2026 Guest Experience Captain
D.C. United - Part Time
Washington · DC
Event Operations/Management · Competition Management · Guest Services
$26 / hour
0
3
hours ago
As a Guest Experience Captain at Audi Field, you are more than an event-day leader – you help shape every guest’s experience. Through leadership, professionalism, and service, you ensure every event is safe, welcoming, and memorable. This position helps oversee assigned areas of the stadium, supports staff deployment, resolves guest and staff concerns, communicates with the Command Center, and ensures every event runs with professionalism, safety, and care. At Audi Field, every event is different. Every crowd is unique. Every shift is an opportunity to go “Beyond the Game” by creating moments that fans, guests, staff, and partners remember long after the event ends.
Our mission is simple and powerful:
To deliver a safe, welcoming, and unforgettable guest experience while fostering a positive, respectful, and inclusive work environment.
Who We Are
The Guest Experience Team serves as the face of Audi Field. Every interaction contributes to the overall guest experience, making professionalism, teamwork, and exceptional service essential to every event. Our team supports all home matches and major events hosted at Audi Field, including:
- D.C. United
- Washington Spirit
- DC Defenders
- DC Power FC
In addition to sporting events, our team supports a wide variety of special events throughout the year, including:
- Concerts, festivals, and live entertainment
- International sporting events
- Corporate functions
- Concerts and live entertainment
- Corporate meetings and conferences
- Galas, community events, and private rentals
- Large-scale, full-stadium productions
The Guest Experience Captain plays an important role in making sure each event is staffed, supported, and executed at a high level.
Job Summary
• Position: Guest Experience Captain
• Department: Guest Experience
• Schedule: Part-time, event-based
• Season: Late February through November, with additional year-round event opportunities
• Average Shift Length: Varies by event
• Availability: Evenings, weekends, holidays, and major event dates required
• Pay Rate: $26.00
• Department: Guest Experience
• Schedule: Part-time, event-based
• Season: Late February through November, with additional year-round event opportunities
• Average Shift Length: Varies by event
• Availability: Evenings, weekends, holidays, and major event dates required
• Pay Rate: $26.00
This is a part-time, event-based leadership position. Candidates must have strong availability for full-stadium events, sporting events, concerts, and special events.
Position Overview
The Guest Experience Captain serves as an event-day leader within the Guest Experience Department, overseeing assigned areas of the stadium to ensure safe, efficient, and exceptional event operations. This role is responsible for leading Guest Experience staff and supervisors, coordinating event-day activities, monitoring guest flow, addressing operational and service-related issues, and maintaining clear communication with the Command Center and other stadium departments. Captains play a critical role in upholding Audi Field's standards for guest service, safety, and operational excellence throughout every event.
Success in this role requires strong leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to remain composed in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem solver who communicates effectively, makes confident decisions under pressure, and is committed to delivering outstanding experience for both guests and staff.
Essential Functions
- Ensure staff understand event details, policies, emergency procedures, and guest service experience expectations
- Support crowd management, line control, gate operations, premium areas, seating areas, and special event needs
- Help identify safety concerns, guest experience concerns, staffing gaps, and operational issues
- Maintain strong knowledge of Audi Field policies, Fan Code of Conduct, emergency procedures, and stadium layout.
- Represent Audi Field, D.C. United, and the Guest Experience Team with professionalism, integrity, and exceptional customer service at all times.
Key Responsibilities
Event Leadership
- Assist with running assigned stadium areas during sporting events, concerts, and special events
- Understand event flow from staff check-in through post-event exit
- Support the Manager On Duty by communicating updates, concerns, and staffing need
- Help adjust staff assignments based on crowd flow, weather, event needs, or operational changes
- Make quick decisions while keeping guest safety and service standards at the center
Staff Leadership and Development:
- Assist with staff check-in, briefings, deployment, breaks, and end-of-night releases
- Ensure staff are in proper uniform and ready for their assigned position
- Provide coaching, performance feedback, and real-time directions to Guest Experience Ambassadors throughout the event.
