Museum Host

Taubman Museum of Art; Roanoke (VA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

The Taubman Museum of Art is seeking a Museum Host/Guard to provide friendly, customer-focused service while protecting artwork and enforcing museum rules. The role regularly greets visitors, conducts gallery rounds, and assists with events and store operations, with a schedule that spans Thursdays through Sundays and occasional late evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Candidates should have a High School diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years of customer service experience, plus basic computer

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years of customer service experience are required.
• Must have a pleasant demeanor and a genuine interest in communication with members of the public and assisting visitors.
• Knowledge or interest in art is preferred.
• Must have basic computer skills, technical aptitude is strongly preferred, to assist visitors with various interactive technology.

Responsibilities

• Engage, communicate effectively with, and demonstrate openness and respect for diverse groups and individuals, providing excellent customer service at all times
• Warmly greet all visitors, including opening the main entrance for visitors as they enter/exit
• Ensure the security of the artwork on view by enforcing Museum rules and regulations in public areas
• Report artwork inconsistencies or damage immediately to the Security
• Make regular rounds through assigned galleries to monitor artwork, visitors, and the facility; answer questions, enforce rules, and act as an ambassador for the Museum
• Lead and engage in conversation with visitors about the Museum and its collections, including special exhibitions in the galleries assigned
• Study wall labels, listen to audio guides, read provided materials to become knowledgeable about works on view to answer guest questions; seek out information from Community Engagement Team, as necessary, to remain as knowledgeable as possible
• Monitor visitors’ behavior and report any unusual behavior to supervisor and Security Team
• Ensure visitor safety in the case of an emergency and complete incident/injury reports as needed; this includes guiding guests to appropriate exits during an emergency and other health and safety tasks
• Attend training sessions and continue to learn about the collection and exhibitions, as well as safety and Museum policies and procedures
• Support Museum events and rentals through thoughtful, friendly customer service; provide set-up/tear-down of chairs and tables as needed
• Maintain organization and cleanliness of 1st Floor Front Desk, Auditorium, Coatroom, Atrium Space, Museum Store, Art Venture, 2nd Floor including seasonal Welcome Desk, and 3rd Floor public spaces
• Assist with facility readiness for visitors, assist with arranging public use furniture, placing/restocking public handouts, trash removal, monitor the Museum Store, and assist behind the 1st Floor Front Desk and 2nd Floor Welcome Desk when trained to do so
• Assist with Museum Store tasks such as organizing, restocking, answer customer questions, handling sales, entering SKUs, labeling
• Assist with other duties as assigned including but not limited to assembling art kits, Brush Pals activities, make and take materials and other administrative tasks

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Job description

Job Summary:

The Museum Host/Guard is a highly visible, front-facing, customer service-oriented position at the Taubman Museum of Art, ensuring that visitors to the Museum have a positive experience while maintaining a safe environment for both the artwork on view and the people.

Primary duties fall during public hours or private/fundraising events when the Museum is not open to the public and include but are not limited to protecting the artwork, answering questions, enforcing rules, monitoring for suspicious behavior, providing assistance, engaging visitors in casual conversations about works of art, filling out incident reports as appropriate, and working closely with the Security Team and Community Engagement Team to properly open/close front of house and the facility.

This is a part-time position that primarily sees an alternative schedule of Thursday - Sunday (all open museum hours) with work on late evenings, weekends, special events, and holidays as coverage requires. Total hours are not to exceed 30 hours per week (rare exceptions may only be granted by the Executive Director and Director of Operations on a case-by-case basis).

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Engage, communicate effectively with, and demonstrate openness and respect for diverse groups and individuals, providing excellent customer service at all times
• Warmly greet all visitors, including opening the main entrance for visitors as they enter/exit
• Ensure the security of the artwork on view by enforcing Museum rules and regulations in public areas
• Report artwork inconsistencies or damage immediately to the Security
• Make regular rounds through assigned galleries to monitor artwork, visitors, and the facility; answer questions, enforce rules, and act as an ambassador for the Museum
• Lead and engage in conversation with visitors about the Museum and its collections, including special exhibitions in the galleries assigned
• Study wall labels, listen to audio guides, read provided materials to become knowledgeable about works on view to answer guest questions; seek out information from Community Engagement Team, as necessary, to remain as knowledgeable as possible
• Monitor visitors’ behavior and report any unusual behavior to supervisor and Security Team
• Ensure visitor safety in the case of an emergency and complete incident/injury reports as needed; this includes guiding guests to appropriate exits during an emergency and other health and safety tasks
• Administer exit surveys to visitors when requested
• Attend training sessions and continue to learn about the collection and exhibitions, as well as safety and

Museum policies and procedures

• Support Museum events and rentals through thoughtful, friendly customer service; provide set-up/tear-down of chairs and tables as needed
• Maintain organization and cleanliness of 1st Floor Front Desk, Auditorium (as needed), Coatroom, Atrium Space, Museum Store, Art Venture, 2nd Floor including seasonal Welcome Desk, and 3rd Floor public spaces

• Assist with facility readiness for visitors, assist with arranging public use furniture, placing/restocking public handouts, trash removal, monitor the Museum Store, and assist behind the 1st Floor Front Desk and 2nd Floor Welcome Desk when trained to do so (which includes, but is not limited to opening/closing the registers, selling exhibition tickets, and selling Museum Shop merchandise)
• Assist with Museum Store tasks such as organizing, restocking, answer customer questions, handling sales, entering SKUs, labeling, etc.
• Assist with other duties as assigned including but not limited to assembling art kits, Brush Pals activities, make and take materials and other administrative tasks

Required Education Experience:

High School diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years of customer service experience are required. Must have a pleasant demeanor and a genuine interest in communication with members of the public and assisting visitors. Knowledge or interest in art is preferred. Must have basic computer skills, technical aptitude is strongly preferred, to assist visitors with various interactive technology.

Working Conditions:

During Museum hours, Museum Hosts/Guards will rotate on a pre-determined schedule to various zones throughout the day. Requires constant standing and walking throughout the day and constant interaction with the public. Required to continually search for additional knowledge about our collections and special exhibitions. Must attend training sessions.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

Must be able to see, hear, and communicate effectively with visitors. Must be able to speak English clearly, and bi-lingual skills are a plus. Must be able to stand and walk during up to eight (8) hour shifts with minimal rest breaks, or longer with events and/or rentals. Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds unassisted.

Must have use of hands and fingers to use computers and assist visitors. Must be able to occasionally stoop, crouch, kneel, climb, balance and crawl as needed. Must be able to work in a moderate to high noise level work environment.