General Manager | Arlington, TX
GENERAL MANAGER, NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM (NMOHM)
LEGENDS
Founded in 2008, Legends is a premium experiences company with six divisions operating worldwide – Global Planning, Global Sales, Global Partnerships, Hospitality, Global Merchandise, and Global Technology Solutions – offering clients and partners a 360-degree data and analytics fueled service solution platform to elevate their brand and execute their vision. Currently, Legends works with marquee clients across business verticals including professional sports; collegiate; attractions; entertainment; and conventions and leisure. We are the industry leaders in designing, planning, and realizing exceptional experiences in sports and entertainment. For more information, visit www.Legends.net and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheLegendsWay.
GLOBAL ATTRACTIONS
Global Attractions is the natural progression from Legends 360-degree platform for success. Our unrivaled guest experience and data-driven sales and planning methodologies give us an edge. Legends currently partners with more than a dozen premium attractions around the globe, including observation decks, museums, immersive experiences and iconic venue tours. We bring together some of the brightest and most experienced entertainment, marketing and operational minds in the industry to ensure each venue is poised to dazzle, delight and drive a steady stream of diverse guests and clients. Legends manages disciplines ranging from ticketing, special events, sponsorship and operations, to food & beverage, retail, guest services, HR, finance and analytics for our Attractions partners.
THE VENUE
In 2019, The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation announced that Arlington’s Entertainment District had been selected by the Foundation’s Board of Directors as the site for the future National Medal of Honor Museum. The museum, which is set to open in March 2025, will showcase the Medal of Honor recipients and their stories of valor and inspiration in the face of impossible odds. Of the more than 40 million Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces since the Civil War, fewer than 4,000 have been awarded the medal. Ultimately, it is granted to soldiers for heroic action and risking loss of life in the call of duty. The Museum, designed by world-renowned architect Rafael Viñoly, will sit amidst a five-acre landscape adjacent to major attractions including Six Flags Over Texas, AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Esports Stadium Arlington. The 101,000 square foot footprint will encompass 25,000 square feet of exhibition galleries, a state-of-the-art Education Center, retail and café, as well as conference, theater and event spaces.
THE ROLE
The General Manager of National Medal of Honor Museum functions as the strategic business leader of the property and the lead on-site representative to our partners at the Foundation. He/she/they will have responsibility for all aspects of marketing the venue and managing the operation of the overall business, including guest experience, facility operations, staff, financial performance, sales and revenue generation and stakeholder satisfaction. The GM ensures implementation of best practices associated with Legends, with the objective of exceeding guest expectations and maximizing profitability. The person stepping into this role holds the property leadership team accountable for strategy execution and guides their individual professional development. The GM ensures Legends sales engines are leveraged, and initiates independent and proactive sales activities, when appropriate, to generate demand. This role is aligned with the Foundation’s mission and actively involved in the entertainment, and tourism communities, building strong relationships with local officials, businesses, and customers. The GM oversees a staff of seasoned professionals across the entire operation including Operations, Sales & Marketing, F&B, Retail, Finance and Human Resources.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Strategy Development
Attends relevant industry events and conventions to remain current with industry trends/innovations and monitor strengths and weaknesses of competition; explores new business opportunities; develops business plans designed to maximize property customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share; ensures property business plans are aligned with Legends business strategies.
Business Strategy Execution
Executes business plans designed to maximize property customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share; ensures that property business plans and employees are aligned with brand business strategies; holds property leadership team accountable for successful delivery of business plans; experiments with new ideas and takes calculated risks to improve guest satisfaction and profitability; evaluates the success of property business strategies to inform future business plan enhancements; continually ensures business plans and actions have a positive impact on property performance.
Sales and Marketing
Works closely with Sales and Marketing team to develop revenue generating strategies for property; identifies new business leads, develops tailored sales approach, and actively pursues leads with Sales and Marketing team; ensures sales and marketing strategy is aligned with brand strategy and is effectively executed against established goals.
Talent Management and Organizational Capability
Creates a cohesive and high-performance operational team that continuously strives for positive results and improvement; coaches team members by providing specific feedback and holds them accountable for performance; creates learning and development opportunities for employees; creates and effectively executes development plans for both direct reports based on their individual strengths, development needs, and career aspirations; ensures all managers are doing the same for their direct reports; identifies resource needs to strengthen property team; creates succession plans for future job openings; actively supports the staffing process; ensures effective work processes, systems and teamwork are in place to maximize individual and overall property performance.
Brand Champion
Serves as a passionate brand advocate and ensures that the intent of the NMOHM brand is pulled through in the guest experience; communicates a clear and consistent message regarding property and brand goals to employees, and the corporate leadership team; serves as a role model by demonstrating exceptional work ethic and service delivery for all employees on property; champions change; inspires and motivates team to achieve operational excellence; represents brand values in all leadership actions.
Business Information Analysis
Reviews business related data such as market share, financial performance, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction; analyzes business information to proactively address changing market conditions, ensure property operates within budgetary guidelines, and achieves profit margin goals; uses business information to identify indicators of product and service successes and opportunities for improvement; integrates business information into business plans.
