Job Listing: Visitor Services and Volunteer Manager

Name of Organization – Taubman Museum of Art 

Closes – Until Filled

Title – Visitor Services and Volunteer Manager 

Compensation – N/A

Type – Full-time position with an alternative Wednesday – Sunday schedule with intermittent work on the first Fridays of the month as part of the Late Night Series, fundraisers, special events, and holidays with potential hours outside normal schedule as Museum needs require. 

Apply – Interested candidates can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to hr@taubmanmuseum.org

Summary – The Visitor Services and Volunteer Manager is a committed, effective, and empathetic manager who works with staff and volunteers to help them meet the Museum’s strategic goals and visitor expectations. This role is responsible for helping ensure and maintain a positive experience for all visitors, community partners, and volunteers of the Taubman Museum of Art. The focus is on customer relations, community partnerships, and promoting and reporting on TMA’s programs, events, exhibitions, and institutional memberships.

The Visitor Services and Volunteer Manager is the first point of contact at TMA’s Visitor Services desk and is the lead for the daily upkeep of the Atrium Art Space, Museum Shop, Coat Closet, and Refreshment Kiosk.

This position manages the Museum Host/Guards, providing daily oversight and training. The Visitor Services and Volunteer Manager leads by example by providing visitors and volunteers with positive experience while maintaining a safe environment and protecting the Museum’s collection and loans. Examples of this include answering questions, providing assistance, and engaging in informed conversations about the works of art on view with the public, Museum Host/Guards, and other staff.

The position provides support to the Deputy Director of Community Engagement, Deputy Director of Museum Events and Relations and Deputy Director of Operations and Project Management. It also includes some administrative assistance for the Executive Leadership team and a collaborative role with the Community Engagement team. 

Responsibilities –

Visitor Services:

• Work with and communicate effectively with diverse groups and individuals providing excellent customer service each and every day
• Analyze and implement visitor and community engagement strategies
• Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Community Engagement, oversee all Museum Host/Guards, interns, and volunteers assisting at front of house duties and programs
• Greet all incoming visitors, provide information about exhibitions and programs, introduce visitors to Museum policies, distribute materials, and obtain and record visitor information
• Stationed at the front desk and/or welcome desk assisting visitors, volunteers and hosts
• Sell and dispatch tickets and payments for special exhibitions, tours, classes, and memberships
• Maintain organization and cleanliness of visitor areas (desks, host stations, coat closet, atrium area), Coat Closet, Refreshment Kiosk, and Museum Shop
• Assist with daily opening and closing activities including responding to phone and email inquiries and confirming the daily tour schedule, reconciling sales, preparing daily deposits, completing all related reports
• Serve as part of cross-departmental team for large museum events, including but not limited to Tastings at the Taubman, Lunar New Year, Roanoke Arts Pop, special ticketed exhibitions, Late Nights, Sidewalk Art Show, Women’s Luncheon, and more
• Update program calendar with front desk coverage, manager-on-duty schedules, meetings, programs, and events as needed
• Obtain and process attendance and other data for special exhibitions, tours, daily visitor counts, and internal events. Create spreadsheets, analyze data, maintain reports, and provide information for grants and stewardship reports as needed
• Assist the Executive Assistant to the Director and Museum Shop Manager with Museum Shop and Refreshment Kiosk for merchandising, shipping purchases, and inventory as needed
• Manage and engage local artists, volunteers, artist groups to contribute artwork for the Art Machine ensuring a variety of choices
• Assist the Museum Shop Manager with organization, labeling and with oversight of Host rotation in the Shop and assistance
• Perform other duties as assigned 

Museum Host/Guard Program:

• Oversee and model behavior for Museum Host/Guards through superior customer service skills and a deep knowledge about Museum exhibitions, programs, and policies. Help ensure that Museum Host/Guards provide visitors with a positive experience while maintaining a safe environment and protecting the Museum’s collection and loans
• Along with the Deputy Director of Community Engagement, oversee the Museum Host/Guard weekly schedules, daily rotations and training. Assist with coverage and breaks.
• Serve as lead for addressing customer service and safety issues in the galleries in collaboration with the Manager on Duty and the security team
• Work with the Deputy Director of Operations and Project Management and the Deputy Director of Community Engagement to develop and deliver training in safety, building knowledge, evaluations, and other required aspects of the Museum Host/Guard program
• Act as lead for ordering, distribution, and care of Museum uniforms, nametags, and other equipment and technology as required for Museum Host/Guard duties
• Other duties as assigned 

Volunteer Program:

• Analyze needs, create and assist with delivery of trainings (tasks for front desk, Art Venture, development department, special events)
• Meet with prospective volunteers, provide needed paperwork, and request backgrounds checks and monitor follow-up
• Work with Deputy Director of Finance and Human Resources to arrange for orientation walk-through appointments for new volunteers
• Schedule shadowing opportunities to facilitate learning procedures for various roles including desk duties and giving tours
• Assure that desk volunteers have information on procedure changes, new staff, etc.
• Arrange for offsite volunteer coverage as needed
• Publish open volunteer shifts in Sign Up Genius and monitor participation, send reminders as needed
• Create and send out monthly volunteer newsletter
• Track all volunteer hours and provide reports as needed
• Recognize Volunteer Appreciation Week in April
• Assist with coordination and invitations to Staff and Volunteer Party twice a year (Winter/Summer)
• Monitor/share news about volunteer birthdays, deaths, illnesses, etc. with Museum’s Executive Leadership, help facilitate appropriate response
• Perform other duties as assigned 

Community Engagement Education Initiatives:

• Serve as back up for select Community Engagement programs including but not limited to guided tours, children’s camps, Arty Parties, Late Nights, Brush Pals, Happy HeARTs, etc.
• Attend weekly Community Engagement meetings and weekly logistics meetings
• Create, schedule, and facilitate the delivery of art kits and worksheets for the ArtReach program
• Perform other duties as assigned 

Qualifications – Ability to work well under pressure and multi-task in a fast-paced environment; excellent communication, organizational, interpersonal and public speaking skills; flexible and a team player; excellent diplomatic skills with a consistently positive attitude; ability to meet deadlines and problem solve with attention to detail; ability to work effectively with diverse clients, staff, volunteers, donors, and the public; an enthusiastic self-starter with the ability to motivate and lead others; demonstrated maturity and self-assurance with the ability to effectively manage others; proficient in computer word processing and database systems 

Training, Education, and Experience:

• Five years or more of customer service experience
• Four-year degree or equivalent preferably in business, hospitality, museum studies or other
• Five years or more of experience in a retail environment
• Management experience overseeing a department Museum experience in visitor services area preferred
• Museum retail purchasing experience 
• Altru database experience preferred
• Studio art skills preferred 

About –

EEOC Statement:

The Taubman Museum of Art is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class. The Taubman Museum of Art is also committed to comply with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Taubman Museum of Art is committed to creating a diverse environment: At The Taubman Museum of Art we each contribute to inclusion—we all have a role to play. Our culture is the result of our behaviors, our personal commitment, our curiosity, how we collaborate, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. In turn, our inclusive culture inspires us to try new things and share information openly and transparently. It brings us together in ways that help us stand out. Our inclusive culture empowers all of us to connect, belong, and grow.