Director of Visitor Services

The New York Historical; New York (NY); On-site; USD 113,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York Historical in Manhattan seeks a Director of Visitor Services to spearhead visitor-facing operations and accessibility initiatives, aligning frontline services with the museum's mission to broaden understanding of American history.

This is a full-time, on-site role at Central Park West, requiring weekend, holiday, and evening work; you will manage admissions, memberships, staff, and programs to deliver inclusive, high-quality visitor experiences and outstanding customer service.

Qualifications

• 7-10 years of relevant work experience, including at least 5 years of strong management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate visitor needs and implement accessibility-forward solutions.
• Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong operational and financial management skills, including budget oversight.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration abilities across all levels of the institution.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and train a team of visitor services staff and managers with coaching and development.
• Oversee admissions, membership, coat check, switchboard, ticketing, and group sales; manage cash handling and ticketing systems (Tessitura).
• Manage team schedules to ensure sufficient coverage for visitor and operational needs.
• Maintain presence in the lobby and visitor-facing areas, delivering superior customer service.
• Oversee docent and explainer volunteer programs and group sales marketing, execution, and visitor experience.
• Collaborate with Development and External Affairs to grow membership and ensure accurate visitor information.
• Coordinate across departments to keep staff informed about content and programs.
• Track attendance and generate management reports on visitor experience and accessibility.
• Stay updated on accessibility standards and signage; ensure staff training for visitors with disabilities.
• Stay current on visitor experience trends, security, health and safety, and crowd management.
• Represent the institution in inter-museum committees and share best practices.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Skills

Team leadership

Customer service

Communication

Budget management

Staff training

Tools

Tessitura

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.