Museum Associate Director — Visitor Experience & Partnerships

The Little Light House Central Kentucky, Inc.; Paducah (KY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Quilt Museum is seeking an Associate Director who is energetic, highly organized, and service-oriented to enhance visitor experience and strengthen relationships with volunteers, partners, members, and supporters.

As the primary manager of front-of-house operations, you will oversee admissions staff, coordinate volunteer recruitment, and support the Executive Leadership team while serving as a liaison with community organizations to expand programs and fundraising efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 3+ years in customer service, nonprofit administration, visitor services, hospitality, arts administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a positive, professional demeanor.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and cloud-based office applications.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for museum programs and events.

Responsibilities

• Supervise daily visitor services operations and admissions staff.
• Recruit, train, schedule, and evaluate front-of-house personnel.
• Ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and exceptional visitor experience.
• Develop and maintain customer service standards and operational procedures.
• Resolve visitor concerns professionally and effectively.
• Monitor admissions operations, memberships, and retail transactions for accuracy.
• Coordinate front desk scheduling to ensure appropriate staffing and coverage.
• Recruit, onboard, train, schedule, and retain museum volunteers.
• Maintain volunteer records and scheduling systems.
• Match volunteer interests and skills with museum needs.
• Coordinate volunteer recognition and appreciation initiatives.
• Develop new volunteer opportunities that support museum programs and events.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all museum volunteers.
• Coordinate volunteer involvement for development events.
• Serve as a museum ambassador with community organizations.
• Coordinate community outreach opportunities, partnership activities, and collaborative programs.
• Maintain relationships with tourism organizations, schools, libraries, civic groups, and nonprofit partners.
• Represent the museum at community meetings and events as appropriate.
• Assist with planning community engagement initiatives that expand the museum's visibility and accessibility.
• Assist with membership recruitment and stewardship activities, with a particular focus on in-person membership sales and donations.
• Support donor cultivation events and fundraising initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Development team to strengthen community relationships and donor engagement.
• Collaborate across departments to support exhibitions, educational programming, and special events.
• Assist with event logistics and museum rentals as needed.
• Help identify operational improvements that enhance efficiency and visitor satisfaction.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the museum's mission.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Organizational skills

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

POS systems

CRM systems

Membership software

Job description

The National Quilt Museum is seeking an Associate Director who is energetic, highly organized, and service-oriented to enhance visitor experience and strengthen relationships with volunteers, partners, members, and supporters.

As the primary manager of front-of-house operations, you will oversee admissions staff, coordinate volunteer recruitment, and support the Executive Leadership team while serving as a liaison with community organizations to expand programs and fundraising efforts.