The Guest Research Coordinator plays a vital role in understanding and enhancing the visitor experience at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. This position focuses on collecting and analyzing guest feedback to drive improvements in exhibits, operations, and engagement strategies.
- By conducting in person research, analyzing visitor data, and collaborating with internal teams, the Coordinator ensures that Mote’s decision making is informed by real guest insights.
- This role helps refine the guest experience, identify trends, and support initiatives that strengthen visitor satisfaction, education, and membership engagement.
Responsibilities:
- Guest Insights & Visitor Research
- Conduct in person visitor studies, exit surveys, and interactive feedback sessions to assess guest satisfaction, learning outcomes, and overall experience.
- Set up and maintain interactive feedback stations in key exhibits to measure visitor perception, learning impact, and engagement.
- Develop creative and engaging data collection methods, such as gamified surveys, QR based interactions, and digital comment stations, to encourage guest participation.
- Conduct guest research at Mote hosted events, such as Sharktoberfest, A-scare-ium, and World Ocean Day, collecting attendee feedback and identifying trends to enhance future programming.
- Utilize tools like Google Analytics, heat mapping software, and ticketing data to analyze visitor behavior and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Monitor guest reviews across platforms (Google, TripAdvisor, social media) to track trends and identify areas for enhancement.
- Translate research findings into clear, actionable reports for leadership and internal teams, ensuring that guest feedback informs strategic decisions.
- Track key visitor experience metrics, including customer satisfaction scores, Net Promoter Score, and membership conversion rates, to evaluate the effectiveness of guest engagement initiatives.
- Compare visitor data trends across ticket sales, memberships, and promotions to assess program impact and recommend adjustments.
- Support membership initiatives by identifying insights that enhance member benefits, loyalty programs, and retention strategies.
- Provide frontline staff with visitor trend insights to help them enhance guest interactions and improve overall visitor satisfaction.
- Internal Event & Exhibit Engagement
- Staff Mote’s information tables at internal events to engage with guests, answer questions, and collect research on visitor expectations and experiences.
- Assist with exhibit evaluation projects, working alongside education and exhibit teams to assess how visitors interact with displays and programs.
- Develop and test new ways to enhance visitor engagement in exhibits, such as interactive elements or real time visitor input opportunities.
- Support special research initiatives that explore emerging guest experience trends and best practices within the aquarium, zoo and public attraction industry.
- Schedule & Work Environment
- Start date will be Wednesday, October 1st
- 8:30am - 5pm with required weekend shifts as part of a rotating schedule.
- Occasional evening and holiday shifts for special events or research projects.
- A mix of indoor and outdoor work, requiring flexibility to adapt to different environments.
- Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, communications, business, or a related field preferred.
- One to two years of experience in guest research, data collection, public engagement, or visitor experience analysis, preferably in a nonprofit or public attraction setting.
- Skills
- Strong analytical skills to design and interpret surveys and feedback data.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with diverse audiences.
- Highly detail oriented and organized, capable of managing multiple projects and deadlines efficiently.
- Ability to synthesize data and present findings in a clear, actionable format.
- Familiarity with survey tools, data visualization, or analytics software (e.g., Qualtrics, Google Analytics, Tableau).
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace (Word, Excel, Outlook).
- Ideal Candidate
- The ideal candidate is both data driven and people oriented, excelling in research methodologies and guest engagement.
- They are proficient in Google Analytics and have experience with additional survey and data analysis tools, with a strong ability to interpret visitor behavior and provide strategic insights.
- Comfortable in both research and public facing roles, they are passionate about enhancing the guest experience through data informed decisions.
- Experience Required
- Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, communications, business, or a related field preferred.
- One to two years of experience in guest research, data collection, public engagement, or visitor experience analysis, preferably in a nonprofit or public attraction setting.
Further Comments
- Full time; eligible for benefits including paid time off & medical benefits.
Perks
- Perks include a 6 person Mote membership, reciprocal admission discounts at partner institutions, and access to Florida Attractions Program benefits like free or discounted tickets statewide.
Salary
- Full time, Hourly: $20 - $25
