recreation or a related field
• Prior experience working in a zoo, park or other high-volume public-facing entertainment environment
• Prior experience as a supervisor or manager of a team of 10 or more staff

Work Environment - Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

• Work primarily outdoors, in the zoo’s Glowfari event area, during evening hours in various weather conditions, including inclement outdoor weather conditions such as heat, cold, wind and rain and fluctuating guest attendance levels.

Physical Considerations - The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Able to bend and twist, lift and carry materials up to 25 lbs, stand, kneel, sit, walk, bend, stoop and speak regularly and for long periods of time (up to 8 hour shifts or more).
• Able to walk long distances on uneven terrain in variable environmental conditions (e.g., steep, muddy, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills, and Qualities– May be representative, but not all-inclusive, of those knowledge, skills and abilities commonly associated with this position.

• Collaboration – builds trusting relationships with both internal and external stakeholders across our organization and community-wide and approaches differences of opinion with curiosity and humility.
• Communication – communicates respectfully and effectively with stakeholders across identities, both verbally and in writing
• Dependability – demonstrates trustworthiness and reliability, including while working with little or no direct supervision
• Enjoyment – finds joy in one’s work, approaches tasks with thoughtfulness & intentionality, and fosters collective well-being by embracing the unique skills and qualities of colleagues.
• Flexibility – nimbly adapts to evolving priorities and urgent needs; handles intervals of high pressure while maintaining perspective and humor
• Inclusive Culture - fosters a culture of mutual respect, transparency, collaboration and belonging which allows all employees to feel appreciated, included, and valued.
• Passion – wholeheartedly believes in, represents, and models Oakland Zoo’s mission and PRIDE values at all times
• Self-motivated– effectively navigates multiple, simultaneous tasks with excellent attention to detail and deadlines. Enthusiastically identifies and approaches opportunities without regular supervision
• Sustainability – oriented toward the mission and values of Oakland Zoo and able to put those into practice by finding creative and resourceful ways to develop sustainable practices within your role and department
• Wildlife Aware - understands mission to support the conservation and welfare of animals at the Zoo, locally and globally. This is demonstrated by a willingness/passion to reflect this mission in all actions and to continue to learn how to take action for wildlife

Benefits

Oakland Zoo offers seasonal employees a valuable benefits package, including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Paid Sick Time, optional 403b Retirement Plan, and discounted Zoo Membership options. They also have access to various perks, discounts, and programs to enhance their overall experience.