Operation Manager

Operations Manager

The Wheel - St Louis, MO

Job Title: Operations Manager

Department: Operations, Maintenance, Revenue, Human Resources Reports To: General Manager FLSA Status: Exempt

Summary

The Operations Manager partners closely with the General Manager to oversee the safe, profitable, and efficient operation of the St. Louis Wheel Park. This role is responsible for daily operational leadership across attractions, maintenance, revenue-generating venues, finance administration, and human resources. The Operations Manager ensures operational excellence, regulatory compliance, asset reliability, financial controls, staff performance, and continuous growth in guest satisfaction and revenue.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operations & Guest Experience:

• Assist the General Manager in planning, directing, and overseeing all daily operations of the St. Louis Wheel Park, including ride operations, guest services, ticket sales, and facility services.
• Maintain a visible presence throughout the facility to monitor staff performance, guest flow, cleanliness, safety conditions, and overall guest satisfaction.
• Ensure queue lines, load/unload procedures, and attraction throughput meet efficiency and guest service standards.
• Respond to guest concerns and service recovery needs, taking immediate corrective action as required.
• Oversee opening and closing procedures to ensure operational readiness, cash controls, and safety compliance.

Maintenance & Asset Management:

• Coordinate closely with the Maintenance team to ensure attractions, facilities, and infrastructure are maintained in a safe, reliable, and guest-ready condition.
• Assist in planning preventive maintenance schedules, ride inspections, repairs, and downtime coordination to minimize operational disruption.
• Ensure compliance with ride safety regulations, inspections, logs, and documentation requirements.
• Communicate maintenance issues, capital needs, and equipment concerns to the General Manager.
• Support emergency response preparation for ride incidents, power outages, severe weather, and facility emergencies.

Human Resources & Team Leadership:

• Enforce company standards related to safety, uniforms, grooming, attendance, and workplace conduct.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws and internal HR policies.
• Assist with workforce planning, recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and scheduling to meet operational demands.
• Select, train, coach, and develop employees across operations, revenue centers, and maintenance-adjacent roles.
• Conduct employee evaluations, performance coaching, and disciplinary actions in accordance with company policy.
• Address employee concerns, assist with conflict resolution, and promote employee engagement and retention.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and safe work environment while promoting teamwork and accountability.

Financial Management & Revenue Generation:

• Oversee daily revenue operations including admissions and ancillary revenue centers.
• Partner with the General Manager and Finance team to monitor sales performance, labor costs, maintenance costs, and operating expenses.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis by identifying opportunities to optimize staffing, expenses, and asset utilization.
• Ensure proper cash handling, revenue controls, and reporting procedures are consistently followed.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Revenue teams to implement promotions, pricing strategies, and operational initiatives that drive attendance and per-capita spending.
• Continuously evaluate operational processes to improve efficiency, maximize profitability, and enhance guest experience.

Leadership & Strategic Support:

• Work with the Management Team to create, implement, monitor, and adjust strategies tied to the facility's critical success factors.
• Review the work of subordinates, provide guidance and support, and make recommendations for operational and organizational improvements.
• Collect, document, and communicate operational, safety, staffing, maintenance, and financial issues to the General Manager.
• Use sound judgment to identify risks, recommend solutions, and support continuous improvement aligned with company policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Training & Compliance:

• Complete operator training for all attractions and duty manager training (training provided).
• Ensure all staff are properly trained and certified as required for their roles.
• Implement/maintain consistent training programs and performance standards across all departments.

Other Duties:

• Perform other duties as assigned to support operational excellence and business growth.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly supervises staff and provides functional oversight for revenue and maintenance coordination.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• One to two years of related experience in amusement operations, facilities management, maintenance coordination, or similar environments required.
• Experience in theme parks, family entertainment centers, attractions, retail, or high-volume hospitality operations preferred.
• Prior experience with staff supervision, scheduling, and basic financial accountability is strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong customer service and guest recovery skills
• Leadership, coaching, and conflict-resolution abilities
• Basic financial acumen, budgeting awareness, and revenue monitoring skills
• Time management and organizational skills
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced, outdoor environment
• Professional communication and presentation skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Ability to work irregular hours including nights, weekends, and holidays

Language Ability

• Ability to read, comprehend, and write professional correspondence and operational documentation.
• Effective verbal communication skills with employees, management, and guests.
• Proficiency in the English language, written and spoken.

Math Ability

• Ability to perform basic arithmetic including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Ability to work with U.S. currency, sales figures, and operational metrics.

Reasoning Ability

• Ability to solve practical operational problems and make decisions with limited standardization.
• Ability to interpret policies, schedules, procedures, and safety requirements in multiple formats.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and use hands and arms.
• Must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities include adjusting focus and monitoring moving equipment.

Work Environment

• Primarily outdoor environment with exposure to weather conditions, wet or humid environments, extreme heat and cold, moving mechanical parts, heights, and loud noise levels.
• Occasional exposure to fumes, airborne particles, and confined spaces.