“On Call” Gallery Attendant – Swiss Institute

Swiss Institute (“SI”) is an independent, non-profit art space dedicated to promoting forward-thinking and experimental art-making. For over 30 years, SI has become known for its original exhibitions and wide range of public programs. Committed to the highest levels of curatorial and educational excellence, SI has served as a platform for emerging artists; catalyzed new contexts for celebrated work; and fostered an appreciation for under-recognized positions. Because SI has no collection, it is able to dedicate its entire effort to dynamic curatorial projects that are complemented by public talks, panels, performances, and special events. SI has relocated to a new long-term home at 38 St. Marks in New York City’s East Village.

Job Summary

The part-time “On Call” Gallery Attendant (GA) role is critical to the Swiss Institute’s team. Gallery Attendants are responsible for all aspects of customer service and visitor experience at SI. They serve a dual role as both community engagement ambassadors and security for SI. The GAs are responsible for fielding general inquiries from the public, tracking and recording visitation numbers and incident reports, and also highly interact with SI’s full-time and part-time staff. GAs act as the public “face” of SI, and will receive training in communication about the art on view as well as safety procedures and New York State security regulations. Candidates must be committed to ongoing paid professional development as part of their role as a Gallery Attendant. All Gallery Attendants report to the Community Engagement & Visitor Services Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Act as ambassador and liaison for SI and the community, supporting SI’s artists, exhibitions and public programming. o Greet and welcome all visitors to SI with exceptional customer services to visitors in a professional manner at all times.
  • Track and report ongoing visitation numbers, and help gather visitor demographic data.
  • Orient visitors to exhibitions and assist with program and exhibition experiences, as well as tracking visitation numbers for weekly reports.
  • Become knowledgeable in SI’s history and mission, including the organization’s ongoing connection to downtown New York.
  • Ensure the safety of artwork in accordance with established security procedures including, but not limited to: keeping visitors at prescribed distances from artwork; monitoring the flow of visitors in the galleries; and report any incident involving visitors touching or damaging the artwork.
  • Enforce security and safety procedures and protocols in all public spaces of SI, encompassing gallery spaces and roof deck, including but not limited to assisting with evacuation during emergencies, and reporting problems, suspicious activity and safety hazards to a Supervisor and/or Assistant Supervisor.
  • Ensure easy and efficient visitor flow throughout the galleries and public spaces, including a roof deck.
  • Complete all required ongoing training, including but not limited to security training, audience engagement and collection training, and visitor orientation and ticketing training.
  • Ongoing maintenance of an organized and tidy work area at the front desk.
  • Be available to answer questions throughout SI, and enforce gallery rules of conduct as needed.

Qualifications

  • A passion for people and contemporary art
  • Minimum 1 years experience in a visitor-facing role at a comparable organization
  • Experience in hospitality, retail, attractions, or cultural organizations preferred
  • High school diploma required; relevant coursework from an accredited college or university strongly preferred
  • Foreign language skills strongly preferred
  • Knowledge of admissions, POS, and online ticketing systems
  • Ability to work with individuals from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds
  • Ability to identify and positively resolve visitor issues in the moment; strong decision-making skills necessary
  • Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and special events as necessary
  • Basic knowledge of information technology and business software applications; must be proficient in using Microsoft Office Suite
  • Effective and persuasive communications skills; able to write and speak clearly and present information to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders

Physical Requirements

Must be able to stand and move around SI’s public areas for extended periods of time (reasonable accommodation will be made for qualified candidates with disabilities).

Schedule

“On-Call” Gallery Attendants are asked to submit their schedule, including “blackout” dates four weeks in advance. “On-Call” Gallery Attendants may be scheduled during our weekday hours (Wednesday- Friday, 2-8 pm) and/or our weekend hours (Saturday 12-8 pm, Sunday 12-6 pm). They may be contacted additional days (day of or evening before) to see if they are available to cover a shift.

Compensation

Competitive and commensurate with experience.

Additional Requirements

Employment is contingent upon a satisfactory background and reference check, which will include verifications of employment and educational records. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

To Apply

Please submit your resume and letter of interest to jobs(at)swissinstitute(dot)net. We will only contact candidates selected for further consideration. No phone inquiries, please.