Visitor Engagement Associate - FT

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc seeks a Visitor Engagement Associate to enhance the museum experience for all guests. You will welcome visitors, lead exhibit talks, interpret content, and support events with a welcoming, inclusive approach.

In this role you will assist with check-ins, ticketing, and onboarding new staff while collaborating with Learning, Engagement and Retail teams to ensure smooth operations and engaging conversations throughout the day.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent; experience in customer service, education, hospitality, or museum contexts.
• 1–2 years in a public-facing role, preferably in a museum or cultural setting.
• Comfortable speaking to groups and engaging diverse audiences in gallery spaces.
• Strong hospitality and inclusive service mindset; ability to work with cross-department teams.
• Experience with ticketing or POS technology is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Greet and assist visitors with warmth and professionalism as a first point of contact.
• Lead exhibit talks and facilitate dialogue; interpret museum content for diverse audiences.
• Provide on-floor support during programs and special events.
• Check in scheduled groups and assist with ticketing; process admissions when needed.
• Respond to questions and feedback; escalate concerns to supervisors as appropriate.
• Open/close exhibits, monitor conditions, and report issues in real time.
• Train and onboard new front-line staff; participate in team briefings.
• Assist with program set-up/breakdown and cross-department coordination.

Skills

Customer service

Public-facing

Group speaking

Interpersonal skills

Inclusion

Ticketing systems

Adaptability

Hospitality

Museum studies

Cross-dept collaboration

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

Ticketing systems

Job description

Job Summary

The Visitor Engagement Associate supports the day-to-day operations of the museum’s public-facing spaces, ensuring visitors have a welcoming, enriching, and informative experience. This role focuses on visitor experience, exhibit-based programming, and facilitating visitor dialogues, while also helping to check in scheduled groups, assisting with ticketing, and training new staff. Working closely with the larger Learning and Engagement and Retail teams, and colleagues across departments, the Visitor Engagement Associate serves as a knowledgeable and approachable representative of the museum and plays an active role in creating an inclusive, engaging, and visitor-focused environment.

Description

The Visitor Engagement Associate supports the day-to-day operations of the museum’s public-facing spaces, ensuring visitors have a welcoming, enriching, and informative experience. This role focuses on visitor experience, exhibit-based programming, and facilitating visitor dialogues, while also helping to check in scheduled groups, assisting with ticketing, and training new staff. Working closely with the larger Learning and Engagement and Retail teams, and colleagues across departments, the Visitor Engagement Associate serves as a knowledgeable and approachable representative of the museum and plays an active role in creating an inclusive, engaging, and visitor-focused environment.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Visitor Engagement & Experience:
• Greet and assist all visitors with warmth and professionalism, serving as a first point of contact.
• Lead exhibit talks and facilitates visitor engagement in exhibition spaces, helping to interpret museum content and spark dialogue.
• Provide support on the floor during programs and special events.
• Check in scheduled groups, ensuring a smooth and welcoming start to their visit.
• Respond to visitor questions and feedback in-real time, escalating concerns as needed to supervisors.
• Museum Operations Support:
• Assist with the distribution and return of visitor engagement tools.
• Ensure visitor-facing museum areas are organized, clean, safe, and ready for opening each day and throughout the day.
• Open, close and monitor exhibits, reporting issues such as maintenance needs, visitor incidents, or technical problems. Work to resolve issues in real-time, escalating concerns as needed to supervisors.
• Serve as a point of contact on the radio for routine coordination and assist in emergencies.
• Assist with special program and event set up and break down as needed.
• Step in to operate the ticketing and point-of-sale systems to process admissions, memberships, and program reservations when Retail staff are unavailable.
• Team Support & Training
• Provide peer support and assist with the onboarding and training of new front-line staff.
• Participate in regular team briefings and contribute to collaborative problem-solving.

Required Skills/Abilities

• High School Diploma or equivalent experience in customer service, education, hospitality, museum studies, or related field.
• 1–2 years of experience in a public-facing role, preferably in a museum or cultural institution.
• Comfortable speaking to groups and engaging diverse audiences in gallery settings.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated commitment to hospitality and inclusion.
• Experience with ticketing systems or point-of-sale technology preferred.
• Ability to stay calm under pressure and adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a high-traffic environment, handling various tasks simultaneously.
• Previous experience with front-line service operations is preferred.
• Experience working with cross-departmental teams to ensure seamless service delivery.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time.
• Ability to walk all aspects of the 10 acre site each day.
• Ability to work in space where temperatures may vary to cold and hot.
• Ability to lift up to 10 pounds.