Senior Director of Group Experiences

The Senior Director of Group Experiences is responsible for planning, coordination, execution, and overall success of group experiences at YMCA of the Pines, including school groups, retreats, conferences, weddings, corporate events, family programs, special events, and community gatherings. This position serves as the primary liaison between clients and YMCA staff, ensuring exceptional customer service, seamless event execution, and memorable guest experiences.

The Senior Director of Group Experiences oversees the full client journey from initial inquiry through event completion while managing the Weekend Director, seasonal staff, budgets, facility utilization, and operational logistics to achieve organizational goals and revenue objectives. This position requires exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, creativity, strong leadership, and a commitment to first-class customer service.

The Senior Director of Groups and Experiences is a safety sensitive position.

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with schools, businesses, community organizations, retreat leaders, wedding clients, and other group partners.
• Oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of all Outdoor Center group experiences.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for group clients, ensuring timely communication, exceptional customer service, and successful event execution from inquiry through departure.
• Establishes new program activities, undertakes efforts to recruit new business, and expands program activities within the community in accordance with strategic and operating plans.
• Develops and monitors departmental budgets to meet fiscal revenue and expense objectives.
• Coordinates facility utilization, lodging assignments, dining schedules, meeting spaces, program areas, and event logistics to ensure a seamless guest experience.
• Creates and manages event timelines, planning documents, contracts, schedules, and operational plans to ensure successful program delivery.
• Compiles participation, occupancy, client satisfaction, and revenue statistics. Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of programs and guest experiences.
• Supports grant opportunities, sponsorships, fundraising initiatives, and other revenue-generating activities as assigned.
• Assists in the marketing and promotion of Outdoor Center programs and services, including facility tours, proposal development, community outreach, and business development initiatives.
• Identifies opportunities to increase facility utilization, improve guest experiences, generate new business, and support organizational growth.
• Models relationship-building skills in all interactions. Responds to all client, member, and community inquiries and complaints in a timely manner and promotes a culture and expectation of exceptional customer service amongst direct reports.
• Leads departmental meetings and participates in all staff meetings.
• Oversees and manages the Weekend Director and seasonal staff, including hiring, training, scheduling, coaching, performance evaluations, and professional development.
• Ensures that full-time and seasonal staff possess all required certifications, training, and competencies necessary to perform their duties.
• Collaborates with internal departments including Camp Directors, Food Service, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Programs, Finance, and Administration to ensure successful event execution and guest satisfaction.
• Responds to all risk management issues and collaborates with appropriate staff. Completes all incident reports within 24 hours of incident occurrence.
• Ensures compliance with applicable standards and regulatory bodies including the American Camping Association (ACA), Department of Health, Praesidium, and all YMCA policies and procedures.

• Minimum age of 25.
• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Event Management, Recreation, Business Administration, Communications, Marketing, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• Three or more years of progressively responsible experience in event planning, hospitality, conference services, customer service, client management, camp administration, or related fields, including supervisory experience.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, clients, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong customer service, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience supervising and developing staff.
• Typical requirements within 30 days of hire include completion of: Child Abuse Prevention for Supervisory Staff; Working with Program Volunteers; CPR; First Aid; AED; and Bloodborne Pathogens.
• Completion of YMCA program-specific certifications (Team Leader Certification within first two years).
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and database management systems.

Preferred:

• Experience in conference services, event planning, weddings, hospitality management, retreat centers, camps, hotels, resorts, or destination venues.
• Experience with registration, reservation, or event management software.
• Experience in sales, business development, customer retention, and account management.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Sufficient strength, agility, and mobility to perform essential functions and supervise activities in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor locations.

• Ability to work in excess of a 40-hour week with irregular work hours.
• Ability to walk, stand, and sit for long periods of time.
• Exposure to communicable diseases and bodily fluids.
• Must be able to lift and carry supplies and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to stand or sit while maintaining alertness for several hours at a time.
• Position may require bending, leaning, kneeling, walking, and traversing uneven terrain.
• Visual and auditory ability to respond to critical situations and physical ability to act swiftly in an emergency.
• Ability to view and enter data for long periods of time.
• Ability to withstand heat and/or cold weather conditions for lengthy periods of time.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and overnight events as necessary.

• Free Childcare, Camp, and other programs
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 8 Paid Holidays annually
• Professional Development Assistance
• Health Benefits including Medical, Dental, and Vision
• 12% Funded Employer Retirement Plan (Once Eligible)