Park Operations Manager

Park Operations Manager

Audubon Nature Institute comprises Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium, Audubon Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and Audubon Wilderness Park.

At Audubon Nature Institute, we are more than a collection of parks, museums, and conservation centers—we are a dedicated team with a shared mission to celebrate, protect, and connect people to the wonders of nature. Our work is guided by our culture code, which is at the heart of everything we do. We believe in Activating Impact by integrating tangible, real-world outcomes into all our initiatives, fostering a culture where every action contributes to a positive environmental impact. We are committed to Empowering Optimism, using positivity to inspire others to act and believe in their capacity to create meaningful change. We strive to Create Connection by engaging with people from all walks of life, knowing that the collective strength of a diverse community can address the most pressing challenges facing our natural world. At Audubon, we embody the spirit of Le Bon Temps, infusing the joy and vibrant culture of Louisiana into our everyday work, celebrating our unique heritage while advancing our mission. As Leaders of the Pack, we constantly seek smarter, innovative solutions, challenging conventions to drive the change we want to see in the world.

As the Park Operations Manager, you'll play a critical role in maintaining the beauty, safety, and functionality of the public parks managed by Audubon Nature Institute along the downtown riverfront. This hands-on leadership role is responsible for overseeing landscape and janitorial services. You'll manage a team of staff, coordinate with internal departments and external vendors, and ensure all park guests have a clean, safe, and enjoyable experience.

The main responsibilities of this position are hiring, onboarding, scheduling, training, coaching, and supervision of the Park Operations staff, ensuring that the team is meeting the deliverables set for the facility. The manager ensures support for campus events and initiatives, managing schedules and priorities of the team. This position will conduct regular inspections of the facilities and teams to review the status of projects and assignments, and to identify new needs.

As a leader on the Park Operations team, this position will fulfill manager-on-duty roles as necessary, providing excellent customer service, guest recovery, and running point in high stress situations. This position will serve as an event manager role as necessary, occasionally working evenings and weekends.

The Park Operations Manager will participate in strategic and financial planning, effective resource management, proactive communication both internally and externally, and promote appropriate professional development opportunities for the entire team.

Day to Day Responsibilities:

• Supervise department team members, including hiring, onboarding, daily supervision, performance evaluations, training, development, and coaching.

• Ensure appropriate staffing coverage and task prioritization based on events, programs, or scheduled maintenance needs.

• Support Audubon departments, volunteers, community partners, and contractors; manage vendor requirements.

• Manage departmental inventory and purchasing within budget.

• Monitor equipment for safe and proper use, and support repairs and servicing as needed.

• Enforce proper use of tools, PPE, equipment, and chemicals; support necessary training.

• Support event operations including setup, breakdown, and recovery.

Additional/Overall Skills:

• Maintain a positive attitude and a strong sense of accountability, fostering a collaborative team environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute.

• Thrive in a team environment, using your organizational and technical skills to ensure the smooth execution of creative projects that resonate with our audience.

• Celebrate the successes of your team and bring enthusiasm to your work, reflecting the joyful culture that is at the heart of Audubon's mission.

• Stay adaptable and open to learning new skills, embracing change and innovation as opportunities to lead and grow.

What We're Looking For:

Must Haves:

• 5+ years experience in operations, grounds, horticulture, or related field

• Demonstrated success managing teams

• High School Diploma or equivalent

• Strong verbal and interpersonal skills

• Ability to operate vehicles (golf carts and gas-powered utility vehicles)

• Ability to work outdoors in varied weather conditions

• Comfort engaging with a diverse audience

• Affinity for nature and the outdoors

• Computer literacy including basic knowledge in Microsoft Office suite

• Valid driver's license

Nice-to-Haves:

• Lousiana Horticultural License

• Bachelors degree

• Experience with heavy equipment

• First aid/CPR training

Physical Requirements:

• Working 100% outdoors in the elements including hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters.

• Prolonged standing, walking, and climbing of stairs or ladders.

• Ability to lift, push, pull, and carry objects up to 50 pounds.

• Frequent bending, crouching, twisting, and reaching.

• Manual dexterity to operate machinery or handle tools.

• Frequent use of vision and hearing to assess surroundings and job tasks.