Visitor Center Assistant

City of Palm Desert; Palm Desert (CA); On-site; USD 35,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

The City of Palm Desert invites applications for a part-time Visitor Center Assistant to welcome visitors, answer questions, and promote local attractions and partners. The role also covers merchandising, basic sales, and supporting City marketing efforts.

The position requires strong customer service, weekend/evening availability, and can include special events and community outreach as part of the Public Affairs Division.

Qualifications

• Visitor Center Assistant requires completion of the 12th grade with related college coursework.
• At least one year of administrative/support experience is preferred.
• Strong customer service and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Greet visitors at the front desk and provide information to improve visitors' experiences.
• Process sales transactions through POS and assist with daily store reports.
• Maintain displays, signage, and inventory for the Visitor Center shop.
• Update the Visitor Center website and social media accounts.
• Assist with events, including setup, execution, and post-event duties.

Skills

Customer service

Front desk

Cash handling

Merchandising

Education

High school diploma

College-level coursework in marketing/communications

Tools

POS system

Website and social media management

Microsoft Office

Job description

**Initial review of applications starts on 9/30/2026**This is aPart-Time, Seasonal Position, up to 19-hours per week**

The City of Palm Desert provides exemplary and sustainable services, amenities and programs for the benefit of the local and surrounding communities. When you interact with a City employee, you will find our collaborative, driven and efficient staff working together to provide strategic solutions for the community and each other. We are a city focused on external and internal customer service and try to find a way to say “yes,” while not compromising the City’s or our own integrity.

Our efforts are guided by our core values:

• Integrity
• Stewardship
• Service
• Community
• Innovation
• Teamwork

Our employees are passionate about innovation, collaboration and growth, which is supported by the City’s Council and Executive Team. We are an environment that thrives on making changes, pivoting quickly, and is full of movers and shakers. We are constantly striving to improve processes and better our approach so that we can better support the needs of the City. If you have growth mindset and find change exciting, the City of Palm Desert may be your ideal working environment!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Are you ready to showcase our vibrant City to visitors from around the globe? We're looking for a dynamic individual to join our team. As a Visitor Center Assistant, you'll be the welcoming face of Palm Desert, providing top-notch customer service and sharing insider tips on our city's attractions, accommodations, dining, and more! This is the perfect role if you're passionate about hospitality and ready to make a lasting impression.

Appointment to this position is expected to fall within the salary range of $25.70 to $29.74 hourly; however, the final amount will be carefully determined based on the candidate’s knowledge, skills, qualifications, and an evaluation of internal equity within the organization. Exceptional candidates with highly relevant experience and credentials may be considered for compensation above the anticipated hiring range.

Under general supervision, provides excellent customer service to travelers, tourists, visitors, new residents, residents, or other individuals visiting or calling the Visitor Center, as well as promoting community partners to encourage people to visit the City of Palm Desert. This position will support the Public Affairs Division and be required to assist with special events, as needed, that may include working on weekends and evenings.

Under general supervision, provides excellent customer service to travelers, tourists, visitors, new residents, residents, or other individuals visiting or calling the Visitor Center, as well as promoting community partners to encourage people to visit the City of Palm Desert. This position will support the Public Affairs Division and be required to assist with special events, as needed, that may include working on weekends and evenings.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives supervision from assigned supervisory or management staff. Does not directly or indirectly supervise other professional staff but may supervise or provide work direction and training to employees.Visitor Center Assistant: This is the entry-level class in Visitor Center Services classification system. Initially under close supervision, incumbents perform the most routine‑related tasks in routine Visitor Center customer service. This class is distinguished from the Visitor Center Services Specialist position by performing the most routine tasks related to its limited performance of less complex, common, and repetitive or clerical duties and direct interaction with the public. Work is usually supervised while in progress and fits an established structure or pattern. Exceptions or changes in procedures are explained in detail as they arise. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed job functions depending on functional area of assignment.

