Guest Experience Manager (Seasonal Full Time - January to November)

Armstrong Collective is the parent company of Rocky Mountaineer and Canyon Spirit, creating unforgettable rail journeys through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Western Canada and the American Southwest. Guided by our values, Create Meaningful Moments, Be One Team, and Achieve Extraordinary Outcomes, we show up every day with pride, ownership, and a shared commitment to excellence. We work hard, support one another, embrace new possibilities, and celebrate growth, all in a respectful and inclusive environment where integrity, collaboration, and passion for the guest experience lead the way.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Guest Experience, the Guest Experience Manager leads station operations and the delivery of exceptional guest experiences while ensuring consistent representation of the Canyon Spirit brand. This role translates business strategy into daily operational excellence, leading frontline teams, managing partner relationships, and ensuring seamless guests, luggage, and transportation logistics.

The Guest Experience Manager fosters a highly engaged, accountable, and safety-focused team culture, while driving continuous improvement across guest service, station operations, and partner performance. Operating in a dynamic environment, the role balances strategic planning with real-time decision making to achieve operational goals, guest satisfaction targets, safety standards, and business performance objectives.

This role is deemed Safety Alert. This position requires the incumbent to periodically access an active railway area where impaired performance could result a significant incident affecting the health and safety of team members, guests, team members, the public, property or the environment.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience & Operations

• Lead daily station operations to deliver exceptional guest satisfaction and consistently uphold Canyon Spirit’s brand standards.

• Coordinate train arrivals and departures, guest boarding and detraining, luggage movement, and transportation logistics in collaboration with internal teams and external partners.

• Resolve guest concerns, service disruptions, and operational challenges through timely, fact-based decisions that balance guest, team member, and business needs.

• Ensure stations, Guest Centres, platforms, and workspaces reflect world-class hospitality standards.

• Act as the primary relationship manager for hotels, transportation providers, tour operators, and suppliers, establishing strong partnerships and driving service excellence.

• Monitor partner performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement solutions that enhance the overall guest experience.

• Represent Canyon Spirit at public events and maintain expert knowledge of products, services, and guest programs.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team that delivers on Canyon Spirit’s service promise while fostering engagement, collaboration, and accountability.

• Create a positive environment where team members feel valued, recognized, and empowered to contribute ideas, solve problems, and embrace change.

• Recruit, onboard, train, mentor, and manage performance to build capability and support operational continuity.

• Provide timely, constructive feedback and development opportunities, encouraging cross-training and continuous learning.

• Align team goals with business priorities and ensure team members understand key performance indicators, operational results, and their contribution to organizational success.

• Maintain staffing plans, schedules, payroll, inventory, documentation, and operational records within approved budgets.

• Develop, communicate, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that promote consistency, compliance, and operational excellence.

Safety, Risk & Emergency Management

• Champion a culture where safety is a shared responsibility and an integral part of decision making and daily operations.

• Ensure compliance with all safety, security, environmental, and emergency response standards for guests, team members, contractors, and partners.

• Identify hazards, conduct audits, investigate incidents, and implement corrective actions to mitigate risk and strengthen operational resilience.

• Lead station responses during irregular operations, emergencies, and medical incidents, maintaining composure and clear communication under pressure.

• Partner with internal stakeholders to support emergency preparedness initiatives, training programs, and safety meetings.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Build strong relationships across departments to align priorities, improve operational effectiveness, and deliver seamless guest experiences.

• Collaborate with Operations, Mechanical, People & Culture, Onboard, and other business partners on projects, planning activities, and process improvements.

• Encourage innovation by identifying opportunities to improve service, efficiency, technology adoption, and operational performance.

• Support business objectives through effective resource planning, performance management, and achievement of guest experience and operational KPIs.

What You Bring

• Proven ability to inspire, coach, and develop teams while fostering engagement, collaboration, and accountability.

• Strong operational leadership, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in fast-paced, guest-focused environments.

• Exceptional relationship-building, influencing, and communication skills with diverse stakeholders.

• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to navigate ambiguity, drive change, and challenge the status quo constructively.

• Strong business acumen, organizational skills, and the ability to prioritize competing demands while maintaining attention to detail.

• Confidence speaking to large groups and representing a premium hospitality brand.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality, Tourism, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Valid U.S. Driver’s License.

• 5+ years of people leadership experience leading operational teams.

• 3+ years of experience in hospitality, tourism, transportation, or a guest-facing operations environment.

• 3+ years of experience leading projects, change initiatives, or operational improvements.

• Experience with workforce planning, scheduling, reporting, performance management, and SOP development.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to quickly learn new technologies and systems.

• Experience supporting luxury hospitality or premium guest experiences is considered an asset.

Work Environment

• Schedule regularly includes early mornings, evenings, weekends, and split shifts as per train arrival/departure schedules. Overtime may be required for irregular operations or delays.

• Requires work in a Safety Alert environment including railway tracks, moving trains, and other vehicles.

• Requires outdoor work in a variety of weather conditions.

• Must be entitled to work in the USA for the full duration of the operating season (April-November).

Compensation

• The base salary offered for this role is $63,000 - $73,000 per annum (pro-rated for the season worked) and can vary based on job-related expertise, qualifications, experience and internal equity.

• Eligible for Armstrong Collective’s Bonus Program

Eligible Benefits

All team members who regularly working 30 hours per week will be eligible for our group benefits plan, which includes:

• Health benefits

• Canyon Spirit is covered under the Railroad Retirement Act. The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers the benefits programs covered under the Railroad Retirement Act, including retirement, survivor, unemployment, sickness, and disability benefits. For more information regarding the benefits of the RRB, visit the Railroad Retirement Board website at rrb.gov.

• Business travel accident insurance and business travel emergency medical insurance

• Vacation time, sick time, and company holiday pay

• 401(k) plan (employee contributions only)

• Friends and family rail tickets and packages discount

• Seasonal wage increases

• Growth opportunities

We are an equal opportunity employer, driven by our values of Creating Meaningful Moments, Being One Team, and Achieving Extraordinary Outcomes. Our strong company culture supports our vision of a diverse, open, safe, and respectful workplace. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members. If you require any accommodation during the application process or throughout your employment, please let us know. We will work with you to ensure your needs are met and to create a supportive environment.

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This job description is not exhaustive of all duties and will encompass additional duties assigned. Responsibilities, title, reporting structure and duties may be changed in response to business requirements.

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