Job posting

Lead Visitor Experience Associate

  • Part Time, Nonexempt

  • Hourly $17.50-$22.50 

  • 28-32 hours per week

  • Reports to: Visitor Services & Audience Insights Manager

  • Directs Reports: None

Our Lead Visitor Experience Associate is an engaging, enterprising, reliable and organized member of the Visitor Services and Audience Insights team, representing the Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM) as a first point of contact for our visitors, patrons and constituents by greeting, welcoming, and assisting them with the highest degree of professional competence. Responsible for promoting a positive, welcoming visitor experience and providing a radically hospitable and informative environment for our visitors.

Working under the supervision of the Visitor Services & Audience Insights Manager, this lead frontline role will promote and execute sales of gallery admissions, program registrations, memberships and donations, retail transactions, and field select program, rental and retail inquiries online, in person and by phone. This role will advocate for and assist with the varied constituents the museum serves and support the efforts of the Advancement Department to improve on the constituent journey, updating and managing constituent records and providing support to the overall promotion of MMAMs programs and services to its constituents.  

In addition to these duties, the Lead Visitor Experience Associate will manage a schedule for a part-time team of 3-5 Visitor Service Associates ensuring adequate coverage is provided and that the front end visitor experience is welcoming, engaging and orderly.

Responsibilities will include: 

Visitor Services (60%)

  • Serve as the primary contact for the museum by welcoming and engaging with all visitors and volunteers to MMAM either in-person or on the phone

  • Proactively and warmly welcome guests, respond to questions, and offer assistance–always showing the highest quality of customer service

  • Createand maintain a positive and inviting experience for museum visitors, that is conducive to repeat visits, new and renewing memberships, and positive word of mouth for MMAM

  • Handle all transactions (admissions, program and rental fees, memberships, donations, retail purchases, etc.) that are conducted at the front desk, over the phone, or support for online inquiries

  • Thoughtfully and proactively promote MMAM memberships and benefits

  • Have a knowledge of upcoming exhibitions, education and public programs, and events, and actively promote those programs and events

  • Welcome, support, and work alongside volunteer Gallery Facilitators

  • Monitor and assist with daily facility upkeep (tidying store, desk, outdoor visitor areas - seasonal - and cafe areas)

  • Attend and provide insight at Visitor Experience Team and other department meetings as requested

  • Perform all necessary opening and close-out procedures daily, as well as maintain daily operations at the front desk

  • Help craft a welcoming, accessible, and audience-focused experience for a diverse population of visitors 

  • Create and support a culture of hospitality and meaningful visitor experiences

  • Be reliable and accountable to the Visitor Experience Team, filling scheduled shifts regularly and consistently

  • Work with the Engagement team to ensure all programs and events are ticketed correctly

Scheduling & Leadership (20%)

  • Oversee and manage the scheduling of Visitor Experience team members to ensure adequate coverage and efficient operations, including staffing for special events

  • Support the Visitor Services & Audience Insights Manager, implement training and mentorship to team members to maintain a high standard of customer service and operational excellence

  • Act as the point of contact for Visitor Experience team members during shifts, addressing questions or concerns and ensuring smooth operations

  • Collaborate with Visitor Services & Audience Insights Manager to identify and implement process improvements and team development opportunities

Audience Insights (15%)

  • Utilize Altru software to efficiently collect, manage, and analyze customer data, ensuring accurate records and actionable insights

Other (5%)

  • Assist with the enterprise functions of the museum by assisting the Enterprise Manager with assigned tasks, including receiving and shipping packages, maintaining inventory, restocking, cafe upkeep, and general store upkeep

Position Specifics

  • Part-time (up to 32 hours per week)

  • Required to work a varied schedule including evenings and weekends

  • Work location: on location 

  • Benefits: eligible for our part time benefits package including 401(k) retirement plan with employer match retail store and program discount, PTO, and much more.

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often only apply to jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. As no one ever meets 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply if you feel that much of the following matches your experience:

You’ll likely demonstrate: 

  • Excellent customer service and communication skills 

  • Experience with digital word processing tools (preferably Microsoft Suite), point of sale system (preferably Square), customer management system software (preferably Altru), and cloud-based operating systems (preferably Google Suite), and/or the ability to learn new computer software quickly

  • Retail or customer service experience preferred

  • Museum or arts organization experience preferred

  • Experience working with diverse populations, and advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion preferred

Values - You are a champion of:

  • Centering your work in Relationships and Collaboration.  

  • Stewarding Sustainability, Equity and Hospitality.

  • Operating with Honesty, Transparency and Trust.

  • Being Bold and Brave.

  • Always Enterprising, Always Outstanding.

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is committed to being an inclusive workplace. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the communities and audiences we serve. We are dedicated to fair and inclusive employment practices for all individuals.  The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is an equal opportunity employer and will consider requests for reasonable accommodations based on disability or sincerely-held religious beliefs possible without undue hardship.

About the Minnesota Marine Art Museum

Mission: To create meaningful art experiences that explore our relationship with water.

Vision: To spark wonder and create a more compassionate and connected world for all. 

Before there ever was a Minnesota Marine Art Museum, there was a Maritime Heritage Society, a community group dedicated to preserving and sharing stories about life on the river. Their commitment set in motion the creation of a museum to showcase art inspired by water. MMAM opened in 2006 with the vision of creating a nationally recognized center for arts and culture in Southeast Minnesota. The initial collections consisted of traditional marine paintings and regional folk art. After expanding the quality and diversity of its collections, evolving the exhibition program, adding an annual roster of educational programs and temporary exhibitions, and enlarging its facility, today’s MMAM is a dynamic and surprising experience for tens of thousands of visitors a year.

MMAM operates from Mni Sota Makoce (Land Where the Waters Reflect The Clouds), the traditional homeland of the Dakota people. Residing here since time immemorial, Dakota still call Mni Sota Makoce home, with four federally recognized Dakota nations and many more Dakota people residing in what is now the state of Minnesota. Due to continued legacies of colonization,, genocide and forced removal, generations of Dakota people remain disenfranchised from their traditional homeland.  Presently, Mni Sota Makoce has become a refuge and home for many Indigenous nations and peoples, including seven federally recognized Ojibwe nations.  We humbly encourage our audiences to reflect upon the historical legacies held in the lands they occupy.  

MMAM is committed to ecological stewardship. We strive to make our communities—social, cultural, and natural— better off than we found them. Built on a former industrial site, the museum’s five-acre gardens—our 7th Gallery—are not only a source of natural beauty, they are the base of MMAM’s sustainability goals. The land has transformed to become a biodiverse ecosystem that sequesters carbon and improves climate sustainability. From the roots of the plants to the roof of the museum, MMAM is working to achieve Net Zero by 2030.

To apply

application deadline: February 3, 2025

Please submit your resume, two professional references, and a cover letter outlining why you’re interested in this position and how your specific skills and experiences align with the responsibilities outlined in the position description to MMAM by email at hello@mmam.org. 

Applications are due by 8am Monday, February 3, 2025. 

Hiring manager(s): Anissa Nelson, MMAM Visitor Services & Audience Insights Manager, and Caitlin Crouchet, MMAM Director of Communications