VICE PRESIDENT, HOSPITALITY & COMMERCIAL OUTLETS
As one of the great gardens of the world located just 30 miles outside of Philadelphia, Longwood Gardens is rooted in a steadfast mission of bringing joy and inspiration to everyone through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning. Across our many departments, every staff member creates the magic that makes our Gardens distinctive. Our team of dynamic professionals is what sets us apart, and our spirit of legacy, innovation, and opportunity is what guides us. While beauty is our heart, our people are our soul.
Longwood Gardens is seeking a Vice President, Hospitality & Commercial Outlets to shape and advance Longwood Gardens’ earned-revenue portfolio across food and beverage, retail, events and floristry sales, and selected third-party commercial partnerships. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role connects exceptional guest experience with strong financial performance, ensuring all guest-facing outlets operate with quality, consistency, creativity, and discipline aligned with Longwood’s mission and brand.
This position oversees a diverse portfolio generating approximately $37M in annual revenue and provides leadership across multiple business lines, including the strategic partnership with Longwood’s food and beverage provider, as well as the Retail Garden Shop, e-commerce, events, floristry sales, and key third-party relationships. The Vice President will also contribute to Longwood’s long-term planning initiatives, including the master plan and Granogue hospitality strategy. Specific responsibilities include:
- Leading Longwood’s overall hospitality and commercial strategy across food and beverage, retail, events, floristry, and third-party partnerships, ensuring alignment with mission, brand, and long-term priorities
- Driving revenue growth, operational excellence, and outstanding guest experiences across multiple earned-revenue streams
- Overseeing the partnership and performance of Longwood’s food and beverage provider, advancing service standards, operational execution, innovation, labor management, and financial outcomes across all venues including 1906, the Café, Beer Garden, and Concessions
- Evaluating guest feedback, visitation trends, and sales performance to continuously enhance dining and hospitality experiences
- Leading the Retail Garden Shop and e-commerce strategy, driving commercial performance while integrating offerings with Longwood’s horticultural, design, educational, and seasonal experiences
- Overseeing event and floristry sales, ensuring strong revenue generation, client satisfaction, operational excellence, and brand alignment
- Supporting the development of Granogue’s hospitality plan, including future concepts, service models, and commercial opportunities
- Serving as the primary liaison for key third-party partnerships, including cemetery management, ensuring strong alignment, communication, and performance
- Owning portfolio financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, P&Ls, pricing strategies, and margin optimization
- Defining, tracking, and reporting on KPIs including revenue growth, guest satisfaction, and operational performance
- Building strong cross-functional partnerships across teams
- Leading, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity
We are seeking a dynamic leader with a passion for hospitality and a proven ability to align commercial performance with a mission-driven guest experience. The ideal candidate will possess:
- A bachelor’s degree is preferred but not required
- A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
- Progressive senior leadership experience in hospitality, food and beverage, retail, facility rentals, lodging, or multi-unit commercial operations in complex guest-facing environments
- Demonstrated success leading multi-unit operations and managing diverse revenue streams, including food and beverage, retail, e-commerce, facility rentals, and varied hospitality formats such as cafés, concessions, catering, and fine dining
- Experience managing third-party operators and driving retail and e-commerce growth through strong commercial strategy, merchandising, pricing, inventory discipline, and performance oversight
- Strong financial acumen with experience managing P&Ls, budgets, forecasting, and performance metrics
- Ability to connect guest experience with commercial performance across multiple touchpoints
- Strategic and collaborative leader with experience influencing cross-functional teams and developing innovative concepts while maintaining operational discipline
- Proven leadership experience developing high-performing teams and fostering inclusive, mission-driven work environments
- Ability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required to support hospitality and guest experience operations
- Passion for mission-driven organizations, with an appreciation for gardens, horticulture, arts, and education
Longwood Gardens is committed to nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment that celebrates the complexities and differences of all living things. We welcome and respect diverse backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. Diversity creates a more beautiful world, sparks innovation, and unites us
