Baltimore Orioles

Background:

The Baltimore Orioles, a Major League Baseball franchise established in 1954, have long been one of the sport’s cornerstone organizations, with a proud history that includes three World Series championships, numerous Hall of Famers, and a deeply rooted fan base in the city of Baltimore and throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Known for a legacy of player development and strong community ties, the Orioles are now entering one of the most exciting chapters in their history.

In 2024, the organization took on a new era of leadership under David Rubenstein, Baltimore native, philanthropist, and co-founder of The Carlyle Group. Backed by a forward-thinking and community-driven ownership group, Rubenstein has brought a bold vision focused on innovation, sustainability, and competitive excellence. The new ownership is committed to building a world-class organization from top to bottom—investing in talent, infrastructure, and cutting-edge systems to position the Orioles as a model franchise in Major League Baseball.

This leadership transition marks a renewed emphasis on sustainable success—both on and off the field. The organization is dedicated to building a world-class franchise by modernizing operations, leveraging data and technology, and fostering a culture of collaboration, integrity, and high performance across all departments.

The Orioles’ venue, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, is owned by the Maryland Stadium Authority and opened in 1992.  It is considered one of the most recognizable and fan favorite ballparks in MLB. In 2023, along with a new 30-year lease for the Orioles, it was announced that Camden Yards would take on a $600 million renovation which will modernize amenities and premium hospitality areas within the venue.

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Any interested candidates should contact ZRG directly. Contacting Baltimore Orioles will only delay consideration of your qualifications.

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Position Summary:

The Vice President of Fan Experience (the “VP”) will be a dynamic and visionary executive who designs, leads, and continuously evolves the complete Orioles fan journey — from the moment fans arrive at Camden Yards until their departure. This key leadership role will ensure that every touchpoint is seamless, intuitive, welcoming, inclusive, and memorable, while driving measurable results across revenue, guest satisfaction, and brand loyalty.

The VP will hold full P&L responsibility for all fan-facing revenue streams — including concessions/food & beverage, parking, and retail merchandise — and oversee a large and diverse hourly and event-day workforce. The successful candidate will champion a service-forward culture, guided by data, analytics, and voice-of-the-fan insights, while constantly benchmarking Camden Yards against the best experiences in Major League Baseball, global sports venues, live entertainment, and world-class hospitality.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Fan Journey Strategy:

• Architect and execute a holistic fan experience strategy that encompasses MLB games, concerts, and community events at Camden Yards.
• Own and map the entire fan journey — parking, entry, concessions, seating, merchandise, staff interactions, and departure — ensuring intuitive design, emotional resonance, and consistency.
• Champion accessibility, ADA compliance, inclusivity, family-friendly initiatives, and local cultural representation at every touchpoint.
• Serve as the voice of the fan across the organization, ensuring alignment between game-day experience and the Orioles brand promise.

Operational & Staff Leadership:

• Oversee game-day operations from the fan’s perspective — signage, ingress/egress, in-seat service, concessions, staff performance, and post-event flow.
• Lead a large hourly and seasonal workforce (ushers, greeters, and fan ambassadors).
• Develop and implement gold-standard service protocols, training programs, and performance and recognition models that instill a culture of hospitality, responsiveness, and pride.
• Manage and optimize third-party partner relationships (e.g., concessionaire, parking operators, janitorial).

Food & Beverage, Concessions & Retail P&L:

• Hold P&L ownership for concessions, retail merchandise, and parking.
• Collaborate with the concessionaire partner to drive menu innovation, vendor mix, pricing strategy, local partnerships, and premium hospitality offerings.
• Manage cost efficiency and labor utilization without sacrificing quality or service.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting, revenue forecasting, and operational reporting, ensuring alignment with business goals.

Data & Analytics – Voice of the Consumer:

• Lead and collaborate with Strategy & Analytics on the Voice of the Consumer (VoC) program.
• Deploy tools such as NPS, CSAT, in-game surveys, per-capita analysis, spend tracking, sentiment analysis, and real-time complaint resolution to monitor performance.
• Translate insights into data-driven improvements in staffing, operations, and product mix.
• Deliver executive-level dashboards and reports with clear trends, risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement.

Collaboration & League Engagement:

• Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Ticket Sales, Sponsorship, Community Engagement, Baseball Operations, and Ballpark Operations to ensure fan experience alignment with business initiatives.
• Represent the Orioles in league-wide and industry forums focused on innovation and guest experience best practices.
• Serve as a brand ambassador for Camden Yards as a premier ballpark not only in MLB, but across live entertainment globally.

Qualifications, Skills and Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in Business, Sports Management, or Hospitality preferred.
• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in fan experience, live event/venue operations, food & beverage, theme parks, luxury hospitality, and/or sports/entertainment industries.
• At least 5 years of direct P&L responsibility in high-volume, multi-revenue environments (F&B, merch, parking, or comparable).
• Proven ability to recruit, train, and inspire large, diverse, hourly/frontline teams in fast-paced, high-pressure settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in customer experience leadership, hospitality standards, and service excellence.
• Strong financial acumen, with advanced competency in budgeting, forecasting, and revenue optimization.
• Analytical mindset with fluency in data visualization, VoC, NPS, CSAT, and operational KPIs.
• Exceptional collaboration, communication, and change management skills.
• Passion for baseball, Baltimore, and creating unforgettable fan moments.
• Fluency in Spanish (spoken and written) is helpful.

Salary Range:

$165,000 - $185,000 + Bonus

ZRG’S Commitment:

At ZRG, we do not just accept differences—we celebrate and support it. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital or partnership status, military or veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. ZRG is an equal opportunity employer and workplace, and we encourage applicants of all backgrounds & communities to apply.