Director, Ticket Operations — US Golf Association, New Jersey

From the World Handicap System to national amateur championships, to modernizing the delivery of the game’s Rules and supporting sustainable golf course management practices, the United States Golf Association promotes the health of a game that inspires, challenges, and rewards like nothing else can.

Are you looking to join a dynamic team that works together to promote and conserve the true spirit of the game of golf?

The Director of Ticket Operations will lead all ticket, credential, and box office operations for the organization, and will serve as the primary liaison with AXS, our ticketing platform.  The Director will be tasked with setting the operations strategy for each ticketed championship and will oversee a team of full-time and seasonal staff.

Within a constantly changing industry and with championship venues that change annually, this position will thrive as a creative problem solver and strategic thinker who is nimble and collaborative, has experience leading change management, and is thoughtful in assessing risks against opportunities for growth and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will be process oriented and have a high level of intellectual curiosity, with a keen understanding of future opportunities for impactful change through advancements in technology and collaborative innovation.

What you can expect:

Lead the ticket and credential operations vertical within the ticketing team.

• Set objectives, plans, and process for the ticketing teams (U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Senior Women’s Open, and in select years, the U.S. Amateur)
  • Work with the Director, Ticketing and Championship Experiences to develop and manage annual budgets, including detailed forecasting, revenue growth, and expense management from planning to implementation, including cost projections from operations and vendors
  • Recruit, hire, train, manage and develop the ticket operations team (both full-time and seasonal employees and interns)
• Oversee ticketing operations pre, during, and post championship, including the following tasks:
  • Manage on-site credentialing facility including equipment needs, trailer layout, staff and vendor instructions.
  • Set strategy and staffing plans for will call operations
  • Mobile + printed ticket fulfillment (individual and group ticket/hospitality sales)
  • Work with operations team to ensure admission gates are properly staffed and infrastructure is in place for scanning
  • Manage and fulfil barter or comp arrangements
  • Oversee all financial control policies and procedures of the box office
  • Manage relationships with third party vendors including staffing agencies, printing shops and technology providers
• Serve as product manager and system administrator for AXS, the USGA’s ticket platform
  • Set agenda and lead regular cadence of calls with AXS project team
  • Manage communication of bugs, feature, and development roadmap requests
• Oversee customer service operation and provide appropriate direction and messaging for staff and third party vendors overseeing customer service channels (e.g. AXS Customer Service, digital Chatbot)
• Work with the Director, Ticketing and Championship Experiences to set business policies and processes for sales, resale, comp tickets, and special audiences

What you bring to the USGA:

• A minimum of a BA/BS degree in business or related field; or equivalent work experience
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in sports and/or entertainment ticketing
• “Passionate problem solver” mindset
• Experience in large scale domestic and/or international events
• Proven ability to partner, communicate, and collaborate across multiple disciplines and organizational groups
• Strong client service orientation and experience
• A leader who can design and install process and structure
• Excellent relationship building and account management skills
• Proven ability to establish a collaborative team environment and lead through period of significant change and challenges
• General knowledge of golf industry
• Extended periods of travel (1-2 weeks at a time) during Championship season; occasional travel/site visits in the off-season

About the USGA:

The USGA is a nonprofit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment, handicapping and amateur status rules. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.