General Manager, Area

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, 4850 Powell Rd, Powell, Ohio, United States of America

Posted Friday, June 5, 2026 at 4:00 AM

SSA, in partnership with the Columbus Zoo family of parks, is looking for a General Manager, Area to lead retail, food & beverage, and catering operations across Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Zoombezi Bay, Safari Golf Club, and The Wilds.

This role is based in Powell, Ohio, and relocation support is available for the right candidate. We welcome applicants from outside the local market who are ready to make a lasting impact.

At SSA, we believe our work matters because the people do. For more than 50 years, we’ve helped create experiences that leave people feeling connected, inspired, and reminded that fun still matters.

Whether you’re looking for your first job, building your career, or bringing years of experience to a new role, you’ll be part of a team that values your ideas, supports your growth, and encourages you to make an impact. More than 54% of our leaders were promoted from within — a reflection of our commitment to investing in people and creating opportunities to succeed.

Position Title: General Manager, Area

Reports to: Regional Manager

The General Manager, Area is a rare leadership seat — equal parts executive operator, master coach, and culture driver. Anchored at a large primary campus with operational reach across multiple metro-area sites, this role carries simultaneous P&L accountability across Culinary, Retail, and Catering, with additional service offerings woven throughout the operation.

SSA is seeking a proven, senior operator with top-tier experience leading large-scale, multi-layered teams in unique venue settings — someone who is present, credible, and steady; who leads hard conversations rather than avoids them; and who builds a management culture where team members feel genuinely developed, not just directed. In a high-volume, high-visibility environment, the GM Area’s defining mandate is simple and ambitious: develop leaders who develop leaders.

This role is not about managing deliverables. It is about multiplying leadership capacity across a large, complex management structure. The General Manager, Area sets the standard for how managers are developedand holds every direct report to that same standard with their own teams.

• Build and sustain a coaching culture across all business lines — Culinary, Retail, and Catering as the core, with extended offerings and sales roles woven throughout — ensuring every leader at every level is actively developed, not just directed.
• Conduct structured, recurring 1:1s and meaningful performance conversations with direct-report managers — and hold them accountable for bringing that same discipline and consistency to their own teams.
• Develop growth plans for managers — with clear benchmarks and defined next steps — while identifying top talent early, accelerating their development, and building the succession pipeline before the need arises.
• Deliver feedback that is specific, timely, and actionable — and build an environment where accountability is the norm and psychological safety is the foundation.
• Drive the full team member experience from day one through long tenure; hold managers accountable for onboarding quality, stay visible to the frontline, and treat early‑turnover patterns as a direct signal about leadership.
• Model and reinforce the leadership behaviors that drive engagement, retention, and growth — leading inclusively enough that opportunity and recognition reach everyone equitably — knowing that when the culture is right, the metrics take care of themselves. Create clear pathways for team members to raise concerns and be heard; advocate for your workforce with the same energy you bring to business results.

The GM Area owns the financial outcome across all business lines — Culinary, Retail, and Catering with extended offerings — spanning the primary campus and every site within the metro area portfolio. This is not a support role; it is a P&L seat with full accountability for…