Job Description

Chabot Space & Science Center is a non-profit science center and observatory dedicated to inspiring and educating learners of all ages about the Universe and planet Earth. Chabot’s mission is to spark and engage curiosity, deepen access and inclusion within science education, and provide opportunity for pathways into careers in the sciences.

Situated on a beautiful 14-acre campus nestled in the redwoods of Oakland’s regional parks, the Chabot Space & Science Center includes immersive exhibits, hands-on learning activities, science festivals, a state of the art planetarium, and is home to the official NASA Ames Visitor Center. Chabot’s research-level astronomical observatory, featuring three large scale telescopes, is the largest observatory complex free for regular public viewing in the Western United States.

At Chabot, we:  

Conduct ourselves with honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior, maintaining the trust and confidence of our community.
Foster a culture of collaboration, valuing the diverse perspectives, ideas, and skills of our staff, volunteers, and partners, recognizing that collective efforts drive positive change.
Encourage creativity and innovation, embracing new ideas, and approaches that advance our mission and optimize our impact and promote ongoing professional development, fostering a culture of learning, growth, and continuous improvement, where individuals are empowered to reach their full potential and contribute their unique strengths.  
Treat all individuals with dignity and respect, appreciating their unique backgrounds and experiences, fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
Actively seek partnership and collaboration, recognizing that working together with others strengthens our ability to make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve.
Measure our success by the positive impact we make in our community, always seeking ways to address emerging needs, adapt to changing circumstances, and make meaningful and lasting change.
We believe that everyone deserves a career they love. We strive to build a diverse team that is a reflection of the people we serve; this is made possible through our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and connectedness.

Sales Manager Job Summary:

As the Sales Manager at Chabot Space & Science Center, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the growing facility rentals and earned revenue events, with a focus on sales strategies that build loyalty, repeat business, and attracting new audiences. This person manages and oversees the reservation process for private rentals, outdoor learning programs, teambuilding sessions, slumber parties, field trips, and more. The position requires a highly organized and efficient, pro-active problem solver and strategic creative thinker, someone who can pivot to meet the needs of the visitor and the institution, a person who can motivate their team, manage competing priorities with exceptional time management skills, deliver excellent customer service, and has experience working with audiences of all ages in fast-paced small-to-large scale events. This position requires a passion for people, exceptional leadership skills, and a commitment to excellence in event planning and execution. The work schedule for this position will vary on a week to week basis and will require flexibility with late nights and weekend availability.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Team Management:

Leads and inspires staff, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Develop and implement comprehensive training programs to equip staff with the knowledge and skills needed to provide excellent customer care and deliver exceptional events. Create manuals and documentation specific to the department.
Take a visionary approach, planning strategies based on Chabot’s culture of inclusion, flexibility and care for visitors, clients, vendors, volunteers, and staff.
Take initiative to develop strategies needed to support the vision for the Earned Revenue Department, its roles, and responsibilities to the institution.
Collaborate with various departments, including facilities management, education, programs, and marketing, to coordinate reservations and sales effectively.
Participate in Chabot Team and All-Staff meetings as needed.

Reservations & Sales:

Oversee Earned Revenue Department reservations and ticketing including field trips, overnights, birthday parties, facility rentals, the Sip Series and more, with a goal to increase revenue.
Tracks and analyzes revenue streams and delivers reports and forecasting.
In collaboration with the Reservation Coordinator, answer client and guest inquiries and questions quickly.
Maintain and improve systems of reservations to streamline efficient communication and bookings. Expert understanding of the Centers organizational calendar and organizes multiple overlapping itineraries.
Schedules and delivers sales consultation calls and tours with clients and accommodates varying schedules.
Identifies value-added opportunities for events during planning process.
Creates invoices, receipts, detailed contracts while tracking due dates for event materials, processes payments, and maintains comprehensive filing systems of documentation.
Updates and edits venue and program information across advertising platforms.
Develops marketing strategies for advertisement subscription profiles, physical and web collateral, direct messaging, and social media. Maintains photo files for marketing.
Collects and leverages client reviews for future sales.
Represents Chabot Space & Science Center at networking forums to raise awareness of the earned revenue programs.
Provides excellent customer service support. Deploys flexible problem-solving strategies to ensure successful events and visitor experiences from reservation through event. Navigate unforeseen challenges with calm leadership.
Builds and maintains relationships with repeat clients, event planners, educators, and program affiliates.
In collaboration with the Director of Strategic Sales, handles customer service and conflict resolution for difficult and/or complicated guests and/or vendors. Works to identify issues for resolution in advance of an event day.

Event Coordination & Execution:

Will occasionally function as manager-on-duty or manager-on-call for events and programs orchestrated within the Earned Revenue Department. Works with production staff to deliver workshops and experiences such as overnights, outdoor education programs, paint & sip programs, rental events, birthday parties, and other programs.
While working as manager-on-duty at an event, the Sales Manager directs the team to execute all event-related tasks, everything from parking plans to guest experience, and facility preparation and reset.
Assist production staff to create and organize event plan in advance and communicate between all event participants including volunteers, staff, and leadership.
Adheres to and provides guidance for safety protocols.
Assists in producing timely final invoices and receipts for an event, and ensuring all necessary permits and documentation are received before an event can take place.

Required Skills/Abilities:

Proven track record of effectively leading and developing teams, with strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
Exceptional organizational abilities, including prioritizing tasks, systemizing staff scheduling, delegating responsibilities, and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
Strong collaborative, interpersonal, and communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage diverse audiences. Possess diplomacy and adeptness in working across multiple departments and levels.
Expertise in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with CRM systems. Experience with Blackbaud Altru highly preferred.
Some A/V experience required. Comfortable setting up projectors, audio, and theater equipment.
Ability to anticipate, identify and resolve issues independently, think creatively and offer solutions.
Comfortable with public speaking.
Passion for science education and a commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, event management, museum studies, or related experience.
Minimum of 4 years of experience in event or program management, sales, or hospitality, preferably within a museum, science center, or cultural institution.
2+ years’ experience in customer service roles.
Spanish speaking skills a plus.
Passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, with a commitment to fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific literacy.

Work Environment:

Must be committed to working with a diverse workforce with dignity and respect, appreciating their unique backgrounds and experiences, and fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements listed below are characteristic of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods of time.
Ability to lift 25 pounds.
Ability to work indoors in environmentally controlled conditions, or outdoors in seasonal temperatures.
Ability to work in a sometimes loud and active environments for an extended period.
Ability to work in crowded environments.

Compensation for this position will depend on experience level.

To be considered for this position please submit a copy of your resume and a cover letter.

CHABOT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Chabot is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees are people with differing strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for bringing science to the full range of our community – sparking excitement about a universe of possibilities beyond our planet. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and many other parts of one’s identity. All our employees’ points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $64,000.00 - $76,000.00 per year

Benefits: