Museum Guide Part Time

SUMMARY

The Museum Guide is the first point of contact for visitors and provides information about the museum and exhibitions. Museum Guides foster a welcoming, inclusive, and comfortable environment for all visitors. Works as part of a professional, service-oriented team, promoting the museum, supporting cultural experiences, and generating revenue at the Museum Shop and Visitor Services Desk. The staff also assists the security team in protecting the museum, employees, and visitors against theft and accidents. Guides visitors to follow expected safety and social distancing protocols.

This is an hourly position requiring availability 10:30 am - 5 pm Wednesday through Sunday as well as Thursday evenings, and holiday shifts.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Visitor Experience:

• Welcome, greet, orientate, and direct visitors at front desk or in galleries as assigned. Provide outstanding guest service and build long-term guest relationships.
• Develop a thorough knowledge of museum operations and keep current with museum programs and special events through resources such as the museum’s website, social media sites, weekly e-blast, Outlook calendar and publications.
• Be familiar with and able to facilitate discussions around the artists and exhibitions, current and upcoming.
• Know and able to discuss the building’s physical layout and architectural features.
• Review daily schedule of events and communicate relevant information to other staff/hosts as needed.
• Answer the museum’s main telephone line, dispense general information or transfer calls to appropriate staff members. Communicate through email with appropriate staff members.
• Operate computer programs including admission and customer relations system and proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Track visitor information and attendance in database system.
• Sell memberships and share membership benefits.
• Conduct day-to-day shop activities such as processing transactions through the point-of-sale system, proper and accurate cash handling, performing opening, closing duties, and maintaining cleanliness and neatness of workspace to proper standard.
• Assist with processing and shipping orders placed from outside the Shop, checking in merchandise, restocking merchandise, resetting displays, and conducting annual physical inventory.
• Upkeep of the space around visitor experience desks and galleries during shift, including tidying lobby and gallery areas, refilling brochure racks, and notifying maintenance as needed.
• Attend ongoing meetings, trainings, and professional development opportunities.

Gallery Engagement and Interpretation:

• Engages gallery visitors in connecting with, engaging with, and understanding artworks in the. museum's collection and special exhibitions. Engagement techniques include games, role-playing, sensory exploration, and conversation facilitation.
• Assist visitors in hands-on studio spaces.
• Assists in data collection related to gallery audiences.
• Helps maintain collection gallery engagement supplies.

Museum Protection:

• Observe visitors in the gallery and take proactive action as needed to prevent potential damage to artwork.
• Gently and respectfully remind visitors of security concerns (no touching, no food or drinks, no large bags, etc.) Encourage questions and discussion of the artwork.
• Have visitors place large bags and other objects inappropriate for the galleries in lockers.
• Inspect art objects, labels, and lights/furnishings for signs of change or damage.
• Report damage or change in condition of objects immediately to the registrar, security staff and Visitor Experience Supervisor and completes incident reports as needed.
• Alert security staff as needed to ensure a safe environment for artwork and visitors.
• Maintains a basic understanding of our emergency, radio, and art handling procedures.
• Assist in disaster and emergency situations with evacuation and crowd control.
• Attend training sessions on emergency protocol, radio etiquette and procedure, and reporting incidents.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Prior customer service and/or public engagement experience required.
• Excellent verbal communication skills with ability to be both friendly and authoritative.
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals of varying social and cultural backgrounds, excellent rapport with children and adults.
• The ability to work well as part of a team; good interpersonal skills; creativity, energy, and enthusiasm.
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations, resolve complaints with tact and courtesy, and deescalate challenging situations.
• Ability to anticipate, intervene, and prevent potentially harmful circumstances to artwork.
• Dependability, flexibility, and adaptability in a dynamic event-driven environment.
• Attention to detail and the ability to stay alert for long periods of time in a quiet environment.
• Knowledgeable in standard computer applications and programs, e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook email.
• Maintains a neat and appropriate appearance and good personal hygiene.
• Safety-oriented.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb, balance and smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 lbs.

Examples of duties include:

• Sitting / Standing / Walking – Approximately 95% of time in the galleries and shop work areas is spent standing or moving around. Approximately 95% of the time in the Visitor Services Desk area is spent sitting.
• Speaking / Hearing – Clear diction and acute hearing are necessary for effective communication with co-workers, customers, and outside agencies, by telephone and in person.
• Vision – Corrected vision close to 20/20 is necessary to effectively use the cash register and interpret written information.
• Climbing / Balancing – The ability to climb and balance on a step ladder is necessary for stocking merchandise and supplies.
• Stooping / Kneeling – The ability to stoop and kneel is necessary for accessing files and stocking supplies.
• Reaching / Handling – Good manual dexterity is necessary for cash register use and for retrieving and working with appropriate paperwork, equipment, and supplies.

This list is meant to be illustrative of the usual types of activities and working conditions for this position and is not intended to be all-inclusive.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work areas are primarily indoors, in a climate-controlled environment. The employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions. The noise level is usually moderate. Work is subject to many interruptions and pressure due to simultaneous orders. May be unable to maintain proper social distancing at times due to guest needs or unforeseen circumstances that may arise occasionally. Wears personal protective equipment as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

High school diploma or GED preferred. Customer service and/or public engagement experience required. Excellent verbal communication skills with ability to be both friendly and authoritative. Ability to communicate effectively with individuals of varying social and cultural backgrounds, excellent rapport with children and adults. The ability to work well as part of a team; good interpersonal skills; creativity, energy, and enthusiasm. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations, resolve complaints with tact and courtesy, and deescalate challenging situations. Ability to anticipate, intervene, and prevent potentially harmful circumstances to artwork. Dependability, flexibility, and adaptability in a dynamic event-driven environment. Attention to detail and the ability to stay alert for long periods of time in a quiet environment. Knowledgeable in standard computer applications and programs, e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook email. Maintains a neat appearance and good personal hygiene. Safety-oriented. Appreciation of art required. This is an hourly position requiring availability for weekend, evening, and possibly holiday shifts.