Visitor Experience Manager - Ford House

Posted on 9/12/24  

Department: Visitor Experience

Reports to: Director of Visitor Experience

Full Time, Exempt, Full Benefit Package Eligible

Level 5, Revised: May/2023

Pay Rate: From $53,600

Position Description

The Visitor Experience Manager is responsible for all aspects of customer service related to visiting the estate of Edsel & Eleanor Ford. This fast -paced position will ensure frontline staff are well trained and provide a world-class experience to Ford House’s diverse audiences. As an active member of Ford House management team, the Visitor Experience Manager is responsible for developing, launching, and managing operations at admissions, historic buildings, gate entry, grounds, reception, and shuttles. This position oversees the client relationship management (CRM) database for the estate to ensure proper processing and reporting of earned revenue sales.

Position plays a key role within the Visitor Experience Department, working collaboratively with the Director of Visitor Experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead Visitor Experience staff by example and in a hands-on manner to ensure excellent service and positive guest experiences that encourage repeat visitation and community participation.
• Develop a collaborative team through the recruitment, retention, and development of a diverse range of talented staff for the department.
• Provide consistent, mission-focused, and values-aligned leadership, provide development opportunities for all employees.
• Monitor staff performance and conduct reviews and provide performance improvement plans as necessary.
• Manage the client relationship management (CRM) software to ensure seamless online experience for members and the public. Serve as an administrator for the software, support training of colleagues across the organization.
• Create and manage the visitor experience budget including staffing.
• Oversee all ticket creation and online sales to maximize earned revenue goals. Generate daily, weekly, quarterly, and monthly financial records relevant to earned revenue sales.
• Coordinate across departments to support operations including but not limited to general visitor, group tours, photography sessions, private events, public programs, and school tours.
• Work with the Visitor Experience team members to collect, analyze, and utilize data to make recommendations and improvements with the goal of enhancing the visitor’s experience.
• Oversee and perform daily sales activities including cash management, end-of-day reports, and cash reconciliation.
• Collaborate with the Director of Visitor Experience in developing regular training and workshops about accessibility, conversational strategies, customer service, DEI, exhibition content, evacuation, first aid, and visitor engagement.
• Collaborate with Communications and Marketing to plan and implement special promotions for increasing attendance.
• Responsible for the safety and well-being of guests, ensuring all frontline staff are trained in first aid and evacuation procedures and respond appropriately in the event of an emergency.
• Maintain confidentiality of museum information.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills & Requirements

• Availability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and some holidays.
• Schedule expectations: Expected work week is 40 hours. Very often the business needs of the estate (seasonal/operating hours, special events, and holiday programs) create an atypical schedule. Candidate must be flexible with some early, evening, weekend hours, and holiday availability.
• Experience with event scheduling, point-of-sale, or ticketing software. Salesforce, Shopify, and Veevart experience helpful.
• Outstanding organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills.
• Willingness and capacity to acquire new skills and knowledge.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Key Characteristics/Traits

• Strong leadership capabilities.
• Positive and outgoing personality.
• Responsible, reliable, and able to use sound judgment.
• The flexibility and sensitivity to work with diverse personalities and situations.
• Friendly, courteous, empathetic, and engaging presence with all visitors and staff, including those of all abilities, age, backgrounds, and ethnicities.

Qualifications/Education

• Minimum BA degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience in hospitality, retail sales, or visitor/guest services.
• A minimum of five years of experience managing and training staff.
• Experience in museum, non-profit environment helpful.

Other Job Requirements

• Successful completion of background check.
• Physically able to sit for long periods of time, stand in the galleries as needed, able to use a computer, able to bend and/or stoop, climb, and lift up to 25 lbs. to perform tasks that may be required in the course of museum operation.

Ford House is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or certain state or local laws.