Special Events Bartender

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 34,000; Part time

Job summary

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond seeks an experienced Special Event Bartender to support our events team. You will prepare bars, mix drinks, check IDs, and ensure orders follow ABC policies while delivering outstanding guest service.

This role requires flexibility for evenings, weekends, and holidays, as the VMFA hosts events year-round. Candidates should maintain professional appearance and assist with inventory and safety practices.

Qualifications

• Face-paced, high-volume service experience required.
• Knowledge of a full-service bar and ABC policies.
• Able to set up, maintain, and break down bar.
• Ability to operate a POS system and cash handling procedures.
• Flexible schedule including holidays, evenings, and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Use standard beverage recipes and prepare bars.
• Stock bars and maintain inventory during shift.
• Check IDs and ensure valid forms of identification.
• Mix drinks per serving sizes and ABC guidelines.
• Deliver high level customer service and maintain a safe environment.
• Investigate and resolve customer complaints when needed.
• Prepare and serve beverages and maintain sanitary practices.

Skills

Face-paced work

Customer service

Cash handling

POS system

Flexible schedule

Teamwork

Problem solving

Reading/writing directions

Professional demeanor

Able to stand 8 hours

Able to lift 50 lbs

Education

ServSafe Food Handler certification

Tools

Bar equipment (shaker, strainer, juicer, muddler)

Job description

Post closes on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 11:55 PM EST.

General Information:

The work is straightforward, making guests feel special.

Here is how Special Event Bartenders accomplish this as a team:

• Use standard beverage recipes.
• Prepare bars and keep them stocked throughout the shift.
• Check ID’s of guests and ensure that all forms of identification are valid.
• Mix drinks based on serving size outlined by management and Alcohol Beverage Control guidelines.
• Monitor alcohol inventory to maintain appropriate levels and complete consumption reports after shift.
• Maintain tight controls on alcohol throughout shift.
• Deliver a consistently high level of customer service to the client and maintain a safe environment by identifying problem clients and addressing the situation appropriately with management.
• Adhere to all safety and sanitary practices.
• Prepare and serve consistent beverages.
• Investigate and resolve customer complaints if needed

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ability to handle face-paced, high volume situations.
• Ability to operate calmly, professionally and graciously in a fast paced, high-pressure workplace.
• Knowledge of a full service bar, recipes for various alcoholic beverages and exceptional understanding of ABC policies and procedures.
• Knowledgeable of basic bar equipment including shaker, strainer, juicer, muddler, etc.
• Ability to set up, maintain, break down bar.
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and appearance.
• Ability to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk and hear; and taste and smell.
• Ability to be prompt and punctual to scheduled shifts.
• Ability to solve problems independently.
• Knowledge of cash handling policies and procedures.
• Ability to use a point of sales system.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including days, holidays, evenings and weekends.
• Ability to work as part of a diverse team.
• Ability to solve problems independently.
• Ability to read, write, comprehend and follow directions and instructions.
• Ability to lift or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to stand or walk for up to 8 hours.

Additional Considerations:

• Prior knowledge of Alcohol Beverage Control policies and guidelines.
• Prior experience as a bartender and/or server.
• Prior experience in a fast paced, fine dining environment. Prior bartending education and training.
• ServSafe Food Handler’s certification is a plus.

About Food Services Department:

At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), we facilitate beautiful memories.

Our Events Team is relentlessly passionate about their work. Every event detail is a touchpoint, a foundational pinning, evoking the right ambiance, feeling, and desired energy. Our dedicated service professionals bear witness and make possible some of the best days ever for our guests.

…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou

Why Join the Events Team?

Flexible Scheduling

The team works to provide reasonable and advanced-scheduling notice to staff within the agreed upon availability. We are open 365 days a year, therefore there are a variety of shifts to work.

Team-centric

Work with people whose talents shine not only at work but also beyond work hours. Many of our staff are creatives who find an ease in serving others, have an eye for the details, and enjoy the flexibility this position offers.

Mission-Driven

Revenue from Events and other Enterprise operations directly supports museum operations. VMFA is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. Our purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art and to encourage the study of the arts.

Professional Environment

Professionalism is a key tenet in our workplace. We treat each other no less than how we treat our guests. Come create career-supportive relationships with some of the best service professionals in the industry. Learn and grow with us.

All VMFA staff enjoy free admission to special exhibitions, previews of special exhibitions, employee pricing for select museum programs and classes, and discounts at Amuse, Floris, Best Café and the VMFA Shop.

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.

Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check. E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer

Vmfa is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Experience a world-class art museum with hometown hospitality. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts houses a remarkable permanent collection of more than 50,000 works of art from almost every major world culture.

We’re open 365 days a year and general admission is always free.

Contact Information:

Name: HR Services

Phone: For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. We do not provide application status updates via phone.

Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted. For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account.