Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide administrative services on behalf of Fort William Historical Park (FWHP) with respect to reservations and sales for corporate groups, tour operators, and other education/association/social groups, and to support the sale of FWHP sponsorship opportunities.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Position functions within Fort William Historical Park, which is a living history tourism attraction providing top-level cultural heritage, entertainment and educational experiences for residents and visitors to northwestern Ontario.

1. Provides administrative services to harmonize sales and reservation tasks for FWHP in order to ensure seamless customer service for groups. Coordinates the group reservations process by maintaining accurate reservations bookings and resource allocations within the Vista reservation system, utilized to process, track and reconcile all client group reservations. Receives and processes booking requests by phone, electronically and in person.
2. Provides administrative assistance to the Manager in support of sales initiatives including bulk mail, telephone calls, attendance at travel shows, brochure distribution, drafting and editing materials. Collates and analyzes statistical information and produces spreadsheet reports and graphics to illustrate and forecast reservation and sales activity. Adapts database or reorganizes data to highlight trends. Generates regular and ad hoc reports for the Manager.
3. Initiates and completes the sale of FWHP programs with corporate groups, tour operators, education groups, association groups and social groups. Answers inquiries and provides information regarding the programs, services and up-coming events of FWHP.
4. Supports the sale of FWHP sponsorship opportunities. Researches and identifies potential sponsors, partners or alternative funding sources to support FWHP events, programs, operational and product development initiatives. Drafts presentation and other promotional material in support of sponsorship initiatives. Monitors sponsorship agreements.
5. Provides technical services to support the FWHP web site in collaboration with the Communications Officer. Maintains the FWHP web site, web pages, on line reservation systems, on line payment systems, web links and other web related resources and promotions. Recommends layout and graphic design for web site pages and executes upon approval. Posts and edits materials based on content and directions provided.
6. Ensures that FWHP web site is in a format that is fully accessible to persons with disabilities. Performs troubleshooting functions to identify and resolve source of problems e.g. coding, testing, debugging. Provides statistical analysis reports and summaries for the Manager regarding web site traffic in order to evaluate site effectiveness.
7. Coordinates FWHP IT and telecommunications equipment installation, maintenance, upgrades and servicing with FWHP staff and service providers.
8. Collaborates with and assists the Admissions and Visitor Services Clerk regarding group reception. Determines logistics and provides on-site co-ordination services to ensure successful delivery of group reception events.
9. Updates, tracks, monitors and maintains up-to-date sales and sponsorship budgets. Generates standard and customized reports for the Manager. Summarizes observations; identifies, follows up on and resolves discrepancies.
10. Coordinates the preparation and production of information packages and promotional materials. Compiles materials and assembles sales kits from printed materials for distribution.
11. Composes correspondence and information requests on own initiative to internal staff, sponsors, partners, e.g. letters, of acknowledgement. Reformats items and drafts letters from brief instruction on behalf of the Manager.
12. Performs administrative services in support of FWHP program delivery by providing data entry, and clerical and operational support to the department. Provides technical direction and training to seasonal staff as required.

Fort William Historical Park is a 7-day a week, 24-hour operation. Position may be required to attend overnight functions, and off-hour programs, work holidays and weekends.

Staffing and Licencing :

Typing and wordprocessing to ministry standards.
(Operating fully programmable word processing equipment on a regular basis).

Knowledge :

• Fort William Historical Park programs, events, promotions, projects, policies and procedures e.g. to respond to and process client group inquiries and explain reservation/sponsorship procedures; to ensure that reservations are made in accordance with program and customer service criteria; to guide seasonal staff as required.
• Government/ministry financial reporting, reconciliation and budgetary control, to monitor sales and prepare reconciliation reports.
• Ministry and branch administrative procedures and guidelines to provide administrative services and operational support to the department.
• Understanding of corporate sponsorships, public relations and customer service delivery principles and practices, internet/telephone sales techniques, cash handling, to process group reservations and sell sponsorship opportunities.
• Word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphics and database applications to produce correspondence; to enter, update and maintain information; prepare statistical listings/reports.
• Web authoring software and web development tools; government web site design and publishing standards; web conventions and recognized etiquette to support web design (graphics/layout), and facilitate the design, troubleshooting and maintenance of web site page and graphics for FWHP.
• Organizational and planning skills to prioritize work and ensure adherence to established policies and practices; to update information accurately on database; to respond to fluctuating seasonal demands and increased visitor attendance.

Skills :

• Reasoning to maintain accurate reservations bookings and resource allocations within the Vista reservation system; to analyze statistical information and produce customized reports; to adapt database or reorganize data to highlight trends; to summarize observations; to identify, follow up on and resolve discrepancies.
• Analytical skills to research and identify potential sponsors, partners or alternative funding sources to support FWHP events, programs, operational and product development initiatives.
• Analytical skills to utilize a variety of software packages e.g. update and produce statistical reports in a variety of presentation formats including graphs, reformatting and the preparation of documents and spreadsheets, word-processing, rudimentary desktop publishing and layout sufficient to coordinate in-house production of materials.
• Evaluative skills to provide technical services to support the FWHP web site by maintaining the web site, web pages, on line reservations systems, on line payment systems, web links and other web related resources and promotions; to advise on the “look” and “feel” of the web site.
• Oral communication skills to answer inquiries from public and private sector organizations on reservations procedures, and provide information regarding the programs, services and up-coming events of FWHP; to provide information and explanations to potential private sector and other community sponsors.
• Written communication skills to compose correspondence, draft presentation and other promotional material in support of sponsorship initiatives.
• Interpersonal skills, diplomacy and tact to provide customer service to the public.

Freedom of Action :

Work is performed within the framework of ministry policies, and the practices and procedures of Fort William Historical Park. Guidelines are available in the form of established administrative methods, database procedures and web site standards.

Job requires independent judgement and decision-making to: provide on-the-spot assistance to reservation groups and potential sponsors; apply reservation policies, procedures, categories and fee schedules to process reservations; initiate and complete the sale of FWHP programs with corporate groups, tour operators, education groups, association groups and social groups; prioritize multiple work tasks; ensure an accessible/navigable web site for the FWHP; recommend the layout and graphic design for web site pages (in collaboration with other staff members); select appropriate word processing, database, spreadsheet and presentation applications; identify issues or unusual requests that need to be conveyed to the Manager or other staff members; provide technical direction and training to seasonal staff.

Work is informally reviewed by the Manager for adherence to established policies and procedures. Job performs tasks within a work environment with fluctuating seasonal demands. Job refers unusual or unique reservation and sales requests to the Manager.