Amuse Expo

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 15,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA seeks a Food Services Technician I for Amuse Expo. The role supports dining operations at Amuse Restaurant, delivering guest-focused service, basic food and beverage knowledge, and a professional presence in a fast-paced museum setting.

The position offers flexible scheduling with shifts across lunch and dinner service, 365 days a year. Applicants must be 21+ and able to lift up to 50 lbs; prior guest service experience is preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience in fast-paced dining or guest service preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills required.
• Ability to multi-task and stay calm under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Greets guests with a friendly demeanor and assists with seating.
• Sets tables and arranges dining area for groups and events.
• Delivers attentive service and resolves guest issues promptly.
• Maintains table settings, replenishes supplies, and assists with service flow.
• Provides menu knowledge and beverage service information to guests.
• Adheres to service standards and project a professional appearance.
• Assists with cleaning duties at service stations and dining areas.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Teamwork

Professionalism

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

POS system

Job description

Title: Amuse Expo

State Role Title: Food Services Technician I

Hiring Range: $13.00 per hour + tips

Pay Band: 01

Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Agency Website: https://vmfa.museum/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Department: Food Services

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.

Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

About the Food Services Department:

At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), we create unique dining experiences.

Amuse Restaurant is a contemporary fine dining restaurant overlooking the Robins Sculpture Garden, featuring an innovative menu and fresh, local ingredients. Just like the works of art in the museum and on the walls of Amuse, visitors delight in new masterpiece dishes and cocktails.

When dining at Amuse, every aspect of the meal is a touchpoint, a foundational pinning, evoking the right ambiance, feeling, and desired energy. Our dedicated service professionals bear witness and make possible some of the best days ever for our guests.

“…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Why Join the Amuse Team?

Flexible Scheduling

The team works to provide reasonable and advanced-scheduling notice to staff within the agreed upon availability. We are open 365 days a year, therefore there are a variety of shifts to work. Amuse is open for lunch service 7 days a week (with Sunday brunch), and offers dinner service on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Team-centric

Work with people whose talents shine not only at work but also beyond work hours. Many of our staff are creatives who find an ease in serving others, have an eye for the details, and enjoy the flexibility this position offers.

Mission-Driven

Revenue from Amuse and other Enterprise operations directly supports museum operations. VMFA is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. Our purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art and to encourage the study of the arts.

Professional Environment

Professionalism is a key tenet in our workplace. We treat each other no less than how we treat our guests. Come create career-supportive relationships with some of the best service professionals in the industry. Learn and grow with us.

General Information:

We are currently seeking applications for skilled service professionals who are team-centric and positively energetic individuals to join our Food Services Department as an Amuse Expo.

Here is how the Amuse Expo accomplishes this as part of a team:

• Greets guests with a friendly and welcoming demeanor.
• Assists in setting tables and rearranging the dining area to accommodate larger groups, private parties or as needed.
• Delivers a memorable dining experience by resolving all customer issues promptly. Provides attentive service to diners, like refilling drinks as needed and checking their needs during meals.
• Maintains table settings to include replenishing utensils, filling water glasses, removing courses as completed.
• Anticipates and accommodates guest needs, responds to requests in a professional and polite manner.
• Able to answer guests’ questions with a general knowledge of the museum.
• Has specific knowledge about the Amuse menu and beverage service and has good general knowledge about food, wine and spirits.
• Contributes and adheres to our exceptional service standards; has a professional demeanor and appearance and is able to remain calm, think under pressure and keep operations in a fast-paced dining environment.
• Performs some cleaning duties, such as at the service station, around the kitchen and in the dining area.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be 21 years of age or older
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to demonstrate a professional demeanor with guests and other employees
• Strong communication skills (written/reading/verbal); ability to take feedback well
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow basic restaurant floor plan, menus and instructions
• Ability to multitask, solve problems and make sound decisions in an ever-changing restaurant landscape
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and appearance during service
• Ability to remain calm, professional and gracious in a fast paced, high-pressure environment
• Ability to be prompt and punctual to scheduled shifts
• Ability to use fine and gross motor skills; finger and hand dexterity; reach with hands and arms; climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk and hear; and taste and smell.
• Flexible availability that includes weekends, evenings and holidays
• Ability to lift or move up to 50 lbs; stand or walk up to 10 hours
• Motivated with strong work ethic; self-starter
• Consistent with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s skills-based employment model, VMFA recognizes multiple pathways to demonstrate competency for this role. Equivalent combinations of educational attainment, applicable training, relevant work experience, and job-related credentials may be considered to meet the requirements of the position.

Additional Considerations

• Has familiarity with a wide range of global cuisine and embraces creating multicultural offerings
• Experience with seasonal menus and farm to table ethos
• Prior fine dining food service experience
• Knowledge of ABC best practices and regulations, RSVP or TIPS training
• ServSafe Food Handler Certification or equivalent

Special Instructions:

Selected candidates must pass a criminal history background check.

VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Contact Information:

Name: HR Services

Phone: For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. We do not provide application status updates via phone.

Email: [e-mail] for recruitment related questions.

Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted. For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.