NPO Manager, Park & IT

Position Summary

The NPO Manager, Park & IT is a member of a four-person New Park Opening team that opens each new Lava Island park. The Manager arrives on site 1-2 weeks before opening with the NPO GM, the NPO Manager, Café, and the NPO Manager, Party, and stays through the grand opening and the first 2-3 weeks of stabilized operation.

This role brings deep park operations fluency to every opening and owns the IT layer that turns installed hardware into working systems. The Manager is responsible for park readiness (welcome desk, jump deck, dining, restrooms), park IT setup, park team hiring input, park training, execution through the opening, and the standard of the park experience through stabilization. The Manager must be able to run park operations to standard from day one and develop a capable park team at the new park before handoff.

The role functions in a manager-on-duty capacity during deployments, supervising the team and making operational decisions in real time. Over time, the long-term aim is for NPO Managers to develop dual-fluency across their partner areas; on entry the role specializes in park and IT setup.

Reporting Relationships

Internal partners: NPO GM, the other NPO Managers on the team (Café and Party), the other NPO team's Managers, the Senior GMs, Leadership Training, the incoming park leadership at each new park, MCS field leadership at the handoff point, the HQ IT team, the local marketing team supporting the grand opening, and HQ HR and marketing support teams.

External partners: Limited. Occasional coordination with local suppliers or vendors during the opening window.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Park Readiness

• Arrive on site 1-2 weeks before opening with the NPO team. Confirm the park is ready to operate to Lava Island standards.
• Complete setup work outside the scope of MCS across the park, including welcome desk setup, jump deck and play, dining room, and restrooms.
• Confirm safety standards are met across the park; surface anything that needs HQ or vendor support to the NPO GM early.

Park IT Setup

• Own the on-site park IT setup that sits between the physical setup work and HQ IT provisioning. The Park Opening Setup Specialist mounts brackets and TVs; HQ IT ships and provisions tablets and the office computer. This role connects and configures the IT layer on top.
• Install and connect Firesticks so the menu boards and pricing boards display correctly.
• Confirm POS consoles are in place, connected, and operating.
• Unbox and set up the office computer once it arrives from HQ IT; install the printer.
• Coordinate with HQ IT on provisioning timing, user access, and any issues that arise during setup.

Park Team Hiring and Training

• Interview park candidates alongside the NPO GM; provide input on hiring decisions (NPO GM has final say). Build a park team with the right shape and depth for the park's opening volume.
• Lead on-site training across all park stations: jump deck safety monitoring, dining room, welcome desk and greeter.
• Teach Lava Island park standards: safety protocols across the park, station discipline, guest engagement, and guest experience standards on the floor.
• Document training progress and surface team members who need additional support or may not be ready for opening.

Grand Opening, MOD, and Stabilization

• Lead the park team through grand opening week as the on-shift leader. Make real-time decisions on station coverage, park safety, and guest issue resolution. Hold the line on safety, hospitality, and pace under high volume.
• Serve as Manager on Duty on assigned shifts during the deployment. Hold team members accountable to performance expectations and Lava Island standards during shifts.
• Remain on site 2-3 weeks post-open. Continue to coach the team, address performance and attendance issues in real time, and refine park operations.
• Walk the incoming park leadership (typically the OM or AM responsible for park operations) through the team, current state of operations, and any open items before departing.

Problem Solving and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Adapt to the unexpected. Find the park or IT solution on the ground when the standard approach does not fit; push issues that require HQ support to the NPO GM and the right HQ team quickly and clearly.
• Coordinate closely with the NPO Manager, Party on service hall handoffs and overall park flow, and with the NPO Manager, Café on dining and cross-area coordination.
• Coordinate with HQ IT on any technology issues that arise during setup or opening.
• Coordinate with the local marketing team on grand opening events and on-site activations.
• Model the Lava Island standard at all times in front of the team, the incoming leadership team, and any external partners on site.

Working Conditions and Travel

Work environment and travel: Active park environment during deployments. Fully traveling, 4-6 weeks per opening. Rental car, lodging, and per diem per the NPO Field Policy. Upon first arrival the park is still an active construction site; standard construction site safety protocols and PPE apply until MCS completes its work. Recovery time between deployments is built into the cadence; if a gap exceeds approximately a week, the NPO Manager takes on reinforcement at the training parks or support for upcoming openings.

Physical requirements: Standing, walking, and moving through the park for extended periods. Occasional lifting up to 50 lbs. Comfort with basic technology setup tasks (connecting devices, mounting small hardware, running cables).

The road ahead: This is not a one or two opening role. The expectation is a meaningful commitment, ideally through the end of 2027. We know this lifestyle is intense and we are not asking anyone to burn out. Natural off-ramps include stepping into an AM or OM role at a permanent park (which this role builds toward), returning to your home park, or continuing to travel. We will work with you to find the right landing when the time is right.

Qualifications

Required

• Prior experience at Lava Island as an AM with park depth, or as a Crew Member with strong park experience and demonstrated readiness for a salaried leadership role.
• Strong operational fluency in park operations: park safety, station coverage across welcome desk, jump deck, dining, and restrooms, and team leadership in the park.
• Comfort with hands-on technology setup: connecting devices, following setup instructions from vendors and IT, unboxing and configuring simple hardware.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through high-intensity shifts with calm and clarity, and to coach a brand-new team to performance quickly.
• Willingness to travel continuously, with no home park base, in 4-6 week deployment cycles. Comfort working in unfamiliar environments and bringing the Lava Island standard to a brand-new park, brand-new team, and brand-new community.
• 18 or older.
• ServSafe Manager Certification current, or completion within 30 days of hire.
• Technology: comfort with email, spreadsheets, scheduling tools, and digital documentation. Lava Island operates in a Microsoft 365 and Outlook environment.

Preferred

• Experience with new park or new entertainment venue openings; familiarity with Lava Island park operations and IT systems.

Competencies

• Ownership mindset. Takes responsibility for park and IT readiness, the park team, and the park experience at every opening.
• Hands-on leadership. Runs park operations to standard from day one and works alongside the team on the floor.
• Composed under pressure. Stays steady and clear-headed through opening intensity and high-volume shifts.
• Coaches with care. Builds a capable team fast through clear, real-time direction and consistent, fair accountability.
• Adaptable on the road. Finds the solution on the ground when the standard approach does not fit, and thrives in unfamiliar environments.
• Standard-bearer. Brings the Lava Island standard to a brand-new park, team, and community, and models it at all times.
• Clear communicator. Escalates issues to the NPO GM and HQ early, with context, options, and a recommendation.