Associate Director of Guest Services

About CRI

The Civilization Research Institute (CRI) is a research center focused on understanding and mitigating catastrophic and existential risk. Our mission is to create and disseminate actionable knowledge and wisdom that is essential for navigating the metacrisis, and to undertake research into viable future forms for global civilization. Our work spans technology, governance, ecological tipping points, financial systems, civilization theory, and societal sense‑making. The work requires analytical rigor, systems thinking, and cross‑disciplinary fluency. We operate in a high‑trust, low‑ego environment where clarity, integrity, and long‑term thinking are essential.

If you’d like a quick overview of our work, this video with our Executive Director, Daniel Schmachtenberger, is a good place to start.

About the Role

As the Associate Director of Guest Services, you will architect and lead the full guest‑experience for our organization. We host international guests at our headquarters in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina. Our guests include researchers, policymakers, diplomats, founders, and public‑sector leaders who are working on humanity’s most pressing challenges. The headquarters is an environment that supports reflection, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.

Your directive is to consistently deliver a bespoke guest experience in which every visitor feels valued, understood and cared-for. This role is for someone with deep empathy, an intuition for exceptional service levels and an eye for detail. The role requires building a world‑class guest experience function. You’ll design policies, playbooks, service standards, staffing, vendor relationships, and the intangible magic that makes for a memorable experience.

Location & Reporting

• This is a full-time, on-site role based out of Asheville, NC.
• The role will report to the Headquarters Manager.

What You’ll Own

• Guest Experience Strategy – Build the vision, standards, and systems for a seamless, warm, and exceptional guest experience.
• Hospitality Operations – Oversee lodging, transportation, onsite hosting, and experience design for high‑profile, VIP visitors.
• Cross‑Sector Engagement – Tailor experiences for guests from academia, government, private industry, and global institutions.
• Team Building – Hire, train, and mentor a small but mighty guest services team.
• Continuous Improvement – Create feedback loops and refine systems to maintain a consistently excellent environment.

What Makes This Role Special

• You’ll provide support to people working to ensure humanity’s long‑term future.
• You’ll shape the emotional tone of the organization’s physical presence.
• You’ll design experiences that feel personal, restorative, and inspirational.
• You’ll build the department and experiences from the ground up.

Qualifications

• A hospitality or guest‑experience leader with a commitment to very high service levels and an intuition for people’s needs.
• A systems-thinker who can design and build seamless processes and effective operations.
• Someone who thrives in mission‑driven environments.
• A calm presence who can host senior leaders with grace and discretion.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.

What We Offer

• Mission‑Driven Culture – Work alongside collaborative, values‑aligned colleagues tackling some of humanity’s most complex challenges.
• Health & Wellness Support – Access to wellness resources designed to support your physical and mental well‑being.
• Professional Growth & Development – Employees receive mentorship from senior leaders and the opportunity to take on meaningful projects that support continuous learning and career advancement.
• Competitive Compensation – The starting compensation is competitive and will depend on a variety of factors that include experience, education, training, certification, and location. We do not currently cap salary ranges because we value team members growing in their roles over time.
• Flexible Benefits – Full-time employees are offered flexible benefits to support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our team members.
• On-site Headquarters Perks:
  • Community events like team dinners and hikes
  • Coffee/tea station with a variety of tinctures and powders and a fully stocked pantry full of healthy snacks
  • Organic, plant-based lunches and dinners prepared by in-house chef multiple times per week
  • Specialized healing equipment open to all employees (e.g., sauna, red light therapy, AI deep tissue massage machine)
  • Bring your dog to work