The Chicago Zoological Society has had an international reputation for taking a cutting-edge role in animal care and conservation of the natural world. Since opening in 1934, Chicago Zoological Society's Brookfield Zoo has been a heartfelt destination for many Chicagoans. The merchandise destinations located in Brookfield Zoo support our mission while providing an opportunity for our guests to preserve a memory of their visit. A popular Southgate attraction, Wildlife Trading Post offers a scenic world tour of unique handcrafted gifts from jewelry, scarves, decorative items, animal masks, toys, crafts, stuffed animals, books, and more! Our guests are sure to find that special item to remember their special visit to Brookfield Zoo.

As General Manager, Merchandise at Wildlife Trading Post gift shop , you will be responsible for directing and managing the day-to-day operations of assigned retail locations that includes ensuring standards are maintained in the areas of extraordinary guest service, employee supervision, cash handling, inventory control, product merchandising, merchandise stock levels and facility maintenance. Utilizing your previous managerial related experience, you will perform daily management functions to ensure proper cash handing, cash accounting and system auditing in support of programs and procedures established in conjunction with the Cash Control, Finance and Information Security Departments. Making use of your participative, people-oriented management style, you will be responsible for managing seasonal employees, including but not limited to: interviewing and selection, training and development, scheduling, monitoring, evaluating performance, documenting performance issues and taking corrective actions, and verifying crew work time in computerized time and attendance system. You will partner with Human Resources to maintain adequate seasonal staffing levels throughout the year. As General Manager, you will be responsible for preparing an annual staffing plan for assigned locations that support budget goals and ensure adequate coverage for all assigned locations. Utilizing your prior budget experience, you will monitor the financial performance of operations and implement corrective action in controllable areas, such as labor and other expenses, to operate within approved budget and accurately track labor use by business unit for routine reporting and submit recommended expenses for assigned locations for annual budget preparation. Drawing upon your capability to manage a complex operation, you will also manage the ordering, receiving, pricing, display and distribution of all merchandise received at all assigned locations following established guidelines. Furthermore, you will be responsible for working with Operations Manager and Merchandise Managers (Buyers) to develop and execute merchandise plans. As General Manager, you will assist in the development and implementation of departmental training programs to reinforce guest service standards and procedures and direct training and supervision of seasonal crew members and assure all required training is completed; assist in coordinating special events and programs within assigned areas and within the Merchandise Operations Department while also providing support to other departments, including but not limited to Marketing, Catered Events, Advancement and Membership, as needed. Using your strong interpersonal skills, you will communicate all relevant news to staff to ensure crew members are fully informed and can communicate effectively with appropriate information and messages to Zoo guests. As General Manager, you will actively support the employee survey and action planning process within assigned area. This includes encouraging maximum survey participation, sharing survey results for assigned area, making certain reporting staff are engaged in developing and implementing actions to improve the workplace, monitoring and documenting the progress, incorporating survey action planning into regular staff meetings on an ongoing basis, and holding reporting managers accountable for implementation of action plans, continuous improvement, and improvement of survey results. In addition, you will assure compliance with Society policies and procedures, government Job Safety regulations and pertinent employment laws and evaluate current protocols and recommend new procedures and modifications as necessary.

Position Requirements and Specifications
The requirements for the position include the following:

• Associates Degree in business administration, management or other relevant field or equivalent combination of training/education and/or relevant experience required.
• Three years comparable experience in a management capacity.
• Five years of experience in customer service and cash management required.
• Prior experience working with budgets.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word and Excel required.
• Ability to create visually attractive displays.
• Demonstrated strong customer service orientation required.
• Self-motivated, strategic, team player.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills including verbal, written and listening skills required. Must be able to deal effectively and tactfully with staff at all levels.
• Excellent organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills required.
• Must be able to work effectively under pressure, meet critical deadlines, and adhere to the Society's high standards.
• Experience and/or ability to work and interact effectively with a diverse, multicultural audience.
• This is a full-time position which routinely includes working weekends, holidays, and occasional evenings.

The desirable/preferred qualifications include the following:

• Experience with multiple units of retail operations preferred.
• Experience in high-volume, fast-paced environment preferred, including experience in retail operations and employee supervision (of more than 20 employees).
• Multilingual ability, Spanish fluency a plus.

Additional Information
The Chicago Zoological Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Affirmative Action Employer - Minorities / Women / Veterans / Disabled.