Report: Director of Learning and Engagement
The Manager of Volunteer and Visitor Services oversees several programs at the Birmingham Museum of Art that serve to advocate for the public and provide opportunities for engagement, while supporting the internal operations of the Museum.
This position will lead the Museum’s visitor services program, including overseeing ticketing at the Museum’s main entrances, as well special ticketed exhibitions. Additionally, this position manages the adult volunteer and Teen BMA programs, including recruiting a diverse body of volunteers to join the organization, training volunteers on best practices in customer service and Museum education, evaluating volunteers, and scheduling volunteers for a range of positions across the institution. The Manager of Volunteer and Visitor Services also leads audience and visitor research efforts at the Museum, creating evaluative systems and reports to increase the Museum’s knowledge of and service to Birmingham’s communities.
Primary Responsibilities
- Oversees the BMA’s ticketing systems and ensures visitor access to the Museum is welcoming and inclusive for all guests
- Researches best practices in visitor experience and evaluation
- Develop, implement, recruit, and maintain an on-going volunteer program that includes a working database to track history, skills, volunteer schedules, and hours
- Organize, coordinate, train, and provide evaluative feedback for volunteers across the Museum including, but not exclusive to, entrance desks, public programs, community programs and events, membership events, Museum store, Bart’s ArtVenture, and other Museum departments
- Host volunteer appreciation events and create other volunteer incentives
- Develop and implement a schedule for Teen BMA meetings and training sessions that provide high school students with the opportunity to learn about careers in museums and the arts
- Schedule Teen BMA volunteer shifts for hands-on volunteer experience and oversee Teen BMA projects and events
- Coordinate the Goodrich Fellowship at the Museum, including the application process, departmental scheduling, and evaluations in consultation with departmental mentors
- Work collaboratively with colleagues on museum wayfinding initiatives and the display and emanation of information
- Create and manage surveys for programs, galleries, and exhibitions with input from colleagues, helping to increase working knowledge of our audiences and communities
- Collaborate with colleagues across the Museum for data collection; maintain Museum-wide data statistics and surveys; create evaluative reports on our audience satisfaction, needs, and expectations and ways the Museum can improve and grow our visitorship
- Work with the Security department and across the Museum on best practices for visitor services
Prepare and administer allocated budgets - Participates as an active member of the Learning and Engagement Department team related to ways in which work through recruiting volunteers is aligned with the Museum’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access
Other duties as assigned
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of ticketing point of sale systems is highly desirable. Experience with Altru is a plus
- Knowledge of visitor service principles, practices, and procedures; knowledge of arts and/or leisure audiences preferred.
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint or willingness to learn.
- Ability to accurately enter data, reconcile budget expenditures and receipts, and produce statistical reports.
- Outstanding organizational and interpersonal skills
- Ability to understand and implement the Museum’s mission, activities, services and programs; interpret Museum policies and procedures for the visitor; suggest solutions and initiatives to refine policies and systems.
- Ability to train, direct, supervise, evaluate, and motivate staff and volunteers.
- Ability to develop and implement effective initiatives and strategies to ensure consistent, excellent customer service in and outside of the galleries.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment; adhere to deadlines; and effectively respond to volunteer needs
- Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships within a team environment of staff, volunteers, and members of the public; exercise tact and diplomacy at all times
- Ability to speak with a variety of audiences in a clear, concise, and organized manner in order to effectively convey information.
- Respects people of all backgrounds. Treats everyone in a fair and consistent manner by maintaining a consistent and appropriate set of standards to guide behavior, including creating an environment that values and includes perspectives from differing backgrounds, cultures, and skill sets.
- Ability to work without close supervision and ensure that work tasks are completed on time and with high quality. Includes being able to perform work tasks responsibly and reliably without significant amounts of direction and guidance.
Willingness to work evenings and weekends to meet department initiatives.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree; course work or specialization in the arts preferred
- Three years experience working with the public or in customer service
- Two years of supervisory experience preferred
About the Museum
Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art is deeply invested in education and engagement and serves as a resource for communities locally, nationally, and internationally. It houses one of the finest collections in the Southeast of the United States. More than 27,000 objects displayed and housed within the Museum represent a rich panorama of cultures, including those from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa, including work by both Pre-Columbian and Native North American artists. Highlights include the Museum’s collection of the arts of Asia, Vietnamese ceramics, the Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the late 13th century to the 1750s, and the Museum’s world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.
Compensation
Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package.
To apply
Please apply with a letter of interest; curriculum vitae; names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references; and a writing sample
Review of applications will be ongoing until the position is filled.