Seattle Art Museum

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Manage the planning, coordination, and evaluation of volunteer programs across all sites. Support volunteers and staff by overseeing recruitment, training, scheduling, and performance processes that ensure effective and meaningful participation across the museum.

Responsibilities will include the following, but are not limited to:

Volunteer Program – 95%

• Lead the development and daily management of volunteer programs ensuring alignment with organizational values and strategic priorities
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of volunteer engagement strategies, including inclusive recruitment, onboarding, retention, and recognition
• In partnership with leadership, establish policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging
• Collaborate with departments to assess volunteer needs, create role descriptions, and implement meaningful placements that support museum operations
• Serve as a key partner to departments hosting volunteers, providing ongoing consultation, guidance, training, and support to ensure a positive and productive volunteer experience
• Provide leadership and support for volunteers, ensuring open communication and opportunities for ongoing dialogue and feedback
• Coordinate and facilitate ongoing training and enrichment opportunities, such as curator-led talks, tours, and field trips to deepen volunteers’ knowledge and connection to SAM
• Maintain a robust volunteer recognition program, including planning the annual appreciation event and ongoing initiatives that foster retention and celebrate contributions
• Coordinate volunteer communication, delivering timely updates on museum-wide initiatives and opportunities for engagement and development.
• Oversee the SAM Volunteer Association and its Advisory Committee, managing meeting logistics, member appointments, program planning, and collaborative initiatives that elevate the volunteer community’s voice within the institution
• Directly manage key volunteer cohorts (e.g., Sambassadors, Events, and Emeritus)
• Manage the volunteer database (Volgistics), including volunteer profiles, shift scheduling, hours tracking, and reporting to monitor program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement
• Represent SAM at local and national forums such as AAMV and MVP Roundtable, sharing insights and staying informed on trends and best practices.

Other Duties – 5%

• Contribute to an institutional focus of delivering exceptional, welcoming, and inclusive customer service—creating positive, meaningful experiences for all visitors, every time
• Participate in institutional learning opportunities to grow our collective understanding and integration of antiracism, cultural competency, and equity values into SAM’s work

WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Five years’ experience working with volunteers, including three years in a people management capacity
• Demonstrated ability to lead inclusive recruitment, onboarding, and engagement efforts
• Skilled in facilitating trainings, delivering presentations, and speaking publicly to diverse audiences; able to communicate clearly, confidently, and accessibly in both formal and informal settings
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain relationships across departments, cultures, and age groups
• Ability to exercise discretion, sound judgment, and diplomacy, particularly in conflict resolution or sensitive situations
• Proactive and strategic verbal and written communication, with an ability to tailor communications according to audience, balancing warmth and professionalism
• Strong management and supervisory skills; ability to motivate teams and simultaneously manage several projects
• Successfully assess priorities and work well with deadlines, exceptional time management, problem solving, and analytical skills
• Highly organized, adept at self-initiation and working with autonomy
• Exercise discretion in maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and internet-based research
• Working knowledge of Google Suite, Zoom, Asana, Slack
• Ability to learn the museum’s volunteer database system
• Ability to pass and maintain security background check clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the non-profit sector, preferrable arts & culture
• Experience managing a volunteer workforce of over 200 persons
• Familiarity with local or national volunteer organizations
• Proficiency with Volgistics

APPROACH TO WORK

We come together to contribute our unique talents towards connecting art to life. We take our passion for the arts and personal connections to the mission, and channel it into our employee, visitor, and partner experience. We hold with care our impact on the local community, the arts and culture sector, and beyond. We know we’re at our best when we create an inclusive and equitable workplace and museum that reflects our plurality. The following are ways we agree to work together – they play a essential role in fulfilling our mission.

Be Accountable: Our work is ambitious – it requires us to stay organized, hold multiple responsibilities, maintain an eye for the details and the big picture, and consistently deliver exceptional work. We rely on our colleagues when working collaboratively and independently. We practice expert time management, are responsible for our commitments and deadlines, and proactively communicate when we need extra support. We know being accountable matters – it’s a commitment to care for everyone we work with.

Be Collaborative: We know that the success of the collective is paramount – we’re all working towards a common goal. Our diverse perspectives strengthen our work, so we default to inclusion. We’re eager to work in partnership cross functionally and create the space for others to contribute to the work.

Cultivate Innovation: Our success is rooted in the creation and adoption of new ideas that make a positive impact. Change is inevitable, so we stay open to the possibilities that come with it. We bring a commitment to navigating new circumstances with flexibility, adaptability, creativity, and persistence. We’re not afraid to meet the moment – taking strategic risks and maximizing resources to create positive change. We lean on each other as we experiment and build new ways of working together.

