Northampton, MA
Job location: Smith College
Employment Type: Full-time
Req: R-202001613
Museum of Art
Job Description Summary:
Responsible for ensuring that the Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA) provides the best possible customer service to all visitors and for continually improving the visitor experience at SCMA. Supervise the Visitor Experience staff and lead staff members in creating a welcoming, inclusive and accessible environment for visitors and colleagues. Develop and implement strategies for soliciting feedback from museum visitors and stakeholders. Coordinate with the Security team to provide a safe environment and maintain the security of museum galleries. Develop and manage regular Visitor Experience training for front-of-house staff and all museum staff. Oversee public areas in the museum to ensure accessibility and cleanliness. Collaborate with the museum’s leadership team and colleagues to center diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion in Visitor Experience operations, activities and decision-making.
Please attach both a current resume and cover letter, combined into a single PDF or Word document.
Staff Supervision and Management (40%):
Coordinate and support the Visitor Experience team, including Gallery Assistants and front desk staff, in continually enhancing the visitor experience and ensure operational consistency. Develop and maintain Visitor Experience policies and procedures. Provide support and feedback for Visitor Experience staff and coordinate annual performance reviews. Develop and communicate scheduling of Visitor Experience staff. Coordinate communication of museum activities, priorities and policies with Visitor Experience staff, including through daily briefings, written updates and team meetings.
Visitor Experience (40%):
Ensure a consistently welcoming and accessible visitor experience at SCMA through ongoing assessment and improvement and by listening to museum visitors. Maintain museum wayfinding in conjunction with Marketing team and support coordination of program signage. Collaborate with Education and Marketing on developing and maintaining visitor resources including visitor map, self-guided materials and in-gallery interpretive materials and supplies. Develop and oversee the museum’s strategies for collecting, analyzing and responding to feedback from stakeholders, including Smith students and faculty, and for collecting and analyzing visitor attendance data. Lead interdepartmental working groups focused on continually improving visitor experience at SCMA. Collaborate with program planners to ensure a positive experience for in-museum program participants. Ensure accessibility of public spaces and gallery installations in conjunction with Collection Management, Curatorial and Education and collaborate with Security, Collection Management and College Facilities on maintaining building safety. Greet and orient unscheduled groups visiting the museum. Prepare annual Visitor Experience budget.
Training (20%):
Develop and manage regular trainings for Visitor Experience staff and coordinate with Security and Shop on training for all front-of-house staff, including training on customer service, safety and security procedures, evacuation and other drills, museum exhibitions and programming, and equity and inclusion. Coordinate with Security and Shop on trainings for all front-of-house staff. Coordinate visitor experience training for all museum staff. Hire and train new Visitor Experience staff as needed.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree plus related museum experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in a museum setting. Experience coordinating teams and developing and implementing successful trainings.
Skills:
Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills. Excellent leadership and oral and written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to motivate and manage a team in an inclusive and supportive way. Eagerness to work with and support a diverse learning community. Ability to represent the museum in an engaging and professional way. Familiarity with Windows software.
Please attach/upload a current resume and cover letter in order for your application to be considered for this position. Review of applications will begin January 4, 2021.
Compensation Grade: Grade K Exempt
Position Type: Regular
About Smith College:
Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges. Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
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