Manager, Guest Experience and Group Sales at the Asian Art Museum – Museum Studies

Job Title: Manager, Guest Experience and Group Sales

Job Status: Full-time

Location: San Francisco, CA

Salary: $68,000 – $75,000

Description

Located in the heart of San Francisco, the Asian Art Museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art, boasting more than 18,000 inspiring artworks ranging from ancient jades and ceramics to contemporary video installations. Dynamic special exhibitions, cultural celebrations, and public programs for all ages provide rich art experiences that unlock the past and spark questions about the future.

Currently, we are seeking a Manager of Guest Experience and Group Sales to join our team. This is an exceptional opportunity to join an organization that values creativity, teamwork, collaboration, and inclusion and where you will be surrounded by a diverse, talented, and enthusiastic group of colleagues.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Manager of Guest Experience and Group Sales is responsible for the oversight of the Guest Experience department’s operations and staff, including developing and implementing policies that ensure exceptional service to the museum’s guests in alignment with the museum’s public engagement strategies. Leading a team of front-line staff, the Manager of Guest Experience and Group Sales oversees the admission/ticketing operations and systems, developing and refining policies and training systems to support superb customer service and optimal staff performance, scheduling and directing staff assignments to ensure successful coordination of all front-line activities to support earned revenue goals.

The Manager of Guest Experience and Group Sales regularly engages with donors, museum supporters, staff, vendors, and colleagues in a personable and respectful manner.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Guest Experience

DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion) – Orchestrates and administers ticketing systems for all museum events, including exhibitions, general admission, and public programs (onsite and online). Develops and implements ticketing and operational policies, including attendance reports and analysis, capacity, pricing and special offers and discounts to support the growth of the organization.
Supervises all recruitment, training, evaluation, hiring, supervision, and scheduling of Guest Experience staff and volunteers. Maintains documented duties, procedures, and reference manuals for various Guest Experience positions.
Approves department timesheets and payroll, creates and monitors/evaluates employee performance metrics, etc.
Ensures that Guest Experience Attendants and volunteers are extremely well-versed in all museum offerings (collection, special exhibitions, and programs/events) and that they proactively communicate these offerings to the public as part of a warm, enthusiastic welcome to the museum.
Directs the smooth daily operation of the public aspects of the museum experience, including but not Iimited to admission stations and information desks, coat check, audio guides and assistive listening device, signage, and wayfinding, etc.
In conjunction with colleagues from other departments, facilitates the development and implementation of effective wayfinding tools and health and safety support systems to ensure a quality guest experience.
In collaboration with division colleagues, helps create, manage, and monitor Guest Experience Department operational budgets.
Represents the Guest Experience department in exhibition planning meetings, advising colleagues on exhibition-related logistical and operational issues and opportunities related to Guest Experience operations and volunteer coordination.
Serves as an advocate for visitors while promoting the museum’s welfare; communicates with visitors with diverse interests and abilities to ensure a positive museum experience; and resolves visitor concerns.
Keeps current on the museum and its programs; oversees process for preparing and distributing daily frontline museum wide information email. Assists in organizing and implementing visitor surveys, tracking visitor engagement trends, and initiating new strategies to increase onsite connections.
Oversees department compliance to the LAO (Language Access Ordinance), by serving as a liaison between the museum and the City of San Francisco. This includes but is not Iimited to compiling and submitting the annual LAO report, as well as arranging for interpretation or translation services.
Supports Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) initiatives.
Works with the Marketing and Communications colleagues and the Development team to promote increased public and member interaction with the museum.
Responds to telephone, voicemail, written, and email inquiries relating to admissions, group visits, and membership; provides accurate and current museum information and embraces a concierge.
Supervises staff, providing direction, mentoring, and coaching. Supervises volunteers and interns, as necessary.
Maintains knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies.
Establishes and nurtures strong working relationships with museum staff, colleagues from other institutions, consultants, and vendors.
Performs other duties and projects as assigned.

Group Sales

Works with colleagues to develop a strategy for acquiring increased Group Sales. Responsible for implementation of this strategy.
Manages the group visits program including booking, scheduling, and confirming group reservations; coordinates group schedules, as needed, with the Education Department; works closely with docents in maintaining daily tour schedule; develops innovative and creative methods to expand and improve the group visits program.
Works creatively with tour operators, group contacts, and internal museum staff to ensure that adult group visits are accommodated and receive excellent customer service, including delivery of requested services, a warm welcome to the museum, and efficient management of payments and refunds; cultivates repeat business through excellent customer service and guest relations.
Facilitates the arrival of unscheduled groups, in a professional and seamless manner.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of related customer service work and group reservation/sales experience, including at least one year of supervisory experience (union environments a plus); or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Knowledge of ticketing point-of-sales system, ideally ACME.
Ability to develop and implement effective initiatives and strategies.
Excellent customer service skills.
Problem solve and devise solutions and initiatives to refine policies and systems.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment; adhere to deadlines; demonstrate excellent judgment and flexibility in meeting shifting demands and priorities.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, docents, and members of the public; exercise tact and diplomacy at all times; demonstrate an understanding of protocol and sensitivity to cultural diversity and accessibility issues.
Ability to work weekends, holidays, and some evenings.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Standard museum and office environment.
Computer and phone use.

Please note, all museum team members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment (to be fully vaccinated, 14 days must have passed since the final dose of a two-shot vaccine, or a single dose of a one-shot vaccine was received) and provide proof, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the museum will be provided a copy of the vaccination policy. For questions regarding this requirement, please e-mail: humanresourcesdepartment@asianart.org.

Compensation: The Asian Art Museum is committed to practicing salary transparency. The minimum salary for this position is $68,000 and the maximum is $75,000. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. This opportunity includes a generous benefits package.

Apply via AAM