Visitor Experience Manager
The Visitor Experience Manager is a full-time and on-site role responsible for overseeing day-to-day museum operations, managing visitor interactions, coordinating events, and ensuring a positive experience for all guests of the museum.
Reporting to the Executive Director, the VEM is the point of contact for all matters related to the visitor experience and day-to-day “front of house” operations. As such, they work closely with museum educators and other staff to ensure a cohesive and mission-aligned museum experience across all aspects of our programming – exhibits, education, and experiences.
This role, at its core, is a “people manager,” with a heavy emphasis on cross-functional team building and systems. Visibility is important, as is the ability to supervise, identify, and develop the talents of a diverse part-time staff.
The ideal candidate will be passionate about our mission and relationship-driven, with a relentless focus on creating systems that efficiently and effectively improve and track visitor usage and experience data; ensure that visitor concerns are addressed; observe and monitor floor activity and maintenance; and support special events and public programs.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the “front of house” admissions areas, which includes the daily in-person and online ticket sales; class registration; membership sales; and on-going customer service.
• Manage and schedule front-of-house staff. Hire, train, supervise, and develop staff to ensure the highest level of customer service.
• Work with the Executive Director to prepare and manage the operational and personnel budgets for visitor experience verticals. Track admission revenue and analyze trends.
• Ensure consistency and alignment between weekday and weekend visitor experiences.
• Manage training and business practices related to HOH’s online-based point of sale, membership, registration, and staffing systems and software.
• Work with communications/marketing manager to ensure museum, website, and social media platforms have up-to-date visitor-related content.
• Develop and manage the museum calendar and schedule for space use reservations including private rentals, birthday parties, and group reservations.
• Oversee visitor amenities, including gift shop and special events.
• Work with the Executive Director and bookkeeper to oversee cash-handling procedures and maintain accurate counts and financial records. Supervise point of sale and online transaction and register closeouts.
• Supervise visitor experience on the floor, working with exhibits and education managers to ensure adequate staffing and programming preparation/supplies in each space.
• Develop and provide ongoing documentation as required to communicate institution-wide understanding of visitor needs, attendance and trends.
• Other activities as may be assigned.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree preferred
- 2-4 years of management experience in a museum, retail/hospitality, camp/education, and/or a public-facing setting required.
- Experience supervising staff and fostering accountability required.
- Comfortable using technology/data systems to inform decision making.
- Experience with point of sale or database software preferred.
- Experience managing programmatic budgets preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative and handle multiple tasks.
- Exemplary verbal, written communication, and project management skills.
- Flexible and passionate about working with families and young children in a museum setting.
SCHEDULE
This is a full-time position that, at the outset, requires the ability to be available for some evenings and on-call for up to two weekends per month. Schedule will be flexible and can evolve over time as internal staff capacity increases and staffing structures change.
Hands-on House Children’s Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating fun learning opportunities for children aged 8 and under. At Hands-on House, adults and children play and learn together. Our exhibits, classes, and programs are short on lectures, and long on interactive, participatory activities.
Hands-on House Children’s Museum of Lancaster does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or income in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to hiring and firing staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provisions of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.
Hands-on House Children’s Museum of Lancaster is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job application on the bases of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, creed, age, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
