NPO Manager, Party

Position Summary

The NPO Manager, Party 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, Park & IT, and stays through the grand opening and the first 2-3 weeks of stabilized operation.

This role brings deep party operations fluency to every opening. The Manager is responsible for party room readiness, service hall readiness, party team hiring input, party training, execution through the opening, and the standard of the party experience through stabilization. The Manager must be able to run Lava Island parties to standard from day one and produce capable Party Leads 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 party.

Reporting Relationships

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

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

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Party and Service Hall Readiness

• Arrive on site 1-2 weeks before opening with the NPO team. Confirm the party rooms and service hall are ready to operate to Lava Island standards.


• Complete setup work outside the scope of MCS, including party room staging, service hall setup (the corridor behind the party rooms that supports party operations), gift cart and supply readiness, and delivery flow.


• Support the HQ Creative team with balloon bouquet color selection for each party room. Each room's paint palette drives the five-color bouquet mix; coordinate on-site with Creative to lock the palette.


• Confirm safety standards are met across party operations; surface anything that needs HQ or vendor support to the NPO GM early.

Party Team Hiring and Training

• Interview party candidates alongside the NPO GM; provide input on hiring decisions (NPO GM has final say). Build a party team with the right shape and depth for the park's opening volume and party calendar.


• Lead on-site training across the full party flow: check-in, room cleaning and reset, deliveries, gift cart and supply management, hosting, and the Party Lead role.


• Teach Lava Island party standards: the party schedule and flow, the key moments of the host experience, room reset between groups, and guest experience standards in the party rooms.


• Build the new park's Party Lead bench. Train and develop crew members against the established party crew and Party Lead training trackers so the park has capable Party Leads in place by the time the NPO team hands off.

Grand Opening, MOD, and Stabilization

• Lead the party team through grand opening week as the on-shift leader. Make real-time decisions on party schedule and flow, room timing and reset, gift cart and supply coverage, and guest issue resolution. Hold the line on 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 party operations.


• Walk the incoming party leadership (typically the OM or AM responsible for parties) 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 party 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, Café on party food timing and cross-area handoffs, and with the NPO Manager, Park & IT on overall flow.


• Partner with the HQ party booking team on initial party scheduling and volume at the new park. Provide tactical input on what the team can support through opening and stabilization, and adjust as the team develops capability.


• Coordinate with the local marketing team on party promotions and grand opening events.


• 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 party operations 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 party rooms and service hall for extended periods. Occasional lifting up to 50 lbs.

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

• Prior experience at Lava Island as an AM with party depth, or as a Crew Member with strong party experience and demonstrated readiness for a salaried leadership role. Party Lead experience strongly preferred.


• Strong operational fluency in party operations: the full party flow (check-in, deliveries, room cleaning and reset, host check-out), service hall management, and team leadership in the party rooms.


• 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 entertainment venue openings; familiarity with Lava Island party systems and Party Lead training materials.

Competencies

• Ownership mindset. Takes responsibility for party and service hall readiness, the party team, and the party experience at every opening.


• Hands-on leadership. Runs Lava Island parties to standard from day one and works alongside the team in the party rooms.


• 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.