About the Obama Foundation

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together. 

That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home. 

But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.

As President Obama has said, “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” So join us.

For more information, please visit www.obama.org.

Purpose of the Role

The Manager of Visitor Engagement for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) will oversee the planning and implementation of visitor engagement for the Museum. Functions will include hospitality and tour facilitation to ensure a seamless, engaging, and inclusive experience for all visitors on the OPC campus. This position will build-out, train, and lead a visitor engagement team while collaborating with internal teams to ensure the visitor experience is in alignment with the project’s overall experiential goals. 

As the Manager of Visitor Engagement, this role will report directly to the Director of Visitor Services & Experience.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Day-to-day management of public facing staff in service of Museum exhibit and tour experiences, promoting an inclusive environment aligned with OPC mission and goals.
• Work closely with the Director of Visitor Services & Experience and engagement team to ensure guests receive a world-class, welcoming experience, facilitating visitor engagement throughout Museum spaces and exhibits.
• Hire, train, and support a team of full-time and part-time staff, modeling professional and inclusive behavior. Facilitate goal setting and development, and oversee union contracts for compliance.
• Oversee a fast-paced work environment including customer service, tours, and guides. Prepare and present updates in operations, events, and content so that staff are prepared and confident in guiding visitors across OPC settings.
• Collaborate with OPC teams to maintain a working knowledge of Museum programming and displays to communicate up-to-date information and facilitate storytelling.
• Lead development and implementation of visitor engagement training and offer expert analysis of visitor data to recommend team improvements. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Monitor Museum spaces to ensure inclusive and accessible assets including but not limited to exhibit displays and environments, signage and wayfinding, and storytelling.
• Serve as key liaison between Museum staff and visitor engagement team, emphasizing streamlined service to bring the OPC’s vision to life for guests. Attend and participate in departmental meetings, bringing updates to associates for evolving exhibit and tour plans.
• Effectively resolve visitor escalations in person and via external communication as needed.
• Work closely with Training Associate to ensure staff are trained on safety best practices, as well as OPC mission and storytelling practices. 
• Manage a small team of Assistant Managers to promote an inclusive and welcoming environment, emphasizing customer service across Museum spaces.
• Manage the scheduling and guidance of Visitor Experience staff facilitating exhibit exploration and campus tours; creating thoughtful scheduling plans for comprehensive coverage as well as accommodating staff needs. 
• Oversee department equipment and supplies, informing inventory needs and budget oversight.

Required Qualifications

• Experience designing and implementing inclusive and engaging guest experiences, particularly in a cultural institution or educational setting. 
• Experience leading and managing large, public-facing teams.
• Experience leading a diverse team that is accountable to mission-oriented goals in a fast-paced environment, with a commitment to building and modeling an inclusive environment. 
• Experience in a customer service or entertainment industry that engages diverse stakeholders. 
• Flexibility of hours including but not limited to early morning, late night, weekends, and holidays across campus in both indoor and outdoor environments. Ability to work out of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park and/or other Obama Foundation locations in Chicago. 

In the interest of employee health and safety during the pendency of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Obama Foundation is requiring that all prospective employees present proof that they are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, or seek a reasonable accommodation for religious or medical reasons, prior to their first day of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.