Association of Academic Museums and Galleries

The Director of Operations and Visitor Experience should have experience working with diverse people and personalities in the effective management of a cultural organization. He/she must be able to negotiate a range of interactions with the public and our Kenyon community; possessing the personality and rapport to develop and maintain excellent cooperative relationships with and between constituents ranging from college faculty, administrators and staff and our student population to donors, trustees, alumni, Friends of the Gund members, guest artists and regional community. As a key member of the Gund team, the Director of Operations and Visitor Experience will contribute to excellent experiences from online and virtual interactions to on-site communications, physical plant, technology and visitor evaluations, ensuring all experiences (digital and on-site) are on-mission, visitor data is captured and program assessment tools are developed, collected and analyzed. He/she must take a leadership role in addressing the operations and visitor experience aspects of the Gund’s 2014 Strategic Plan and annual objectives, helping to deliver highly effective curricular, faculty, community, member, and donor experiences while managing and securing an actively used facility and auxiliary installation sites and venues. Fundamental to successful visitor experiences at the Gund is the safety and security of our visitors and the artwork in our care. The Director of Operations and Visitor Experience must work closely with other Gund staff to ensure all facilities and security protocols are clearly understood and closely followed, proposing policy revision when and if needed and documenting security breaches or infractions. He/she will direct the security staff, managing scheduling and other personnel issues and consult regularly with the Kenyon College Director of Security and College’s security officers to maintain clarity of protocol, sharing of information, scheduling supplemental coverage and other matters. The Director of Operations and Visitor Experience will have an understanding of how all security systems operate and will effectively monitor those systems with the help and consultation of College personnel, Gund staff and outside vendors, recommending upgrades and changes as deemed necessary. The Director of Operations and Visitor Experience reports to the Director/Chief Curator.

I: Essential Functions
A. Community Engagement and Visitor Experience
• Develop and manage evaluation, measurement, tracking and reporting tools for diverse audiences
• Lead by example and acquire expertise in collections and temporary exhibitions, public works and installations and the programs the Gund offers
• Create and manage systems, training and standards of performance for visitor experience staff and volunteers, including a team of Gund Associates (interns)
• Develop plans for marketing and promoting tours and visits to the Gund
• Collaborate with Gund staff to expand touring exhibitions and collection-lending opportunities to other museum venues; realizing increases in this new earned income revenue category
• Strategize the full Gund Gallery visitor experience, from planning-the-visit and in-gallery learning to data capture, evaluation and ongoing relationship management
• Manage program registration systems, attendance and capacity concerns and crowd control for special programs, in consultation with other Gund staff
• Handle visitor concerns, comments and complaints, relating visitor concerns to appropriate staff members so resolutions can be sought; organize visitor communication methods and tools (hardware, software, in-person, etc.)
• Day-to-day venue management; ensuring opening and closing protocols are followed, facility’s cleanliness is maintained by college personnel and Gund staff, and fixtures and furniture are properly coordinated and tracked
• Lead event coordination and visitor experience aspects of the Friends of the Gund membership program and related fundraising activities, working with the Director of
Digital Communications and Engagement who engineers the flow of day-to-day e-mail and web/social media communication with members, as well as membership renewals and new membership payment processing
• Think creatively and strategically about virtual and Millennial audiences to maximize the Gund’s effective fulfillment of mission and vision
• Responsible for helping achieve attendance and other performance goals

B. Facility Management & Security
• Day-to-day manager of auxiliary galleries and exhibition sites
• Help manage access to exhibition spaces for faculty and students and others and will monitor materials needs, safety and appropriate or limited access, in coordination with Gund Gallery and Kenyon College staff.
• Hire, train, supervise and schedule all security staff; conduct performance reviews of security staff
• Regularly review security systems, testing and training; recommend upgrades and changes
• Manage 3rd party vendors for security and facility services
• Liaison with Kenyon College’s Director of Security and college security personnel
• Develop and maintain “best practices” museum security, visitor services and emergency preparedness manual, in consultation with the Registrar & Collections Manager
• Ensure all openings and events are staffed appropriately with security personnel and/or Gund Associates, depending on the event or exhibition space and needs
• Work closely with the Registrar & Collections Manager to ensure security and safety of all artwork in the collections, on exhibition and on loan to the museum
• Ensure appropriate security for exhibitions and projects in auxiliary spaces and installation sites, organizing supplemental security coverage, Gund Associate staffing or other measures, as determined
• Work closely with appropriate Gallery and College staff to ensure climate control, fire suppression, security and other systems in all spaces are functional and operating correctly, placing work orders and following up on any repairs, tests or other measures to rectify documented problems, in coordination with the Registrar & Collections Manager
• Timely accident/incident reporting; safe and reliable documentation of security data

C. Membership & Donor Activities and Event Management
• Coordination and implementation of unique and demographically diverse membership activities in other cities for regular and Leadership Circle members, in consultation with Director
• Develop Knox County and regional outreach initiatives for members and new audiences
• Contribute to marketing and communications strategies in collaboration with other Gund staff, including Director of Digital Communications and Engagement
• Organize event management protocols and systems

D. Gund Associates
• Manage a team of Operations and Visitor Experience interns from the ranks of the Gund Associates program
• Aid the Assistant Director in managing Gund Associates working on other teams, particularly those working closely with the Director of Digital Communications and Engagement
• Maintain deep interest and commitment to mentoring all Kenyon students
• Participate in social gatherings, select field trips and other events and activities for Gund Associates

E. Public Programs
• Contribute to the creative planning of effective, safe and secure public programs oncampus and at off-site locations
• As a member of the Gund staff, the Director of Operations and Visitor Experience will be expected to be present to aid in running public programs. This may require evening or weekend hours.

II: Supervisory Responsibilities
• Supervision of 2+ part time security staff and Gund Associates (college interns; paid and volunteer)
• Supervision and management of 3rd party contractual employees

III: Working Conditions
• Work is performed in a gallery setting, office environment and off-site installation venues on a rural Midwestern campus
• The ability to lift boxes or items of 30 pounds or less and move tables, chairs, pedestals and other items needed for meetings, events, exhibition installations, and similar functions is required

IV: Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required, and knowledge of art, arts administration, hospitality, entertainment industry, security or community engagement or audience relations required
• 7+ years of cultural organization and security/audience/visitor management required
• Proven track record of successful hiring and organization of staff; ability to motivate staff and foster positive work environment
• Ability to work with budgets
• Computer literate, with knowledge of Microsoft Office, web programs, security systems, social media, and other digital technologies
• Effective and persuasive communication skills; able to write and speak clearly and present information to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Knowledge of exhibition installation techniques, materials, processes and technologies are helpful
• Ability to communicate and deal effectively with people from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and economic backgrounds; and to take initiative and to work with minimal supervision essential
• Successful history of creative problem-solving and collaboration; consistent drive and ability to take ideas from vision to implementation
• Able to work weekends, holidays and special events, as necessary
• Employment is contingent on a satisfactory background and reference check

Compensation and Benefits

Salaries at Kenyon are competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition to an attractive salary, Kenyon offers benefits for employees and their family members. Children of employees are eligible for 100% tuition waivers at Kenyon, and through the Great Lakes Colleges Association, children of employees are eligible for 85% tuition waivers at fifteen other of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges.

We also offer health and dental insurance, TIAA/CREF retirement, and many other benefits, including provisions for a spouse, families, and domestic partners. Details about benefits as well as conditions of employment are described more fully in our Administration and Staff Handbook.

Kenyon is a unique place to live and work. To discover why it should be your next home, click here.

Kenyon College is an equal opportunity employer. It is the College’s policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law.