Lead Onboard Host (Seasonal, Full-time)

The Lead Onboard Host reports to the Guest Services Manager (GSM) and provides leadership to a team of Onboard Hosts in a railcar throughout the season.

The position will provide Onboard Hosts with training and guidance on the service experience, and coordinate the onboard service to maintain best practices, standards, and procedures for the duration of a rail journey. Additionally, the Lead Onboard Host is accountable for delivering service excellence to onboard guests, including meals, storytelling, and sales to enabling the creation of life changing experiences.

This position is deemed Safety Sensitive. 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 Areas of Accountability

Lead the onboard guest experience to maintain service excellence on the assigned railcar.

• Lead and motivate a team of Onboard Hosts to maintain service experience best practices, standards, and procedures by providing ongoing training, guidance, and encouraging socialization when appropriate.

• Resolve escalated and complex guest related concerns by listening with empathy and providing timely resolution.

• Coordinate the Onboard Host team in preparing the railcars, delivering the food and beverage service, coordinate breaks, and provides approval to maintain a high-quality guest experience.

• Coordinate arrival announcements with the Guest Service Manager.

• Ensure Hosts are adhering to RMs safety and security standards.

• Understands RM guest metrics and how assigned railcars are performing to target.

• Lead the Onboard Host team in selling and promoting sales in assigned railcar through POS knowledge, feedback, and support.

 

Deliver the onboard guest experience to provide a world-class guest service on railcars to enable the creation of life changing experiences for guests.

• Direct and coordinate Onboard Hosts on the timing, preparation and delivery of beverage, meal, and snack services in accordance with established standard operating procedures in a positive, polished, and professional manner.

• Ensure Onboard Hosts maintain correct inventory levels, support daily inventory counts and reconcile as required at the end of each trip.

• Clean and stock coaches, galleys and washrooms to set standards at the end of each trip, sign-off on railcar turnover checklist.

 

Provide consistent and engaging storytelling to RM guests.

• Provide training and coaching to Onboard Hosts with Storytelling techniques, including informing them of locations, mile markers and story sequences; sign-off completion of Storytelling for new Onboard Hosts.

• Provide enthusiastic, consistent, factual, and engaging storytelling to RM guests by pointing out areas of interest and pertinent information regarding the route and history of the region in alignment to the Storytelling manual.

 

Qualifications

Education / Certifications / Knowledge

• Serving It Right (SIR) required

• Fluency in English language

• Proficiency in Mandarin, German, Spanish, and French considered an asset

 

Experience

• Completion of one full season as an Onboard Host in Gold Leaf domes desired

• Service delivery in a full-dining (food and beverage), luxury/fine-dining establishment desired

• Experience with public speaking or engaging with large audiences (70+ people); theatre, acting or tour-guide experience an asset

 

Skills

• Solid communication and interpersonal skills

• Solid public speaking skills to deliver storytelling to 72 guests

• Solid serving and hosting skills

• Basic leadership skills and ability to lead a small team of Onboard Hosts

 

Attributes

• Demonstrates empathy and compassion when interacting with guests

• Demonstrates a professional and polished presence

• Energetic, motivated, hardworking and committed to delivering guest service excellence

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Demonstrates a professional, accountable work ethic; self-motivated

 

Work Environment

• Ability to work long days (+10 hours)

• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds

• Travel away from home base for up to 4-6 days at a time

• Valid ID to satisfy domestic travel requirements (passport, driving license)

• Must be legally allowed to work in Canada for the duration of the operating season (April – October)