Revenue Management
Works with Revenue Management team to develop effective pricing strategies, balancing seasonality, economy, customer segments, property objectives and customer satisfaction; ensures demand forecasting and sound revenue practices are in place to maximize yield; controls labor and capital expenses.
Owner Relations
Builds strong rapport with ownership through proactive and on-going communications as well as in-person meetings with the NMOHM executive team in Arlington, TX; keeps owners informed of Legends initiatives and guest experiences; provides owners with in-depth analysis of property performance, incorporating guest, financial and employee business data; manages an effective balance between owner interests and Legends brand interests and develops solutions that create value for both; develops and effectively promotes ideas for improving property service and profitability to ownership.
Customer and Public Relations Management
Interacts with guests and other customers on a frequent basis to obtain feedback about their NMOHM experiences; utilizes guest/customer feedback to recognize outstanding employee service performance and improve service delivery; emphasizes and holds leadership team accountable for addressing service failures or potential service failures, and for developing innovative ways to exceed guest expectations; establishes presence in the market by actively promoting an exemplary property/brand image, involving oneself in the local community, and by developing strategic alliances with local officials, businesses, and customers; anticipates needs of large groups or high profile guests in order to deliver flawless service; ensures that products, services, and events attain the appropriate publicity.
Legends Policy, Procedures, and Standards Compliance
Ensures property compliance with legal, safety, operations, labor, and Legends brand product and service standards; conducts both routine and short-notice quality assurance audits with specific departments; holds employees accountable for performing audits on a regular basis; conducts detailed walk-throughs to ensure building, public areas, kitchen, and grounds are well-maintained, safe, and meet or exceed guest expectations; ensures employees are appropriately trained and performing to standard.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
-
Own the forecast and strategy for the entire National Medal of Honor Museum operation in Arlington, Texas.
-
Leverage Legends Global Attractions resources as well as oversee organization at the asset level.
-
Build strong relationships with Foundatioon leadership through proactive and on-going communication.
-
Represent NMOHM/Legends Global Attractions as required, including attendance of important functions, industry events and public meetings.
-
Oversee quality control throughout the NMOHM experience, establishing goals for each department in partnership with division managers.
-
Evaluate and advise on the impact of long-range planning, introduction of new programs and strategies.
-
Enhance and/or develop, implement, and enforce policies and procedures that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of the NMOHM.
-
Translate strong initial first two years into lasting growth to ensure sustainability.
-
Assist in the development of best practices and learnings in operations, sales, consumer engagement and associate training, to assist in the development and growth of the NMOHM brand.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, the candidate must be able to perform each essential duty above at the highest levels. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
-
Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in marketing, communications, business, or related field.
-
10+ years of related experience, preferably in a leadership role of a high-volume, successful museum, attraction or cultural venue, with management oversight across sales and marketing, finance, operations, food & bevereage and retail.
-
A deep understanding of traditional and innovative sales and marketing strategies; a proven track record of implementing initiatives that will drive brand awareness and demand.
-
Tremendous communication and leadership skills, with the ability to work seamlessly with peers and senior leaders across all business functions.
-
The demonstrated ability to align National Medal of Honor Museum internally around critical sales and marketing initiatives, to enhance the guest experience.
-
A sharpened eye for standards of quality and for enhancing and delivering all aspects of the guest experience.
-
The vision to seek out new strategic partnerships and initiatives to boldly define and articulate the brand value proposition in the market.
-
Significant experience building winning integrated sales, marketing, and operations teams and culture.
-
Proven leadership experience in a sales environment including coaching, mentoring, hiring, training, and performance management.
-
Ability to proactively prioritize, manage, and complete multiple projects simultaneously within time constraints and with strong attention to detail.
-
Knowledge of the local and regional attractions markets, venue operations, and special events industries.
-
Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and leadership skills, along with excellent written and oral communication skills.
-
Strong analytical and financial skills a must; understanding of data analysis, research process, ticket sales patterns, and demographic trends.
-
Must be creative and resourceful with excellent negotiation and communication skills.
-
Experience managing a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders. Master collaborator. Team player who excels in mediating among multiple divisions and external partners and vendors.
-
Entrepreneurial, with the ability to balance strong creativity and innovation with practical solutions.
-
Experience thriving in a fast-paced environment. Must have the ability to adapt to change daily. Passion for the space required.
-
Experience in domestic and international tour & travel/group sales.
-
Ability to effectively evaluate risks and liabilities of special events and venue rentals.
-
Ability to develop and deliver sound recommendations to senior management and ownership.
-
Organization and planning skills, ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks, as well as delegate effectively.
-
Ability to work both traditional and non-traditional hours (nights, weekends, holidays) as required.
COMPENSATION
Competitive salary $175,000 - $200,000, commensurate with experience, and a generous benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, paid vacation, and 401k plan.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Location: On site (Arlington, Texas)
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, hear, use hands to finger, and handle controls. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to stand, walk, and stoop. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Legends is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or genetic information.