Gallery Associate

Position Description

Under the supervision of the Visitor Experience Supervisor, the Gallery Associate ensures museum visitors have a positive in-gallery experience by providing answers to frequently asked questions, promoting museum events, programs, and resources, ensuring museum guidelines and policies are adhered to, and assisting with emergency protocols as needed. This position is classified as an essential staff position.


Responsibilities

• Welcome visitors while projecting an attitude of openness and access to all visitors.
• Champion and promote the museum vision, mission, and brand while in the galleries.
• Initiate dialogue with visitors and answer questions to promote a friendly and engaged in-gallery experience.
• Utilize a variety of strategies to inquire about visitor needs, interest, and questions.
• Participate in regular trainings and workshops about accessibility, conversational strategies, customer service, diversity, exhibition content, and visitor engagement.
• Help explain, interpret, and enforce museum policies and monitor gallery in terms of what is brought into and removed from the building.
• Work with education and event staff to provide a positive experience for visitors during events, programs, and tours.
• Communicate and collaborate with security staff regarding potential safety issues and report incidents promptly.
• Assist with evacuation from galleries as required.

Uniform Requirements:

This position does require maintaining a uniform dress-code and clean, professional appearance. Uniforms are provided, but should be maintained by the Gallery Associate.

Skills and Requirements

• Excellent interpersonal, conversational, and verbal communication skills
• Willingness and capacity to acquire new skills and knowledge
• Ability to approach and interact with visitors without hesitation to enforce museum guidelines and policies
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and some holidays
• Able to use basic internet and Microsoft Office functions

Key Characteristics/Traits

• Friendly, courteous, empathetic, and engaging presence with all museum visitors and staff, including those of all abilities, age, and backgrounds
• Ability to take initiative, exercise good judgment, and follow instructions
• Responsible, reliable, and flexible
• Emotionally mature
• The flexibility and sensitivity to work with diverse personalities and situations

Qualifications/Education

• Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. College courses in art, art history, conservation, education, museum studies, photography, studio art, and US history preferred.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas is a strong advantage: education/teaching, hospitality, retail, or visitor/guest services.
• Must be able to assist visitors with strollers and wheelchairs.
• Physically able to stand for long periods of time, able to bend and/or stoop, climb, and lift up to 25 lbs. to perform tasks that may be required in the course of museum operations.
• Must be able to hear normal conversations; prosthetics acceptable.

Other Job Requirements

• Successful completion of background and drug screen