Visitor Engagement Associate (General Interest)

BOF The Barack Obama Foundation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 27,276 - 38,848; Full time

Job summary

The Obama Foundation in Chicago seeks a Visitor Engagement Associate to support tours and museum experiences. You will be the primary point of contact for guests and external stakeholders, delivering an inclusive and welcoming visit.

Reporting to the Manager, Visitor Education and Engagement, you will rotate duties across tours, exhibit narratives, and programming guidance, collaborating with security, Visitor Services and volunteers to ensure a safe, engaging visitor experience.

Qualifications

• Experience with and willingness to learn local historical context, with the ability to articulate narratives to diverse audiences.
• Interest in talking directly with members of the public while providing a welcoming and inclusive experience.
• Flexibility of hours including early morning, late night, weekends and holidays across campus.
• Ability to work out of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
• The pay rate for this role is $24.00/hour.
• This is an in-person role based at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.

Responsibilities

• Navigate a fast-paced environment, rotating between tours, exhibit narratives, and programming guidance.
• Demonstrate strong customer service with the ability to refer visitors to another staff member if needed.
• Provide direct customer engagement for an inclusive and welcoming environment.
• Build and maintain knowledge of Obama Presidential Center programming and exhibits to assist visitors.
• Work closely with onsite security for a welcoming and safe guest experience, assisting in crowd management and evacuation if necessary during an emergency.
• Collaborate with Visitor Services and Volunteer Ambassadors to create a positive and engaging experience for visitors.
• Perform other duties under the Visitor Engagement area as assigned.

Skills

Customer service

Public speaking

Public engagement

Job description

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we're building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action. Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

Purpose of the Role

We're continuously accepting applications for our active openings over the next few months! We can't wait to see how your unique skills and perspective can help our mission thrive as we grow. As a Visitor Engagement Associate, you will support various points of engagement for guests, including but not limited to campus tours and facilitating museum exhibit experiences. This position serves as a primary point of contact for guests and external stakeholders in visiting the Obama Presidential Center, a critical component in delivering an inclusive experience at the Center. In this role, you'll be reporting directly to the Manager, Visitor Education and Engagement, while also receiving day-to-day instruction and support from the Supervisors, Visitor Education and Engagement. During each shift, the Associate will wear a uniform provided by the Obama Presidential Center.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Navigate a fast-paced environment, with a schedule that rotates between leading tours, exhibit narratives, and programming guidance.
• Demonstrate strong customer service with the ability to refer visitors to another staff member if needed.
• Provide direct customer engagement for an inclusive and welcoming environment.
• Build and maintain a working knowledge of Obama Presidential Center programming and exhibits to anticipate guest questions and exhibit navigation.
• Work closely with onsite security for a welcoming and safe guest experience, assisting in crowd management and evacuation if necessary during an emergency situation.
• Work collaboratively with Visitor Services and Volunteer Ambassadors to create a positive and engaging experience for visitors.
• Perform other duties under the Visitor Engagement area as assigned.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Maintain a working knowledge of updated exhibit and gallery narratives, translating context for audiences in an inclusive manner.
• Build and maintain a working knowledge of digital assets within Museum exhibits, with the ability to assist visitors should they need support.
• Respond to guest questions or assistance needs as appropriate, emphasizing an inclusive environment.
• Participate in regularly scheduled training for evolving exhibit displays and Museum programming.
• Provide guidance to visitors across campus grounds and buildings, answering general questions as needed.
• Apply specialized knowledge of the role to independently complete routine tasks and resolve issues, with the ability to elevate concerns to supervisors as necessary.
• Demonstrate proficiency in core professional duties, and uses discretion and independent judgment to resolve complex problems.

Required Qualifications

• Experience with and willingness to learn local historical context, with the ability to articulate narratives to diverse audiences.
• Interest and/or experience in talking directly with members of the public while providing a welcoming and inclusive experience, regardless of an individual’s background.
• Flexibility of hours including but not limited to early morning, late night, weekends, and holidays across campus in both indoor and outdoor environments.
• Ability to work out of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.
• The pay rate for this role is $24.00/hour.
• This is an in-person role based at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.

For an overview of our benefits package, including insurance, paid time off, retirement & more, please visit https://www.obama.org/careers/.

Equal Opportunity Employer The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [e-mail] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone. We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together. That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where-together they made their home. But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity. As President Obama has said, "we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together." So join us. For more information, please visit www.obama.org.