Assistant Manager, Visitor Experience

Noguchi; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens, seeks a full-time Assistant Manager to oversee daily operations, membership sales, team building and training, and customer service. The role reports to the Manager of Visitor Experience and serves as an ambassador for the Museum and mentor to Visitor Services staff.

Hours are 9 am–5 pm, Wednesday–Sunday, with occasional outside hours. The position is full-time and on-site at the Noguchi Museum.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in public-facing hospitality or customer service
• Ability to work collaboratively and provide feedback to staff
• Museum, gallery, or performing arts venue experience preferred
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Strong computer skills and quick learner
• Fluency in Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, or another language in addition to English is a plus

Responsibilities

• Assist in overseeing daily operations and guest services.
• Lead morning huddles and help open/close museum; manage cash handling.
• Support membership sales at Front Desk; train staff on memberships and soft selling.
• Maintain Front Desk materials and systems (POS, signage, coat check, lost and found).
• Coordinate Education and Visitor Experience knowledge sharing; support events and group visits.
• Ensure signage and resources are up-to-date; communicate needs to Communications.
• Attend inter-department meetings and supply incident reporting.

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Shared Full Time Long Island city, NY, US

Salary Range: $55,000.00 To $57,000.00 Annually

The Department of Visitor Experience at The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum seeks a full-time Assistant Manager to assist in overseeing daily operations, membership sales, team building and training, and customer service. Reporting to the Manager of Visitor Experience, the Assistant Manager is an ambassador for the Museum and a mentor for the Visitor Services staff, working during the Museum's operating hours and occasionally outside of those hours as necessary.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• With Manager, and in their absence: prepare rotation slips, assign posts, prepare Daily Sheet; lead morning huddles with Visitor Services and Security staff, open and close the Museum, oversee cash handling.
• Ensure that staff provide excellent hospitality and customer service, addressing inquiries and resolving issues while creating a welcoming and supportive environment.
• Propose, maintain and develop projects related to museum operations, customer service, staff morale, and workplace culture.
• Lead membership sales and processing at Front Desk: keep track of membership sales; update staff regularly on monthly sales; train Gallery Attendants on membership levels and soft selling techniques.
• Manage Front Desk materials and systems including, but not limited to, POS and peripherals, printed matter, coat check, lost and found, Gallery Attendant training materials, and first aid kit.
• Have in-depth knowledge of the museum's ticketing partners and programs and assist the public on these matters when necessary.
• Answer incoming phone calls to the Museum and emails that come through [e-mail] and [e-mail].
• Attend special events outside of normal office hours.
• Facilitate opportunities for Education and Visitor Experience teams to share knowledge and experience.
• Ensure cooperative operations between Gallery Attendants and Security Officers.
• Cover Gallery Attendant posts as needed.
• Assist with Education Programs, Group Tours and Group Visits, greeting participants, accepting payment, managing coat check, and assisting with crowd control.
• Be the department's point person for day of operations relating to special events.
• Ensure that in-gallery signage and resources are up-to-date and communicate needs directly to the Communications department.
• Use and maintain the Incident Reporting System.
• Attend and, when necessary, lead Department and inter-Department meetings.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years' experience in a public-facing hospitality / customer service position.
• Ability to work collaboratively and deliver feedback to staff at all levels.
• Previous museum, gallery, or performing arts venue experience preferred.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong computer skills including ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Written and/or verbal fluency in Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, or another language in addition to English is a strong advantage.

The Assistant Manager, Visitor Experience is a full-time, in-person position and is located in The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens. The hours are 5 days a week, 9 am-5 pm, Wednesday-Sunday. The position requires occasional work outside regular hours, including evenings, Mondays/Tuesdays, holidays, or emergencies as needed.

This position is represented by the Technical, Office & Professional Union, Local 2110, UAW, AFL-CIO.

The Noguchi Museum is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, disability or any other criterion specified by federal, state or local laws, in the administration of its employment policy. The Museum considers the diversity of its workforce to be vital to our organization's success in meeting its mission. We strongly encourage applicants from all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, life experiences, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, age, gender, and physical abilities to apply.

About the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

Founded in 1985 by category-defying artist Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988), The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum (now known as The Noguchi Museum), was the first museum in the United States to be established, designed, and installed by a living artist to show their own work. Located in the vibrant neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens, the Museum itself is widely viewed as among the artist's greatest achievements. Holding the world's largest collection of his works, the Museum features open air and indoor galleries in a repurposed 1920s industrial building and a serene outdoor sculpture garden. Since its founding, it has served as an international hub for Noguchi research and appreciation. In addition to managing the artist's archives and catalogue raisonné, the Museum exhibits a comprehensive selection of Noguchi's material culture, from sculpture, models, and drawings to his personal possessions. Provocative installations drawn from the permanent collection, together with diverse special exhibitions and collaborations with contemporary practitioners across disciplines, offer a multifaceted view of Noguchi's art and illuminate his enduring influence as an innovator. Through its rich collection, exhibitions, and programming, the Museum facilitates scholarship and learning for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.