Manager of Docent and Tour Programs at Milwaukee Museum of Art

Job Title: Manager of Docent and Tour Programs

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Salary:  $50,000 – $65,000

Description

General Purpose:

Manage the Museum’s vibrant volunteer docent program to deliver engaging and inclusive learning experiences for guests on school and adult tours, centering the Museum’s strategic direction pillars of Art Relevant to Our Community and Expansive Hospitality. Lead and inspire a passionate corps of lifelong learners and museum ambassadors. Set programmatic goals, structure, training program, budget, policies, and recruitment strategies to continually grow and diversify the docent corps and support cultural fluency and engagement. Manage tour administrator roles and oversee tour scheduling procedures and protocols to deliver excellent customer service and create a welcoming environment for all visitors.

DOCENT PROGRAM

  • Manage a corps of approximately 130 active docents leading school and adult tours.
  • Support approximately 80 emeritus docents to stay actively engaged with museum programs and legacy-building activities.
  • Develop and deliver a docent continuing education program, including weekly lectures by guest curators, artists, educators and community members, that centers cultural fluency in learning about the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, as well as DEAI, teaching, and engagement strategies.
  • Work continually with docents to improve touring and teaching skills and cultivate familiarity in all collection and audience areas, assuring tours align with DEAI institutional priorities, academic standards, and the needs and interests of guests.
  • Nurture a workplace culture of welcome, learning, and curiosity to inspire standards of excellence and impact in docent and tour programs, centering the Museum’s strategic direction pillars of Art Relevant to Our Community and Expansive Hospitality.
  • Work closely with the Educator of School and Teacher Programs, responsible for school tour content and resource materials, training for special school tour programs, and the Art for All docent action group that promotes and develops DEAI tour strategies.
  • Grow and diversify the Museum’s docent corps by actively recruiting 25-30 new docents for each new class from across the community.
  • Conduct biweekly docent training classes that include teaching on the Museum’s collection, tour strategies, docent mentor partners, behind-the-scenes workshops and class assignments, with the assistance of other museum staff and docents.
  • Identify docent performance issues and provide coaching or corrective action when appropriate. 
  • Oversee Docent Council and their activities, including docent learning workshops, docent travel, docent coffees/luncheons and publication of Docent Digest.
  • Coordinate online/hybrid delivery of docent lectures/meetings/workshops via Zoom.
  • Manage and continually develop docent website for 300+ docent and staff users using WordPress, Vimeo, and Zoom platforms.
  • Serve as liaison between docents, curatorial staff and other MAM departments
  • Work with Curatorial and Design Departments to secure exhibition and collection resources for docent website and docent training.
  • Research, develop, and pilot a paid Teaching Artist Fellowship program with the goal of diversifying the Museum’s gallery teachers and providing opportunity for participants to connect to other fellowship/staff opportunities in the Museum.

TOUR PROGRAM

  • Manage tour administrator roles and oversee tour scheduling/greeting/processing procedures and protocols, centered on the Museum’s commitment to Expansive Hospitality.
  • Oversee and develop docent-guided tours for adult audiences served through tourism industry, corporate events, and special programs.
  • Lead adult tours for VIP guests and other specialty groups as needed.

ADMINISTRATION

  • Develop, manage, and course-correct annual docent and adult tour program budget
  • Assist Development Department with program specific fundraising and grant writing.
  • Work with Marketing/Communications to promote adult tour program offerings.
  • Recruit and coordinate interns, volunteers, and guest educators/artists/presenters as needed.
  • Serve as an active member of departmental and cross-departmental teams.
  • Stay current and actively engage in the larger field of museum education through professional affiliations such as Wisconsin Art Education Association (WAEA), National Art Education Association (NAEA), National Docent Symposium (NDS), and American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
  • Manage, implement, and/or assist with special projects as assigned.

This position is an on-campus role with the potential option to work from home on Mondays. Ability to work evenings and weekends as program schedule requires.

DEAI Statement:

The Milwaukee Art Museum is an equal opportunity employer. The Museum recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

We are committed to recruiting, developing, compensating, and retaining professional staff that reflect our community. We aspire to be a diverse workplace where talented people want to come, stay, and do their best work.

We stand committed to the work ahead, informed by our community, which we will support with our best thinking, our deepest empathy, and the courage to embody the convictions shared in our Strategic Direction.

Disclaimer
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all qualifications, responsibilities, duties and skills required.

Milwaukee Art Museum is an EOE/M/W/Vets/Disability Employer.

 

Requirements

Education/Experience Requirements: Master’s degree in art history, art education, museum studies or related field. Minimum five years of experience in gallery teaching, developing and coordinating training programs, and supervising staff and volunteers. Strong working knowledge of art history, museum education standards, theories, and practices. Skilled teacher in object/inquiry-based learning with excellent public speaking skills. Exceptional management and interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy, with demonstrated ability to lead and coach volunteers. Well-honed management, evaluation, organizational, and collaboration skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills. IBM-compatible computer skills, including MSOffice software and Zoom. Bilingual/Multilingual in Spanish and/or other languages a plus.

Physical Requirements:

  • Sit up to six hours per day, stand up to five hours per day
  • Lift up to 25lbs
  • Move about museum and campus on demand
  • Ability to work on computer and use telephone
  • Talk and hear
  • Close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Apply via AAM