Bring A Learning Mindset: We know that curiosity and humility are key to our individual and collective growth and ultimately, improving our work. We regularly seek new inputs and perspectives that can expand our thinking. When met with something we don’t understand, we remain open to learning from colleagues and our community. Most importantly, when we encounter an inevitable stumble, we seek feedback and reflect on how to learn from the experience.

Lift Each Other Up: We practice helping each other be successful by empowering, supporting, and celebrating the work of our colleagues, teams, and the institution. An optimistic and inspiring attitude makes our work better – for our colleagues, our visitors, and the broader community we’re part of. We bring integrity and joy to our interactions with others – centering welcoming, engaging, and inspiring interactions with and within SAM.

WORK SCHEDULE

This role is typically scheduled to work business hours Monday - Friday. However, the needs of this role require a willingness to work a flexible schedule in support of the department or organization as self-directed or directed by your supervisor. Please connect with your Recruiter or Manager for more information about SAM’s current hybrid work policy and expectations. SAM’s hybrid work policy is subject to change.

COMPENSATION:$80,450 - $84,700

WORK CONDITIONS

Exposure: Work areas are primarily inside, in a climate-controlled environment with moderate background noise.

Stationary Work: Approximately 75% of time is spent stationary while working at a desk. Balance of time (approximately 25%) is spent moving around the work area. Occasional extended periods of standing may be required when assisting at Museum events.

Communication: Clear and effective verbal and written communication in English with trustees, the public, and co-workers is necessary.

Vision: Ability to effectively use a computer screen and interpret printed materials, memos and other appropriate paperwork.

Office Work: Ability to effectively and regularly operate a computer, keyboard, telephone, and other office productivity machinery, such as copy machines and printers, and ability to inspect, prepare and use paperwork, files, equipment, and supplies is necessary.

Lifting/Carrying/Pushing/Pulling: Ability to transport up to twenty (20) pounds of materials and supplies.

ACCOMMODATION

The Seattle Art Museum will consider reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions/duties of this position. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation to best enable your success in the role, please discuss this possibility with a member of our HR team at hr@seattleartmuseum.org.

DISCLAIMER

This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and competencies required of this position. All SAM employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed, to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. SAM reserves the right to use its managerial discretion to modify a supervisor, position, or duties to meet evolving business needs, with reasonable notice and support for the employee.

Celebrating difference. At Seattle Art Museum, our members, visitors, and local community come from all walks of life, and so do our employees, volunteers, and interns. The plurality of our identities and experiences strengthens our mission: connecting art to life. Our mission and vision call us to be responsive to a multitude of cultural contexts and lived experiences, and as such, our Strategic Plan directly addresses the role art plays in empowering and elevating social justice movements, and promoting structural change to further equity in our society. SAM is particularly dedicated to racial equity in the workplace, because we know that people of color are the most impacted when it comes to both historical and present inequities. We know that equity is not a single fixed destination, it’s ongoing reckoning. As SAM continually strives to be a more inclusive and equitable workplace, we are particularly interested in engaging with those who have been historically underrepresented in the museum field. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we celebrate difference.

SAM is an equal opportunity employer. We are an equal opportunity employer, and consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, sensory, physical, or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or additional need, please let us know at hr@seattleartmuseum.org. The Seattle Art Museum will consider reasonable accommodations for all employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions/duties of the role. If you need an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact hr@seattleartmuseum.org. For candidates, we ask that, if possible, you wait until you're invited to a screen, online technical assessment or interview before requesting an accommodation.

We encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace, and a sense of belonging for each and every employee, because we know our organization is at its best when we include, celebrate and embrace difference. We encourage you to submit an application, even if your experience doesn’t feel like a 100% match with the position. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, and research tells us that womxn and folks of color are less likely to apply if they don't see themselves meeting or exceeding every single qualification listed. We encourage you to apply, even if you feel unsure about whether you meet every requirement in this job post. You could very well be a great fit for this role or others.

Requirements for employment. In order to be employed by the Seattle Art Museum, you must reside in the state of Washington. Employment at SAM is contingent upon successful clearing and maintenance of clearance in both a federal and state criminal background check.

Want to learn more? If you haven't already, check out our Careers page for more on working at SAM.

Though we'd love to be able to reply to every question that crosses our desk, due to the high volume of applications we receive, our HR team is unfortunately unable to offer a response to inquiries requesting search status updates, inquiries about hiring timeline, or requests to be put in touch with directly with the Hiring Team. If your experiences and capabilities are well suited to an open role, our Recruiter or the Hiring Manager will reach out directly to schedule an interview. Thanks for your understanding!

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