Senior Leader, Visitor Experience & Gallery Operations

Walker Art Center; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 73,350 - 89,650; Full time

Job summary

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is seeking an Associate Director, Visitor and Gallery Experience to lead the visitor-facing experience, gallery operations, tours, and institutional events. This role supervises four direct reports and shapes strategy, service standards, staffing and training to create an accessible, welcoming experience for all visitors.

Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will steward staff development, use data to inform decisions, and coordinate across departments to

Qualifications

• Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience leading visitor experience, customer service, hospitality, admissions, venue operations, events, or another complex public-facing function.
• At least three years supervising managers, professional staff, or leaders responsible for frontline teams.
• Proven ability to lead through others, develop managers, delegate effectively, and hold teams accountable for results.
• Experience overseeing multiple interconnected operational functions in a high-volume or complex environment.
• Strong experience developing service standards, training programs, staffing strategies, operating procedures, and performance measures.
• Proven ability to manage complex visitor, employee, and operational situations with sound judgment, diplomacy, and professionalism.
• Strong supervisory, coaching, team-building, conflict-resolution, and performance-management skills.
• Experience working effectively with diverse employees, audiences, and communities.
• Strong budget management, labor-cost oversight, financial reporting, and cash-control experience.
• Experience using data and feedback to guide decisions and improve operations.
• Experience with ticketing, point-of-sale, CRM, scheduling, event-management, or database systems.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office or comparable workplace technology.
• Ability to clearly communicate and support the Walker’s mission, programs, policies, and visitor expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for visitor and gallery experience aligned with mission and accessibility.
• Provide leadership and accountability to four direct reports.
• Establish service standards and department priorities.
• Oversee admissions, ticketing, membership sales, gallery operations, tours, and front-of-house event support.
• Advocate for visitor needs and public-facing operational realities in institutional planning and decision-making.
• Develop managers and teams through supervision, training, and coaching.
• Coordinate across departments to align visitor-facing operations.
• Use data and feedback to improve service and operations.

Job description

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is seeking an Associate Director, Visitor and Gallery Experience to lead the visitor-facing experience, gallery operations, tours, and institutional events. This role supervises four direct reports and shapes strategy, service standards, staffing and training to create an accessible, welcoming experience for all visitors.

Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will steward staff development, use data to inform decisions, and coordinate across departments to