Visitor Services Supervisor, RISD Museum

risd; Providence (RI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

RISD Museum seeks a Visitor Services Desk Shift Supervisor to lead the front desk team and ensure a welcoming visitor experience. You will direct shifts, train staff, and support daily operations, including memberships, admissions, events, and group visits.

In this role, you will respond to visitor questions, promote programs and membership sales, and maintain a safe, inclusive environment aligned with RISD's SEI initiatives and community values.

Qualifications

• Leadership and mentoring of front desk staff.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Ability to manage shifts and respond to visitor inquiries.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily front desk operations during museum hours on weekdays and weekends.
• Directs and trains Visitor Services staff; provides feedback to employees.
• Manages memberships, admissions, events, group sales, and payments.
• Promotes museum programs and membership sales to visitors and groups.
• Promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in all desk interactions.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service

Communication

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Cash handling system

Job description

The RISD Museum is actively seeking Visitor Services Desk Shift Supervisor to join its Visitor Services team. This is a unique opportunity for an equity-minded individual with a passion for community and the arts to bring their leadership, customer service, and strong communication skills to this exciting new role.

JOB SUMMARY (OVERVIEW)

The Visitor Services Desk Shift Supervisor ensures effective daily operations of the museum's front desk activities and staff, including leading in essential functions such as ensuring and promoting a positive visitor experience by welcoming and greeting a wide variety of clientele, including but not limited to students, general visitors, tour groups, parents, RISD Staff, and/or alumni. Directs, trains and gives timely and appropriate feedback to employees. Sets the example for customer service orientation Contributes to staff performance evaluations by providing formal feedback of employees' performance to the Manager. Creates weekly staffing schedules to be approved by the Manager. Processes transactions such as issuing memberships, admissions tickets, event registrations, and group sales; collecting payments and distributing the appropriate change, information, and collateral material. Act as a resource and as a point of escalation for the Visitor Services Desk Attendants in responding to routine questions about the Museum, the RISD community and greater Providence, promoting Museum programs, classes and events, and actively soliciting museum membership sales. Maintains a safe, welcoming and informative visitor environment upholding RISD's values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in accordance with the RISD Museum's SEI action plan and college-wide initiatives. Serves as liaison to a variety of internal departments and external agencies, including Museum Security Staff, Museum Education, Conferences and Events Services, RISD faculty, students, and staff, and museum visitors.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/DUTIES

• Oversees the day to day general operations of the RISD Museum front desk during museum operating hours on weekdays and weekends under the direction of the Manager, Visitor Services.
• Provide direction, supervision and leadership to Visitor Services staff. Responsible for directing and delegating to staff during shifts. Provide timely and appropriate feedback to employees during shifts. Partners with the manager to facilitate necessary follow-up conversations regarding employee performance or opportunities for improvement. Contribute to staff performance evaluations by providing formal feedback of employees' performance to the Manager. Create weekly staffing schedules and manage vacation requests to be submitted to the Manager for review and final approval. Ensures staff are following department and museum policies and procedures. Supports daily Visitor Services Desk Attendants by providing break coverage and leadership support at the desk.
• Responds to visitor concerns and feedback as appropriate, and makes decisions based on museum policy, professional judgement, and previous experience. Sets the example of appropriate customer service orientation and expectations for other staff.
• Receives and greets incoming guests, visitors, tour groups, parents, alumni, and corporate members.
• Orients self-guided groups to the space, welcoming them to the museum, and setting them up for their visit on behalf of the Education department.
• Processes financial transactions for visitors including but not limited to admissions, membership sales, special events and Museum courses. Accepts payments using the museum database system and issues appropriate receipts and/or change. Facilitates and completes payment for group visits, as required. Uses museum systems to complete the group check-in and payment process.
• Cross-trains on and develops a comprehensive understanding of Visitor Services accounts payable functions to serve as back-up in the absences of department accounts payable staff. This includes but is not limited to completing opening and closing cash drawer procedures including counting and balancing drawer daily, overseeing final cash handling tasks at the end of the day, and approving end of week cash handling reports.
• Utilizes knowledge of RISD Museum, RISD community and Providence area to help answer routine customer service questions via phone, email, or in person, as well as and visitor inquiries regarding Museum events, exhibition and gallery locations, RISD campus events and local attractions. Serves as a point of escalation for other staff providing customer service.
• Actively promotes Museum programs, classes and events.
• Actively solicits museum membership sales by explaining benefits, program details, additional opportunities, discounts and incentive options and overall structure.
• Maintains desk supplies stock and coordinates ordering necessary supplies/equipment as needed.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: High school diploma