Operations Manager

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) is a leader in animal care, wildlife conservation, and education. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission of Inspiring Communities to Save Wildlife for Future Generations.

DZCAhonors our animals, staff, and guests by conducting ourselves at the highest level of integrity through our Core Actions -- Inspire Awe:
Safety, Care, Connect, and by embracing our Core Values of:
Welcoming, Curious, United, Courageous, and Transformative in all that we do.

The Operations Manager
advances DZCA’s mission, strategy, and goals by leading operational programs that support the delivery of high-quality guest experiences throughout the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance campus once guests are inside the gates. This role leads attractions operations, guest amenities, accessibility programs, and service standards to ensure a safe, welcoming, and engaging experience for all guests. The Operations Manager oversees daily campus readiness, drives continuous operational improvements, collaborates across departments, and serves in the Guest Experience Duty Manager rotation to provide real-time leadership and decision-making.

Our team is made up of passionate and diverse professionals dedicated to providing excellent care for our animals while creating meaningful experiences for our guests. If you're excited to contribute your skills in a collaborative and innovative environment, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is the place for you!

• Provide leadership and supervision for Operations Coordinators, Specialists, and seasonal staff responsible for delivering guest-facing services and operational programs across admissions, parking, concierge, attractions, amenities, accessibility, guest access, and campus operations.
• Lead, coach, and develop supervisory staff to ensure consistent service standards, operational readiness, transaction accuracy, safety, and professional guest engagement across all guest experience touchpoints.
• Establish clear expectations for operational performance, accountability, safety, and guest experience across attractions, amenities, and guest interaction points.
• Oversee staff performance management, including coaching, feedback, recognition, goal setting, development planning, and disciplinary processes in partnership with Human Resources.
• Collaborate with Workforce Management to ensure appropriate staffing levels, onboarding readiness, and ongoing training for operational teams.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, inclusion, and mission-aligned service that supports exceptional experiences for all guests, staff, volunteers, and partners.

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of operational programs that support the delivery of high-quality guest experiences from arrival through the full on-campus visit.
• Develop and maintain operational procedures, service standards, training resources, documentation, and program standards that support consistent guest experiences, accurate transactions, efficient access, and strong service delivery.
• Monitor operational performance, guest feedback, transaction accuracy, system performance, accessibility needs, and service trends to identify opportunities to improve safety, efficiency, access, and experience quality.
• Partner with internal departments to support the successful implementation of new experiences, ticketing and reservation processes, membership programs, guest communications, seasonal initiatives, and operational improvements.
• Develop and maintain operational documentation, program standards, and resources that support effective training and consistent program…