Director of Visitor Services

NYHistory; New York (NY); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical, dental, vision and life ins.

Disability coverage

403(b) retirement plan

Flexible spending accounts

Employee Assistance Program

Store discount

Free museum admission

Job summary

The New York Historical seeks a Director of Visitor Services to lead welcoming, accessible experiences across all touchpoints at the Central Park West campus. The role blends strategic planning with hands-on leadership of admissions, membership, and guest services, ensuring inclusive programs for diverse audiences.

This senior position requires 7–10 years of experience, strong budget oversight, and a proven record of mentoring staff in a union environment.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of relevant work experience with at least 5 years in management.
• Experience in a unionized environment preferred.
• Ability to lead visitor services operations and staff.
• Strong budget oversight and financial management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and train visitor services staff and managers.
• Oversee admissions, membership, coat check, switchboard, ticketing, and group sales; manage Tessitura.
• Schedule staff to cover visitor and operational needs.
• Maintain high standards of customer service in lobby and public spaces.
• Collaborate with Development and External Affairs on membership and communications.
• Produce management reports on attendance, accessibility, and operations.
• Ensure accessibility standards and staff training.
• Stay current on visitor experience trends and security protocols.

Skills

People management

Customer service

Budget management

Communication

Accessibility awareness

Leadership

Tools

Tessitura

POS system

Excel

Job description

New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution documenting over 400 years of American history through a peerless collection of art, documents, and artifacts. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment. The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the Reiss Family Graduate Institute for Constitutional History, the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Center for Teaching Democracy, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Visitor Services ensures that The New York Historical is welcoming, inclusive, and accessible to all audiences. This role leads visitor-facing operations, accessibility initiatives, and engagement strategies, aligning frontline services with the institution’s mission to broaden understanding of American history. The Director is both a strategic thinker and an operational leader, responsible for ensuring seamless, accessible, and innovative visitor experiences across all touchpoints.

This is a full-time, on-site position at our Central Park West location on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Work on weekends, holidays, and evenings may be necessary.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

• Lead, manage, and train a team of full and part-time visitor services staff, including visitor services managers. Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to foster a high-performing workforce;
• Oversee admissions, membership, coat check, switchboard, call center, ticketing, and group sales. Manage cash handling, daily accounting, and ticketing systems (Tessitura). Serve as a “super-user” for admissions software, coordinating ticketing inventory, discounting, and visitor communications;
• Manage team schedules to ensure sufficient coverage to meet visitor and operational needs at all times;
• Maintain a strong presence in the museum’s lobby and visitor-facing areas. Interact with museum visitors, modeling and maintaining superior customer service standards;
• Oversee docent and explainer volunteer programs, ensuring alignment with accessibility and engagement goals. Manage group sales marketing, execution, and visitor experience;
• Collaborate with the Development Department to grow membership through admissions/membership desk initiatives. Partner with External Affairs Department to ensure visitor information is accurate across the website and printed materials;
• Collaborate across departments to ensure that visitor-facing teams maintain a working knowledge of current and future museum content and programs to support their ability to effectively promote to visitors;
• Track and maintain official museum attendance reports and databases. Produce management reports on visitor experience, accessibility, and operational performance;
• Keep up-to-date with accessibility standards and best practices. Ensure staff are trained on offerings for visitors with disabilities, and oversee accessible signage, wayfinding, and program integration;
• Stay current on visitor experience trends, including security and access controls, health and safety protocols, and crowd management. Proactively propose new ideas to enhance inclusivity and engagement;
• Represent the institution in sector-wide inter-museum committees, sharing best practices in visitor engagement and accessibility;
• Additional duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

• 7-10 years of relevant work experience, including at least 5 years of strong management experience, preferably in a unionized environment;
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate visitor needs and implement accessibility-forward solutions;
• Experience successfully working with individuals from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds;
• Strong operational and financial management skills, including budget oversight;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration abilities across all levels of the institution;
• Knowledge of admissions, POS, and online ticketing systems (Tessitura preferred) and proficiency with Excel;
• Must be able to work a five-day on-site schedule including weekends, holidays, and late evenings when necessary;
• Commitment to fostering a high-performing, inclusive, and visitor-centered workplace culture.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee with or without accommodation, to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

At times, this is a sedentary role using a computer; however, there is a need to stand, stoop, walk, and lift heavy objects (up to 50 pounds) and perform other similar actions during the course of the workday. The ability to lead tours through the museum is also required.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The expected salary for this position is $125,000.

The New York Historical provides a generous benefits package for eligible employees to support their health and wellbeing, which includes:

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick and personal days, and holidays observed by the Museum;
• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance;
• Short and long-term disability coverage options;
• 403(b) retirement plan with eligibility for employer contributions following one year of full-time service;
• Flexible spending accounts for health-related expenses, dependent care, and parking and transit expenses;
• Employee Assistance Program for all employees and their families;
• 20% discount at the NYHistory Store, Café Clara and Clara restaurant, located within the Museum;
• Free admission to various museums and cultural institutions across the city.

The New York Historical is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The New York Historical is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment related decisions are made without discrimination based on any factor protected by law.

Applicants who are unable or limited in their ability to use our online application system may contact us at [e-mail] for assistance with requesting a reasonable accommodation.