Animal Engineering Jobs in Connecticut (NOW HIRING)

Reservations & Group Sales Specialist
Department: Education & Conservation
Reports to: Reservations & Group Sales Manager
Classification: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Job Overview: The Reservations & Group Sales Specialist serves as the primary coordinator for animal encounters, educational programs, group visits, admission calls, and community-based experiences, ensuring exceptional guest service from initial inquiry through program completion. This position is responsible for coordinating reservations, processing admissions and program sales, maintaining reservation systems, and providing administrative support for Education & Conservation initiatives. Working closely with the multiple internal teams, this role ensures seamless scheduling, communication, and execution of Aquarium programs while delivering outstanding guest experience.

Primary Functions:

Reservations

• Serve as the primary point of contact for guests by phone, email, and in person regarding school and youth group visits, educational programs, animal encounters, admissions calls, and group reservations.
• Deliver exceptional customer service by providing accurate information, resolving guest concerns, and identifying opportunities to exceed guest expectations.
• Manage reservation modifications, cancellations, confirmations, and guest correspondence in a timely and professional manner. Program Coordination & Operations
• Coordinate all scheduling logistics for educational programs, outreach events, virtual programs, and animal encounters.
• Prepare daily schedules, participant lists, waivers, itineraries, and check-in documents.
• Create and distribute virtual meeting links, guest confirmations, reminders, invoices, and program information.
• Coordinate daily operational logistics between Education, Guest Services, Animal Care, Dive Safety, Marketing, Facilities, and other departments to ensure successful program delivery.
• Monitor program capacity and scheduling to maximize operational efficiency and revenue opportunities.

Administrative Support & Systems Management

• Maintain accurate reservation, customer, and program records within Tessitura and other reservation systems.
• Process registrations through Tessitura, Smartwaiver, Jotform, and other software platforms.
• Maintain departmental calendars and scheduling systems.
• Prepare invoices, reports, attendance records, and other administrative documentation.
• Coordinate dive proposal administration, animal artwork fulfillment and shipping, virtual programming logistics, and specialty guest experiences.
• Maintain inventory of program materials and office supplies.
• Review and update website content, program descriptions, animal biographies, FAQs, and guest-facing educational materials to ensure accuracy.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Collaborate with Animal Care, Education staff, Guest Services, Dive Safety, Development, and other departments to provide seamless guest experiences.
• Identify opportunities to improve reservation workflows, guest communication, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• Assist with departmental reporting by compiling reservation statistics, attendance data, and revenue information.
• Participate in departmental meetings, training, and professional development activities.
• Perform additional duties as assigned in support of departmental and organizational goals.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Education & Experience: Associate degree preferred or a minimum of two years of customer service, reservations, hospitality, admissions, sales support, or administrative experience. Experience within a nonprofit, educational institution, museum, aquarium, zoo, or hospitality environment preferred.

Customer Service & Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with a strong commitment to delivering outstanding guest experiences. Demonstrated ability to resolve customer concerns with professionalism and sound judgment.

Reservations & Administrative Systems: Experience utilizing reservation, CRM, or ticketing systems; Tessitura experience strongly preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). Experience using online registration platforms, digital forms, and scheduling software preferred.

Organization & Attention to Detail: Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail. Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy in a fast-paced environment. Strong follow-through and time management skills.

Collaboration & Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across multiple departments. Positive, solution-oriented attitude with flexibility to support changing operational needs. Comfortable working independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Mission Alignment: Commitment to providing mission-driven guest experiences that inspire conservation action.

Flexibility & Availability: Ability and willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.

Physical Demands

This position is primarily performed in an office environment requiring prolonged periods of sitting, computer use, telephone communication, and data entry. The role also requires frequent movement throughout Aquarium facilities to support program operations, group arrivals, and guest check-in. Employees must be able to lift and carry materials weighing up to 25 pounds, bend, reach, and stand for extended periods as needed. Occasional outdoor work may be required in varying weather conditions while supporting educational programming and guest experiences.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Employment with this organization is at-will, meaning either the employee or the organization may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable laws. This organization is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of this position. If you require an accommodation to complete an application, please contact (860) 536-5650 and ask to speak with the recruitment department. This position may require background checks and reference verification as part of the hiring process.