• Assist the public at the front desk inanswering questions to improve visitors' experiences in Palm Desert and assess the purpose of their visit. Provide information and directions to different locations and facilities in a friendly and helpful manner.
• Answers the Visitor’s Center telephone; provides callers with assistance; takes and relays messages or directs callers to appropriate personnel; returns calls, as necessary.
• Accurately processes sales transactions through Point-of-Sale system and assist with the daily accounting for the Visitor Center store sales and transmittal of daily summary sales reports and daily cash receipts.
• Provides day-to-day business and administrative support.
• Processes incoming orders of merchandise and performs physical inventory counts, ensuring a high level of accuracy of the visitor center store inventory.
• Develops merchandising displays, proper signage, and ensures that all displays and counters are kept clean and well stocked. Boosts from back-stock maps, brochures, rack cards, and other amenities provided to visitors; removes outdated materials for disposal.
• Works with the City’s marketing to maintain and update the Visitor Center website and various social media accounts, and promotes, as necessary and directed, local hotels and events.
• Helps to organize marketing communications for programs and events.
• Verifies and reviews forms and reports for completeness and conformance with established regulations and procedures; applies departmental and program policies and procedures in determining completeness of applications, records, and files.
• Works with the public and a variety of outside parties to ensure completion of applications, documents, forms, and supporting documentation related to assigned area of responsibility.
• Designs, creates, and edits a variety of documents, including correspondence, letters, memos, agendas, reports, lists, forms, schedules, flyers, event materials, and statistical reports.
• Assists with event set up and clean up; represent the City at a variety of events; provides information and answer questions regarding events, businesses, and amenities with City boundaries and Coachella Valley.
• Maintain a positive, upbeat, and positive customer service attitude when assisting the public and City employees.
• Performs duties of a disaster services worker in event of an emergency.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and best practices of tourism, advertising, customer service, and the hospitality industry.
• Operations, services, programs, policies, procedures, and processes of the Public Affairs Division.
• Modern office management practices, procedures, technology, and computer equipment and applications, including word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, and City policies and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Record keeping and filing systems and methods.
• Principles and practices of data research, analysis, and report preparation.
• Basic business arithmetic and bookkeeping.
• Business letter writing and the standard format for reports and correspondence.
• Methods of preparing and processing various records, reports, forms, and other documents specific to assigned program, department, or division.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and City staff.

Ability to:

• Perform advanced and complex programmatic, technical, and administrative support work accurately and with use of independent judgment.
• Understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Interpret, apply, and explain applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, and City policies and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Gather, analyze, interpret, summarize, and present administrative and technical information and data in an effective manner.
• Prepare, review, and present reports and other correspondence and communications in a clear and concise manner.
• Maintain accurate databases, records, and files.
• Maintain confidentiality and be discreet in handling and processing confidential information and data.
• Compose correspondence and reports independently or from brief instructions.
• Perform arithmetic, financial, and statistical computations accurately.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Effectively use computer systems, software, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Maintain a positive and upbeat attitude and focus on providing excellent customer service.

Education and Experience:

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Visitor Center Assistant: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth (12th) grade supplemented by college-level coursework or vocational training related to marketing, tourism, communications, and/or hospitality. One year of increasingly responsible and varied administrative and office support experience.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver’s License by time of appointment may be required for certain assignments.

Physical Demands

Positions in the class typically require sitting, standing, walking, reaching, lifting, twisting, turning, manual dexterity, kneeling, bending, squatting, and stooping in the performance of daily activities. The position also requires grasping, repetitive hand movement, and fine coordination using a computer keyboard, calculator and operating standard office equipment. Additionally, the position requires near vision in reading correspondence, statistical data, and using a computer. Acute hearing is required when providing phone and customer service. The need to lift boxes weighing up to 50 pounds, and sort and display attire, souvenirs etc. In the event of an emergency, may be required to assist patrons with evacuation. When attending events, must possess mobility to work in changing site conditions; possess the strength, stamina, and mobility to perform light to medium physical work; to sit, stand, and walk on level, uneven, or slippery surfaces; to reach, twist, turn, kneel, and bend; operate a motor vehicle and visit various City events. Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals on a case‑by‑case basis.

Environmental Elements

Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Considerable amount of interacting with the public.Employees may interact with upset staff and/or public and private representatives in interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

WORK SCHEDULE:

May include weekends and evenings.