Director Of Retail And Business Services

Come join the team at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West - a World Heritage site and one of the most frequently visited travel destinations in Arizona!

Sharply focused on ensuring our local, regional, national, and international audiences feel welcome to explore, engage in, understand and financially support the historic spaces of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin and Taliesin West, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation inspires people to discover and embrace an architecture for better living through meaningful connection to nature, the arts and each other. In Wright's own words, our vision is "to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme and meaning to life."

The Director of Retail & Business Services (DRBS) is responsible for both revenue generation and maintaining outstanding customer satisfaction within retail, venue rentals, food and beverage, and guest housing at Taliesin and Taliesin West. Reporting to the VP/Chief Finance and Administration Officer (VP/CFAO), the DRBS works closely with the Foundation’s Administration, Advancement, and Public Engagement teams to develop and implement the strategic vision and day-to-day tactics for onsite event services, food and beverage operations, overnight guest accommodations, and retail services. In all areas of responsibility, the DBRS is responsible for creating service “wows” and opportunities to upsell and cross-sell.

The DRBS promotes organizational effectiveness via development and oversight of ongoing business services impacting departments at Taliesin and Taliesin West. This includes workplace safety; contract administration; centralized procurement; and document management.

Essential Functions:

Retail Services (Store, eCommerce, Hospitality/Events)

• Leads service strategy and sales goals for venue rentals and retail.
• This position is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive retail plan that fits into the Foundation’s strategy and mission and includes product development, product mix, inventory levels, visual merchandising, retail promotions, sales channel selection (online, on site and off site) and customer experience standards.
• Oversees a comprehensive venue rental program including the provision of all food and beverage services at the Taliesin West site including kitchen and beer/wine services in compliance with all state and county licensure requirements as well as health and safety regulations. This position also oversees all food and beverage services at the Taliesin site as needed in relation to conferences, member and donor events, and programs operated by the Foundation. Along with the Hospitality Manager, oversees details of all booked events including catering, activities, equipment rentals, and any other concierge needs.
• Supports guest housing services including reservations, capacity planning and policy/procedure design and implementation. This includes housing for conferences and programs at both Taliesin and Taliesin West.
• Supervises leadership team including Hospitality Manager, Retail Services Manager, and eCommerce & Inventory Coordinator; holds team accountable to their areas of responsibility and provides consistent feedback in a timely manner to ensure expectations are met.
• Develops an operational budget and monitors cost controls; completes daily audits, monthly paperwork, and data analysis.
• Sets service standards for all retail, food & beverage, and venue rental staff.

Business Services

• Oversees the Foundation Safety program, Workers Compensation, and Business Continuity planning (BCP). Manages workplace safety and disaster preparedness initiatives including Safety Committee, compliance with government reporting mandated by OSHA, and staff safety training program in collaboration with VP of Preservation. Manages incident reporting process, analyzes incident trends, and makes recommendations regarding mitigation of on-site injuries.
• Oversees centralized procurement (business services, vendor contracts, office supply, equipment & furniture procurement).
• Ensures insurance policies and riders are up to date for all onsite facilities, subcontractors, and external parties requesting proof of insurance from the Foundation.
• Oversees coordination of legal documentation in collaboration with legal counsel under the direction of the CFAO and/or CEO.
• Ensures organizational compliance with Document Retention policy, and researches/recommends effective tools to assist in document storage and retention.
• Recommends new safety, centralized procurement, or document retention policies and procedures as needed by the Foundation.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, Business Administration, or related field
• At least 5 years of management experience in retail or hospitality settings
• Working knowledge of Point of Sale (POS) systems and Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, and Outlook; hotel effectiveness/booking management software knowledge a plus
• Hands-on experience in customer service or sales
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated positive customer service skills, and ability to relate to people of varying ages and backgrounds.
• Excellent organizational ability and problem-solving skills
• Adherence to and respect for confidentiality and fiduciary responsibility
• The ability to demonstrate leadership and a professional image to associates and guests
• Within 30 days of hire date, must have a Basic and Management Training Certificate obtained from a State of Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control approved Liquor Law training provider, and submit the Premises Manager application with all required documents to that Department.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Management experience in a nonprofit setting
• Prior event venue experience in planning and executing a plus, particularly in locations that had a full-service bar
• Strong understanding of compliance requirements for nonprofit organizations

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

• Physical Demands: While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; occasionally walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and consistently talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather and desert environmental conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• OSHA Risk Classification for COVID-19 Exposure: Medium Risk: This position requires frequent/close contact with the public and other co-workers and is therefore determined to fall within the Medium Risk category as defined by OSHA. To further minimize risk, employees are required to follow the Foundation's Safe and Healthy Workplace guidelines and related personal and facility infection control policies.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.