Family Program Manager @ Oakland Children's Fairyland

The Family Programs Manager is a key contributor to Fairyland’s mission-driven, revenue-generating programs designed for children and families. This role oversees the catered birthday party program and project manages a variety of family-focused events, including family sleepovers and park-wide experiences. Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations, the Family Programs Manager ensures these programs are operationally excellent, guest-centered, and positioned for sustainable growth. This is a highly collaborative, hands-on role ideal for someone who thrives in a dynamic, guest-facing environment and is passionate about creating memorable experiences for families.

• Essential Duties & Responsibilities Birthday Party Program Management Oversee all aspects of the catered birthday party program, including calendar management, payment collection, guest communication, and on-site execution.
• Develop and implement growth strategies to increase birthday party bookings and revenue.
• Ensure a seamless and joyful experience for birthday guests from inquiry through event completion.
• Assist with training, scheduling, and support of Park Ambassadors serving as birthday party hosts.
• Program Development & Execution Develop, plan, and execute Fairyland’s family programs, including catered birthday parties, summer family sleepovers, and park-wide family events.
• Serve as project manager for family events, ensuring smooth execution, operational readiness, and exceptional guest experiences.
• Co-host and support overnight family sleepover experiences, ensuring guest safety, engagement, and satisfaction.
• Operations & Collaboration Partner with the Sr. Director of Operations to manage daytime family events, including staffing, volunteers, vendor coordination, activations, and scheduling.
• Forecast and develop budgets that incorporate planned expenses and labor for all relevant family programs Track actual expenditures against planned budget and optimizing allocation of resources across programs to ensure they are used efficiently Manage relevant program budgets, timelines, and calendars.
• Engage in cross-departmental planning meetings and brainstorming sessions to align programs with organizational goals.
• Data, Reporting & Guest Relationships Develop and maintain reports and data analytics to track program performance and inform decision-making.
• Build strong, lasting relationships with guests through proactive communication and thoughtful service recovery when needed.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve guest experience and operational efficiency.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Knowledge Skills and Abilities Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a front-facing, customer service role; experience in event management, hospitality, or logistics strongly preferred.
• Proven self-starter with a track record of delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including in-person, phone, and email communication.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and consistently follow through to completion.
• Comfortable making quick, thoughtful decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and customer registration or ticketing systems.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively across teams and independently when needed.
• Creative thinker who is open to feedback and thrives in a collaborative work environment.
• Comfortable learning and adapting to new systems, platforms, and processes.
• Must pass background clearance and have no barriers to working with children.
• Personal Attributes/Values People-orientation- able to interact effectively, politely, and productively with all types of people from all types of backgrounds and experience and in all types of situations.
• Comfortable working with non-English speaking and culturally diverse stakeholders Professional maturity to manage composure during stressful interactions Energetic, diplomatic, adaptable and with a good sense of humor.
• Passionate about the mission, vision, and goals of Fairyland and possess an understanding of how this position contributes to the organization’s success.
• Strong work ethic with an orientation toward process improvement.
• Impeccable integrity and honesty Physical Requirements This position is primarily located in an outdoor environment.
• Able to perform the following duties with or without accommodation: Stand, sit, kneel, walk, bend, and perform repetitive motions for the duration of an eight (8) hour shift Traverse safely over uneven terrain throughout the entirety of the 10-acre amusement park Safely lift and transport items of up to 50 lbs.
• Work safely without presenting a direct threat to self or others.
• Respond quickly to sounds See and respond quickly to situations Communicate in clear, loud voice Operate two-radio for communications with park personnel Work in outdoor, seasonal weather conditions for 100% of shift Ability to work on weekends and occasional evenings.

Proven track record of punctuality and attendance Benefits & Compensation This is a regular, full-time, non-exempt position scheduled Wednesdays through Sundays, 8:30am – 5:00pm. The non-negotiable rate of pay is $26.95 per hour. Full-time employees are eligible to participate in benefits the first of the month following 60 days of service.

Benefits include

Medical, dental and vision coverage at 100% for employees Accrue up to 10 days of PTO in your first year AND separate paid sick leave bank of up to 10 days per year AND three floating holidays per year 401k plan available Family membership to Fairyland or 6 guest passes annually Discounts on Fairyland merchandise and Café