Associate Director of Visitor Services [The Broad]

JOB TITLE Associate Director of Visitor Services
REPORTS TO Director of Marketing and Communications
CLASSIFICATION Full-time, exempt
DATE AVAILABLE Immediately
DATE POSTED December 30, 2014

BACKGROUND
In 2010, Eli and Edythe Broad announced plans to open The Broad, a new, public museum of contemporary art on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles (opening fall 2015). Designed by world-renowned architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the museum will be a 120,000 square foot, three-level facility, and will include approximately 50,000 square feet of gallery space on two floors, a lecture hall for up to 200 people, and a public lobby with display space and a museum shop. The project will include a state-of-the-art archive, study and art storage space that will be available to scholars and curators who want to research works in the collection and borrow artworks for their institutions through The Broad Art Foundation’s worldwide lending program. The museum will be adjacent to luminary cultural institutions such as the Music Center of Los Angeles and Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Colburn School of Music, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, forming a remarkable locus of culture in Southern California.

The museum’s exhibition programming will focus on the contents of the renowned contemporary art collections of Eli and Edythe Broad, which feature in total 2,000 artworks by more than 200 artists and unparalleled, in-depth groupings of works by select artists such as Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, Jean-Michel Basquiat and many others.

The Broads created The Broad Art Foundation in 1984 as a pioneering lending library for contemporary artworks. Dedicated to increasing access to contemporary art for audiences worldwide, the foundation has made nearly 8,000 loans to 485 museums and galleries around the world. In addition to The Broad Art Foundation’s works, the loan program also makes available art from The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Collection. Together, the Broad collections are among the most prominent collections of postwar and contemporary art in the world. For more information on The Broad Art Foundation, please visit www.broadartfoundation.org.

POSITION SUMMARY
In its first year of operation, The Broad anticipates approximately 300,000+ visitors will come through its doors. The primary objective of the associate director of visitor services (ADVS) will be to ensure the highest level of visitor enjoyment, safety and experience at The Broad museum. The ADVS is responsible for hiring and training all museum floor staff; managing daily floor operations of the museum; maintaining exceptional standards of customer service, cleanliness and physical appearance of all publicly accessible spaces and staff; preparing weekly floor schedules; and conducting daily briefings with all floor staff to inform them of happenings at the museum. The ADVS will hire, train, and supervise approximately 100 part-time staff.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Pre-Opening Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with marketing and communications, audience engagement, security staff and IT staff:
  • strategize lobby experience including ticket selling and distribution, visitor flow, line management, check-in processes, information distribution, and data capture
  • create, test, and implement integrated CRM, ticketing, mobile, and other digital systems
  • develop digital and in-person learning management system to cross-train all floor staff in visitor orientation, gallery experience, and safety procedures
  • develop plans for marketing and managing group tours (including plans for school tours)
  • participate in the development of The Broad’s mobile app, mobile tours, and other visitor-facing interactive systems
• Develop cash handling and end-of-day close out procedures
• Develop systems for attendance tracking and visitor surveying
• Lead by example by becoming an expert on the Broad collections, the museum building, and its place in the downtown ecosystem
• Establish goals, standards of performance, and standard operating procedures which promote consistently top-notch experiences to visitors
• Develop expert knowledge on security procedures and protocols
• Run pre-opening test days to test all onsite systems
• Create and manage system for scheduling all floor staff
• Develop and manage VS operating budget
• Interview, hire and train all VS staff for the museum opening and opening events; hire additional temporary staff for opening week as needed

Post-Opening Responsibilities:

• Hire, train, supervise, and schedule VS staff
• Act as a liaison between administrative staff and floor staff
• Proactively identify and develop solutions for visitor experience challenges
• Supervise VS operations to ensure secure and accurate collection and recording of all transactions; reconcile daily transaction reports and provide regular summaries of VS revenues (general admission to The Broad will be free, tickets for special exhibitions may be paid)
• Oversee admissions operations—cash handling; gallery admissions; online, phone, and in-person ticket sales
• Manage admissions and lines in real-time to maximize attendance and visitor experience in the galleries
• Facilitate institution-wide audience engagement efforts; provide strong programmatic support for The Broad’s events
• Manage the ticketing database and online ticketing system
• Manage schedule and booking of all group tours, including liaising with restaurant for food options
• Orchestrate visitor surveys and develop systems to evaluate customer satisfaction and trends
• Provide coordination between restaurant, shop, other amenities and the neighboring plaza; assure effective and efficient scheduling without conflict
• Assemble and analyze relevant data, and prepare and deliver reports detailing VS activities to management
• Work with security staff to implement and conduct periodic reviews of all security and emergency procedures
• Handle visitor concerns, comments, and complaints that cannot be settled at the floor staff level, including any ticketing or admissions issues
• Relate visitors concerns about pricing, experience, and exhibits, as needed, to management

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
This position will hire and supervise approximately 100 part-time VS staff (plus additional temporary staff during opening week activities).

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 3-5 years of managerial experience in a visitor services or guest relations capacity at a comparable organization
• Experience in hospitality, attractions, or cultural organizations preferred
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success in hiring and managing part-time staff
• Knowledge of admissions, POS, and online ticketing systems
• Ability to work with individuals from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds
• Ability to identify and positively resolve visitor issues
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and special events as necessary
• Broad knowledge of information technology and business software applications; must be highly proficient using Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to motivate staff and foster a positive work environment
• Effective and persuasive communications skills; able to write and speak clearly and present information to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Skilled at using evaluation and analysis to improve visitor experience
• Excellent strategy and critical thinking skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Consistent drive and ability to take ideas from vision to implementation
• Valid driver’s license and own means of transportation required

Employment is contingent upon a satisfactory background and reference check, which will include criminal reports as well as verifications of employment and educational records. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

SCHEDULE
Prior to the opening of The Broad, standard office hours will be Monday through Friday. After the opening of The Broad, the work schedule for this position may be shifted to include Saturday and Sunday.

LOCATION AND TRAVEL
The Broad is currently under construction. This position will be based at The Broad Art Foundation’s current offices in Santa Monica, California until the museum is complete, at which time the position will relocate to downtown Los Angeles. Periodic local travel may be required.

SALARY AND BENEFITS
The appointee’s compensation package will be based on his or her experience and salary history. The foundation offers excellent benefits including a variety of health plans and a 401k retirement savings plan with an employer match.

TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and letter of interest at https://thebroad.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk0ejr. We will only contact candidates selected for further consideration. No phone inquiries please.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status or other characteristics covered by law with regard to employment opportunities.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.