- Help staff understand their role, location, responsibilities, and escalation process
- Communicate with staff in a clear, respectful, and professional manner
- Support new staff and help build confidence during event-day operations
Guest Experience and De-Escalation
- Deliver exceptional customer service by resolving guest concerns with professionalism, empathy, and sound judgment.
- Address ticketing, seating, ADA accommodations, lost and found, and general stadium inquiries.
- De-escalate guest situations and coordinate with Security or event leadership when necessary.
- Promote proactive guest engagement to create a safe, welcoming, and memorable event experience.
- Ensure Guest Experience standards are consistently maintained throughout assigned areas.
- Demonstrate proactive Guest Experience by anticipating guest needs before concerns arise.
Command Center and Cross-Department Communication
- Maintain continuous communication with the Command Center regarding operational updates, incidents, staffing needs, and guest concerns.
- Coordinate with Security, Medical, Operations, Ticketing, Premium Services, Concessions, Housekeeping, ADA Services, and other event partners.
- Escalate operational, safety, and security concerns promptly through established communication channels.
- Foster collaboration across departments to ensure efficient event operations.
Event Readiness and Reporting
- Complete accurate and timely incident reports, event summaries, and operational documentation where applicable
- Conduct pre-event inspections to identify operational, safety, or guest service concerns.
- Verify staff assignments, operational readiness, and area preparation before gates open.
- Monitor crowd flow, guest behavior, access points, and high-traffic areas throughout the event.
- Document staffing observations, guest interactions, and operational recommendations to support continuous improvement.
Required Qualifications
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Previous experience working in a stadium, arena, sports venue, entertainment venue, or large-scale event environment required
- Experience working sporting events, concerts, or high-volume guest-facing events strongly preferred
- Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to remain calm and professional under pressure
- Experience de-escalating guest or customer concerns
- Ability to support, coach, and direct part-time event staff
- Strong understanding of guest experience, crowd management, and event operations
- Ability to work collaboratively with multiple departments and vendors
- Comfortable communicating with Command Center and event leadership
- Ability to stand and walk continuously for shifts lasting 6-12 hours, including climbing stairs and navigating all stadium levels.
- Comfortable working in heat, cold, rain, and changing weather conditions
- Flexible availability, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and blackout dates
- Reliable transportation to Audi Field
- Must embody our Company Values: Determined, Committed, United
- Must demonstrate our Departmental Values: Respect, Integrity, Safety, Empathy
- The selected candidate must be able to successfully pass a background check
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous leadership experience in guest services, stadium operations, event operations, hospitality, customer service, or venue security.
- Experience supervising or deploying event-day staff in a high-volume environment.
- Working knowledge of ticketing systems, access control, credential verification, ADA accommodations, premium hospitality, and guest services.
- Experience supporting professional sporting events, concerts, festivals, conventions, or other large public events.
- Familiarity with Major League Soccer (MLS), professional football, or the live entertainment industry is preferred.
At Audi Field, Guest Experience Captains set the standard for professionalism, leadership, and exceptional service. If you enjoy leading teams, solving problems, and creating memorable experiences in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply and help us go “Beyond the Game”.
D.C. United is committed to uplifting our community, staff, and club. We are seeking candidates to be a part of our journey in our quest for continued organizational growth and another MLS Cup.
D.C. United is committed to uplifting our community, staff, and club. We are seeking candidates to be a part of our journey in our quest for continued organizational growth and another MLS Cup.
D.C. United will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform critical job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
D.C. United is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). D.C. United reaffirms its commitment to the principles of equal opportunity and diversity. D.C. United is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. D.C. United is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, pregnancy, religion, creed, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or any other protected status in accordance with the requirements of all federal, state, and local laws. Employment decisions can include hiring, termination, compensation, benefits, promotion, training selection, or other statuses or conditions of employment. All employment decisions are made on the basis of individual skills, knowledge, abilities, job performance, and other appropriate qualifications.