Assistant Manager - Concessions

Job DetailsJob Location: Omaha Zoo - Omaha, NE 68107Position Type: Full TimeJob Category: Restaurant - Food ServiceTitle: Assistant Manager - Concessions FLSA Status: Non-exempt Classification: Full-time Hours: 40 hours/week (including weekends, holidays, and evening hours as needed) Pay Rate: Range starts at $20.49/hour Summary: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is seeking an enthusiastic, operationally focused and guest-centered Assistant Manager of Concessions to help lead concession operations throughout the Zoo. This position plays a critical role in creating memorable guest experiences by ensuring food and beverage locations consistently provide welcoming hospitality, efficient service, quality products and clean, guest-ready environments. Supporting 14 concession locations, the Assistant Manager works closely with the Director of Food and Beverage and concession supervisors to translate department expectations into consistent daily execution. This role maintains a strong presence in the operation, develops frontline leaders, monitors performance and responds quickly to changing attendance, staffing and guest needs. The ideal candidate is passionate about hospitality and understands that successful concession operations require both exceptional guest service and strong operational discipline. This leader develops employees, uses operational and financial information to make informed decisions, and creates an environment in which employees understand their role in delivering an outstanding Zoo experience. Duties and Responsibilities/Essential Functions (include but not limited to): Guest Experience and Service Excellence Champion a guest-first culture in which employees provide friendly, efficient and welcoming service at every concession location. Maintain a visible leadership presence throughout concession operations, regularly observing the guest experience and providing real-time coaching and support. Ensure employees understand not only the tasks associated with their positions, but how their actions, communication and sense of urgency affect the overall guest experience. Coach supervisors and employees to anticipate guest needs, communicate positively and maintain hospitality standards during both routine and high-volume periods. Support supervisors in resolving guest concerns promptly and professionally and use guest feedback to identify opportunities for operational improvement. Monitor speed of service, product availability, presentation, cleanliness and employee engagement and intervene when conditions do not meet established expectations. Foster an environment that reflects the Zoo's values of Care, Joy, Impact and Innovation. Team Leadership and Development Recruit, train, schedule, coach and retain a reliable and engaged concession workforce. Develop concession supervisors as frontline leaders by establishing clear expectations, providing ongoing feedback and holding them accountable for the performance of their locations and teams. Ensure training is delivered consistently across locations and employees demonstrate competency in guest service, food preparation, food safety, point-of-sale operation and department procedures. Lead by example through visible floor presence, hands-on operational support, professionalism and positive guest interactions. Recognize strong performance and address performance or conduct concerns consistently and in a timely manner. Foster teamwork, communication, accountability and continuous improvement across concession operations. Operations and Financial Stewardship Partner with the Director of Food and Beverage to monitor sales, labor, food cost, product mix, portioning, waste and other established operational KPIs. Use daily and periodic performance information to identify trends, address operational concerns and make informed staffing and service decisions. Forecast product needs based on attendance, weather, events, historical demand and operating conditions and communicate those needs to the Warehouse Supervisor. Ensure concession locations maintain appropriate product levels and follow established processes for requesting, receiving and transferring inventory. Hold supervisors accountable for location-level inventory controls, portioning, waste management and appropriate product usage. Partner with the Warehouse Supervisor to address product shortages, substitutions, distribution concerns and recurring inventory issues. Support the programming and maintenance of point-of-sale systems and implementation of new products. Ensure established cash-handling controls and financial procedures are consistently followed. Review departmental performance, including monthly and annual profit-and-loss results, with management and supervisory staff and identify appropriate operational responses. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Strong leadership, coaching, employee-development, and performance-management skills. Demonstrated commitment to delivering exceptional guest service and creating a positive hospitality experience. Strong understanding of high-volume food service and concession operations, including staffing, food preparation, service flow, cleanliness, and operational standards. Ability to maintain a visible leadership presence and effectively support employees and supervisors during peak operating periods. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple locations, priorities, and operational needs simultaneously. Ability to interpret sales, labor, food cost, waste, and other operational information to identify trends and make informed decisions. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Ability to anticipate guest and operational needs and proactively adjust staffing, service, and resources as conditions change. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated guest recovery skills and the ability to resolve concerns professionally while supporting positive guest relationships. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with employees, supervisors, vendors, managers, and leaders throughout the organization. Ability to hold employees accountable while maintaining a positive, professional, and supportive working environment. Strong working knowledge of food safety, sanitation, cash-handling, point-of-sale, and operational control practices. Demonstrated ability to ensure adherence to food safety and sanitation standards through consistent training, monitoring, coaching, and corrective action. Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, professionalism, and accountability. Ability to remain composed, flexible, and guest-focused in a fast-paced, high-volume, and constantly changing environment. Commitment to workplace safety, food safety, financial stewardship, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Commitment to the Zoo's mission, values, and guest-focused culture. Food Handler Permit Requirement: Effective February 1, 2026, all Food and Beverage employees must possess an active Food Handler Permit registered with the Douglas County Health Department at the time of hire or successfully complete Food Handler training and obtain certification within 30 days of employment. Training is provided onsite and compensated at the employee's regular hourly rate. The Zoo will pay the fee for the employee's first certification attempt. Additional certification attempts are the responsibility of the employee. Failure to obtain the required certification within the specified timeframe will result in termination due to health code compliance requirements. Candidates will be required to pass a pre-employment background check, drug test, and possess a valid driver’s license with a good history. Work Environment/Physical Demands: Work is performed in indoor and outdoor environments including but not limited to: warehouse, receiving dock, cooler, freezer, food and beverage storage, operating locations, and outdoor environments throughout the Zoo. Regularly work in varying temperatures, including refrigerated and freezer environments, as well as seasonal outdoor weather conditions. Frequently stand and walk for extended periods and perform bending, reaching, kneeling, twisting, pushing, pulling, and repetitive physical tasks throughout the workday. Frequently lift, carry, move, push, or pull products and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation. Safely operate pallet jacks, dollies, carts, dock equipment, and other warehouse tools and equipment. Regularly load, unload, organize, stage, and transport products throughout Food & Beverage operating areas. Work in an active environment that may include vehicle traffic, delivery activity, wet or slippery surfaces, confined storage areas, and changing operational conditions. Maintain accuracy, organization, and safe work practices while working in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities. Regularly travel throughout the Zoo campus to support product distribution and operational needs. Must be available to work weekends, holidays, evenings, early mornings, and special events as operational needs require. DISCLAIMER The information presented indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification. It is not designed to contain, nor is it to be interpreted as, a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and objectives required of employees assigned to this job. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer as defined by the EEOC. Qualifications