Job Details
Description
The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity.
We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package:
- Generous paid time off
- Paid holidays (up to 14 days)
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Generous parental, caregiver, and medical leave benefits
- Competitive retirement plan (up to 9% matching contribution)
- Tuition remission and Tuition Exchange Program
- Great employee discounts
- Complimentary general admission to participating cultural institutions
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
The Engagement team creates and maintains a thriving hospitality experience for all who visit the museum. Under the Engagement umbrella, they serve as ambassadors for the intentional, warm and inviting culture they create across campus and manage operations during museum operating hours. This team’s performance supports the museum with $19 million annually in ticketing revenue onsite and online and directly impacts personal experiences that generate vital annual support through ticket sales, memberships, annual giving and catering sales.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Executive Director is the museum’s hospitality expert, building and leading a hospitality and operations team that welcomes and stewards the 1.5 to 1.7 million visitors to the museum annually. This team leader ensures that weekly operations from Thursdays to Mondays for the lobbies, admissions, scanning, exhibitions, and wayfinding are executed warmly, professionally and systematically. The Executive Director manages a portfolio of business channels that includes an onsite team of full-time and temporary staff covering all areas of visitor engagement including but not limited to admissions, wayfinding, entrance and exhibition scanning, coat check, lectures and programs, and directional and informational signage.
Position requires weekend and some evening work (museum open till 8pm on Thursdays). Full-time schedule is Thursday to Monday, with subbing some Tues/Wed work as needed.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Assembles and nurtures a high performing team. Proactively recruits, hires, trains, supervises, and coaches the leaders and members of the team. Works creatively to ensure appropriate and aligned communications. Thoughtfully evaluates, designs and implements professional development plans for staff to demonstrate growth and improvement in identified areas.
- As an Engagement department leader, partners with the VP to establish team/individual goals
- Leads, models, and participates in hospitality training and ethos.
- Bring progressive industry experience, confidence and best practices to the Art Institute.
- Maintains up-to-date strategies focused upon hospitality and service excellence∙
- Staff museum leadership, including the VP Engagement, with updates, reporting and analytics on the operations, efficiencies and overall visitor experience.
- Provides thoughtful consultation on visitor experience throughout all aspects of the museum.
- Uplifts and supports positive team culture by working closely with VP and Engagement counterparts
- Serves on administrative and cross-museum teams and task forces.
- Other duties and special projects as assigned.
Oversees:
- Admissions in both lobbies (Michigan Avenue and Modern Wing)
- Coat check in both lobbies
- Scanning podiums in both lobbies
- Scanning at exhibition entrances
- Exhibition queuing in lobbies and key areas around museum
- Group Tours
Responsible for hospitality training staff to maximize visitor experience, admission revenues, and team culture.
Prepares, monitors and revises the business and staffing plan, with VP and Revenue & Planning, as necessary to ensure maximum coverage across all hospitality teams in support of the museum’s mission through strategic planning, market research, and analysis of data. Efficiently scheduling people to ensure an excellent visitor experience while balancing the financial needs of the museum.
Maximize the use of staff by cross-training and scheduling employees who can shift between all areas of Visitor Engagement as needed throughout the day and week.
Working with Experience Design and Communications, ensures that visitors have appropriate information through signs, schedules, brochures, other printed media, and graphics.
Directs operation of all hospitality teams in the lobbies and exhibitions.
Reviews and approves or seeks approval, as necessary, for the expenditure of operating and capital budget related to the visitor experience and Visitor Engagement.
Partner with VP to work closely with hospitality consultant on team ethos, training, and culture.
Attends conferences and trainings; Travels as needed and searches locally to find and refine new hospitality and service strategies; and maintains communications with staff from other major museum or hospitality venues (or appropriately delegates this responsibility).
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience required; additional professional development beneficial
- Experience in managing and motivating both new and seasoned professionals
- Strong communication skills, particularly an ability to communicate museum priorities clearly
- Experience in building relationships and open dialogue with counterparts and colleagues
- Minimum of 10-year track record of progressively increasing experience and responsibility in a successful customer service, hospitality, or non-profit operations at complex, multi-layered organizations
- Experience building and leading cross-functional teams through change management and evolving operational protocols
- Ability to work onsite weekdays, evenings, holidays, and weekends during high attendance periods for the museum.
- Ability to shift between strategic priorities and assisting with tactical details to support the team’s priority to work onsite with the public during high attendance periods
- Demonstrated experience in building training plans, standard operating procedures, and onboarding materials suited for entry level positions and management
- Have an analytical acumen and be adept at using data to drive decisions and measure results; have experience and talent at driving and facilitating strategic planning.
- Proficiency in making objective decisions using sound judgment situations especially in escalations involving staff or visitors
- Adaptability to changing environments, expectations, and duties
OUR VALUES
All staff members are expected to embrace the museum’s commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable institution and to adhere to the museum’s shared values.
Our museum reflects and deepens our collective humanity; the arts are integral to an inspired and just society.
We respect and acknowledge each of our colleagues’ contributions and expertise across all roles within our organization.
We share in the responsibility to create an antiracist culture built on equity, inclusion, and justice for all, acknowledging that these efforts are intersectional and ongoing.
We encourage and advance a culture of hospitality, empathy, and gratitude for each visitor, supporter, and member of our staff.
We embrace innovation and foster change with a progressive understanding of—and obligation to reconsider—our past.
We sustain an open and dynamic civic platform, inviting and advancing the diverse perspectives of our city, staff, visitors, and supporters.
The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status or citizenship. The Institute complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.
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