The Director of Hospitality and Visitor Experience is a key member of the senior leadership team at the Anchorage Museum. They serve as a key operations person for the organization. The position helps to ensure smooth operations of a large, complex museum and a positive experience for people engaging with the Museum through their experiences entering the Museum, food, tours, and many events. They support the operations team as well as other museum departments in efforts to support internal teamwork and ensure efficiencies, and long-term stability, expand creative capacity, and enhance overall institutional reputation. The Director oversees staff and functions in food service, tourism, group sales, store, and visitor services.

This position plays an important role in a broad range of activities related to customer service, planning, and resource management. They are expected to be a thought leader in organizational matters, overseeing and directing policies and procedures related to Museum front-of-house operations and leading efforts for process improvements. They are an excellent manager, helping to support a team of diverse skillsets and working with vendors and companies to ensure success and a positive experience internally and externally. This individual consults regularly with peers and is part of a cohesive operational team that includes front-of-house, visitor services, tourism/group sales, operations, and MUSE (food service), and closely liaises with Administration, Events, Marketing/Public Relations, Development/Membership, Programs, Education, Exhibitions, Facilities, and Security.

The Director serves as a strategic partner for strengthening and evolving the standards and best practices of a service-focused visitor experience in a fast-paced nonprofit organization, while supporting annual goals, from revenue to strategic partnerships and initiatives.

This is a full-time exempt position with a wage range of $70,000-$75,000 annually.

Essential Functions

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  Assess, build, and lead the overall quality of the visitor experience and daily operations of the Museum
• Supervise visitor services and retail managers. Support hiring, training, and strategic management of Visitor Services Assistants and cross-train to provide support for a diverse set of Museum and visitor needs and functions
• Be the primary liaison to the MUSE food service vendor to ensure attention to food service, support a key contractor, and working with facility rentals to ensure an efficient and customer-service and revenue-based approach to catering
• Develop, support, and nurture a team that can collectively manage and effectively deliver visitor transactions, tourism bookings, school group bookings, FAM and other group tours, retail pop-up events, catering, facility rentals, and food service
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with tourism industry professionals and associations
• Support brand guidelines and goals in merchandising, messaging, and managing
• Develop and ensure that department systems, procedures and practices support effective operations while providing outstanding customer service and encouraging repeat visits and rentals
• Support the Museum's diversity and inclusion best practices to ensure that all visitors feel respected, warmly welcomed, and comfortable in the Museum
• Oversee the strategy and execution and staff of revenue-generating activities, including birthday parties, book signings, pop-up events, memberships, and rentals
• Liaise with program and development staff to ensure a seamless visitor experience for all program participants, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the facilities, exhibition, programs, security, and maintenance staff, and contractors to ensure a positive visitor experience
• Work with key staff to maintain the efficacy and integrity of admission and registration processing, visitor tracking, and reporting
• Regularly evaluate Museum front-of-house operations and identify areas for improvement and growth
• Maintain, in collaboration with HR, Facilities, Security, and Operations, an emergency management plan for the safety and evacuation of visitors and staff, and conduct regular related training for staff
• Implement assessment of the visitor experience through evaluation of all aspects of visitor services to drive continuous process refinement and improvement
• Liaise with the education team to support school programs, field trips, and special visits
• Oversee onsite details for visits by special-needs groups, corporate groups, and community partners

Non-Essential Functions

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  Assist with hosting, coordinating, and touring VIPs
• Engage participants in the virtual world
• Successfully complete other duties as assigned

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

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  Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
• Able to work professionally and collaboratively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds in a team-oriented environment
• Maintain a positive attitude and convey a customer-service attitude internally and externally, being a role model for teamwork and the greater organizational good
• Innovative, team-oriented, and highly motivated
• Able to work independently and organize time efficiently to meet deadlines
• Able to handle multiple tasks and projects with changing priorities as required
• Strong organizational skills and ability to set and carry out short-term goals while keeping long-term goals in mind
• Able to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
• Initiative to undertake and complete tasks and projects as they arise
• Strategic thinker and dynamic leader who demonstrates professionalism, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, and a customer-focused approach
• Strong leadership, management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Driven, energetic, highly collaborative, and results-oriented
• High level of accountability and efficiency, especially while handling multiple tasks
• Good research, planning, and organizational skills; strong work ethic and follow-through; and excellent attention to detail
• Demonstrated commitment to the social sector, with an interest in and enthusiasm for museums and/or science education
• Must be able to work a weekday and weekend schedule, including occasional evenings, and some holidays

Qualifications

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  Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience managing guest relations, professional staff, and operations within complex hospitality, cultural institution, or similar highly customer/guest-centric environment
• Bilingual skill is helpful

Employee Expectations

As an AM employee, the incumbent is expected to model the following traits:

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  Foster and maintain open communication and collaboration and actively engage in the exchange of ideas and maintain constructive relationships
• Initiative and creativity in all aspects of the position
• Lead by example by maintaining a high standard of professional ethics and conduct
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect
• Support and uphold the policies, and procedures of the AM

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.