Job Description

Job Posting Title:
Manager of Visitor Experience, Harry Ransom Center

General Notes:
About the Harry Ransom Center:

The Ransom Center is an internationally renowned humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin. Its extensive collections provide unique insight into the creative process of writers and artists, deepening our understanding and appreciation of literature, photography, film, art, and the performing arts. Visitors engage with the Center’s collections through research and study, exhibitions, publications, and a rich variety of program offerings including readings, talks, symposia, and film screenings.

The Ransom Center encourages discovery, inspires creativity, and advances understanding of the humanities for a broad audience through the preservation and sharing of its extraordinary collections. To learn more about our institutional mission and values, visit:  https://www.hrc.utexas.edu/about/#mission-values.

Purpose:
The Manager of Visitor Experience is a full-time position responsible for overseeing and leading all operational aspects of the Ransom Center’s visitor and volunteer services programs. The Manager of Visitor Experience is tasked with developing and implementing overall strategies to ensure outstanding customer service and meaningful experiences for Center visitors. The Manager of Visitor Experience is also responsible for recruiting and training a core group of student and community volunteers to assist in the daily visitor services operations of the Center.

Able to work weekends and evening hours as needed to provide staffing coverage. Holiday hours and additional hours may be required during peak periods and Ransom Center events.

Responsibilities:

• Create a highly positive experience for museum visitors that is conducive to repeat visitation, membership conversion, and positive word of mouth for the Center. Manage the oversight of the visitor services program, including visitor services desk operations (training, technology, policies and procedures). Proactively promote membership and donations. Resolve visitor issues and complaints. Substitute staff at visitor services desk as needed.
• Manage the museum’s community volunteer program for visitor services and special events volunteers. Develop and implement recruitment strategies and training for volunteers. Additional duties include scheduling shifts, sending timely communications, providing supervision while onsite, and carrying out a volunteer recognition program. Annually recruits new volunteers, appoints them as conditional employees, and conducts onboarding training sessions. Manages ongoing continuing-education sessions for visitor services volunteers. Plans and maintains the volunteer calendar of events and communicates regularly with volunteers in person and through email, phone, text messages as needed, and a weekly eNewsletter.
• Train docents to give tours of Center exhibitions. Oversee the exhibition tour calendar and ensure requests are confirmed, docents are scheduled, and tour quality is high. Responsible for giving tours when volunteers are unavailable.
• Daily collaboration and communication with team to ensure a positive and welcoming experience for all museum visitors. Collaborate with marketing & communications, membership, programming, and other external facing teams to implement promotions and partnerships that promote the visitor experience and membership conversion. Work with the marketing & communications team to develop visitor-focused collateral, support the museum’s on-site and online presence, and develop and administer visitor feedback systems. Research and order shop items related to Ransom Center exhibitions.
• Collect exhibition statistics and revenue reports for senior management. Develop and oversee the visitor and volunteer services annual budget. Responsible for tracking, monitoring, and reconciling all departmental expenses. Track and report first floor gallery statistics on a weekly basis, including attendance, donations, audio guide engagement, tour participation, gift shop sales, and survey numbers when applicable, and completes end-of-exhibition wrap up reports.
• Research and plan merchandise for exhibitions. Work with business office to provide daily reports of credit card transactions.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5 years’ experience working in education or a customer services position, or equivalent experience
• 2 years’ experience training and supervising a group of community volunteers, or equivalent experience
• Strong, pro-active communication and interpersonal skills (both verbal and written)
• Friendly, calm disposition; must enjoy working with the public and volunteers
• Experience in a position that requires a high degree of accuracy; detail-oriented
• Confident and outgoing customer service skills and the ability to act both courteously and firmly with the public
• Promotes collaborative climate that recognizes, celebrates, and rewards diversity
• Demonstrates cultural sensitivity in communicating with colleagues and visitors of diverse backgrounds
• Works well with interruptions, can multi-task, and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated professional demeanor, problem solver, and ability to work independently
• Skilled in the use of PC or Mac computers and basic office software

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 7 years’ experience working in education or a visitor or customer services supervisory position, or equivalent experience
• 3 years’ experience training and supervising a group of community volunteers, or equivalent experience
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)
• Prior museum experience and demonstrated knowledge of museum standards and best practices
• Some marketing knowledge

Salary Range:
$47,000

Working Conditions:

• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Lifting and moving (must be able to lift 20lbs)
• Climbing of ladders
• Use of manual dexterity
• Requires interacting directly with the public
• Requires some standing and movement in a gallery space

Work Shift:
40 hours a week to be completed M-F with occasional Saturday and evening hours.

Required Materials:

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

For more information and to apply, please view the full job posting here: https://utaustin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UTstaff/job/UT-MAIN-CAMPUS/Manager-of-Visitor-Experience–Harry-Ransom-Center_R_00035690

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: #management, Admin, administration, administrative, archive, front desk, Guest Services, humanities, library, manager, museum, and  customer service. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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