Visitor Experience Associate

Position: Visitor Experience Associate
Employee Class: Part-time Hourly / Part-time Student Worker
Anticipated Hiring Range: $15
Anticipated Hours/Week: 10 - 29

The Institute for Contemporary Art @ VCU is in need of friendly, motivated, and outgoing individuals to assist in strengthening the ICA’s mission to deepen relationships with the community. Visitor Experience Associates (VEAs) are responsible for welcoming visitors; engaging with visitors in conversations about the ICA, exhibitions, and programs; ensuring the safety and security of both art and guests within the galleries; fulfilling orders and sales of retail items and preparing and selling food and beverages at the ICA Shop and Cafe; and providing day-of support to public programs, events, and private facility rentals; processing membership enrollment, ticketing, and visitor feedback. All VEAs are expected to provide a high level of customer service while engaging with the public and ensuring guests adhere to ICA visitor policies, as well as maintain a strong understanding of exhibition content, programs, and events.

If you are a student applying for this position, please note all student employees are also expected to participate in the Institute for Contemporary Art’s (ICA) FUSE program. FUSE is a student-focused program comprising two components: workforce development opportunities consisting of professional development sessions, coaching, hands-on workshops, and mentoring; and an educational initiative that expands our student employees’ understanding of contemporary art and museum best practices with a focus on accessibility and interpretation. The workforce development component of FUSE is a designated and approved Relevant, Experiential and Applied Learning (REAL) Level 2 co-curricular activity at VCU.

Required training sessions will cover topics including security, contemporary art interpretation, inclusion, diversity, equity, access, PCI-compliancy, and standard Point-of-Sale and ticketing software.

Responsibilities:
Provide excellent customer service as a primary point of contact of the ICA by greeting, orienting, and assisting visitors, while also providing general security of the art on display and ensuring guests adhere to ICA Visitor Policies
Participate in professional and career development activities, full team and departmental meetings, and job/career trainings, through the ICA Student Opportunities program FUSE
Contribute as needed to ICA interdepartmental tasks for visitor access to exhibition materials
Fulfill orders and sales of retail items, prepare and sell food and beverages
Maintain knowledge of ICA exhibitions, programs, events, and overall mission.
Receive and respond to phone inquiries
Greet and orient incoming tour groups
Act as a liaison between front-of-house and ICA staff
Assist with setup and breakdown of ICA public events and programs, and private facility rentals
Assist with showing the facility to prospective clients and provide fee and facility use guidelines
Process Memberships, ticket sales, and visitor feedback via front desk desktops and mobile devices.

Required Qualifications:
Must pass a pre-employment background check
Must possess excellent customer service skills and a welcoming demeanor in order to successfully engage and interact with a diverse audience.
An ability to calmly and effectively direct large crowds.
Ability to work weekends, evenings, and some holidays.
Ability to stand for long periods of time.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, volunteers, members of the VCU community, and the public.
Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy in discussing cultural diversity issues with the public.

Preferred Qualifications:
Customer service experience in hospitality, retail, or museum setting
Enthusiasm for contemporary art and culture
First Aid/CPR certification
Experience operating point of sale systems
Experience with CRM and ticketing software
Experience operating a two-way radio
Proficiency in Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office