Visitor Services Manager
The Illinois State Museum has a vacancy for a Visitor Services Manager, who is responsible for providing professional technical support in the coordinating, scheduling, and supervising of front-line staff (including visitor services associates, security team members, program docents & volunteers, and custodial staff) to ensure a positive visitor experience, excellent customer service, and highly effective logistics for public participation in exhibitions, programs, and events. Under the supervision of the Director of Audience Engagement, this Manager will nurture a team work environment and communicate with institution colleagues to help identify and measure key performance indicators to drive visitor satisfaction. Each staff member is expected to create work that is visible to the people of Illinois and execute various assignments as delegated.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Ensuring a high quality of service and high level of visitor satisfaction through oversight of all aspects of the full cycle of the visitor experience at the Museum.
- Leading front-line staff by example and in a hands-on manner. The Manager will be available to assist front line staff in covering for scheduling gaps due to position vacancies, or staff use of benefit leave time. The Manager is also responsible for scheduling group tours, and facilitating tour/school group check-ins upon arrival.
- Collaborating with the Audience Engagement department and the communications team to ensure that information about Museum exhibitions and programs are effectively shared with the public.
- Providing promotional support for the Advancement department by assisting with posting on social media, updating community calendars, and composing/editing content for other electronic communications.
- Coordinating with the Operations team for facility rentals and/or scheduled programs & events; also communicates with them regarding facility safety and accessibility issues.
- Maintaining the professional appearance of front- and back-of-house Visitor Services areas (including foyer, lobby/atrium, public information desk, and admissions office).
- Providing ongoing coaching, training, and feedback to front-line staff.
- Recruiting, managing, and retaining volunteers to provide additional support to the staff of the Illinois State Museum and its state-wide branches, and further its mission.
- Performs at a level that reflects national standards and best practices of an accredited museum. Follows all relevant state and federal laws and abides by professional museum ethics and the ethics and special consideration for specific program areas and issues (e.g., exhibits, accessibility, safety, and preservation of authentic objects and specimens).
- Promote the activities of the Illinois State Museum Society (a not-for-profit membership organization chartered independently but recognized in the state statutes to support the research and educational programs of the Illinois State Museum).
Minimum of B.A. or B.S. in a discipline relevant to the position or the Museum's mission; and 10-years' experience in visitor/customer services. Must have excellent customer-service skills and demonstrated experience interacting with a diverse public. Experience working in a museum or cultural institution or other not-for-profit organization relevant to the Museum's disciplines of art, anthropology, history, and natural history is strongly preferred. Must have excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills. Requires specialized knowledge, experience, and skills that relate to computer proficiency in software such as Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, POS systems, and membership databases. Familiarity with posting on various social media platforms, interacting with traditional media outlets, and educational programming is desirable. Occasional travel between Springfield and other Illinois State Museum and IDNR facilities is a requirement of this position; must have a valid Illinois driver's license.