Museum Store & Guest Services Assistant Manager

University of Tulsa • Tulsa, OK

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Gilcrease Museum is preparing to reopen following a major expansion. The Museum Store & Guest Services Assistant Manager will support the Museum Store and Guest Services Manager in establishing and operating retail and front-of-house services for the reimagined institution, which anticipates approximately 120,000 visitors annually and projects $500,000 in annual museum store sales. The museum store is intended to extend the visitor experience and connect guests with the American story, artists, Indigenous makers, and regional communities represented in the museum’s mission.

Reporting to the Museum Store and Guest Services Manager, the Assistant Manager supports store and guest services operations, including admission ticketing, retail sales, online orders, inventory, staff and volunteer support, visitor engagement, and event operations. The role helps ensure visitor interactions reflect the museum’s commitment to hospitality, discovery, and understanding the diverse heritage of the Americas.

The position is full-time, 40 hours per week, based at Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It requires regular weekend and evening work, some holidays, and additional or extended hours as needed for special events, programs, and peak visitation periods. Some outdoor work is required for campus events. The store is in the museum’s new 95,000-square-foot facility, near the café and main entrance. The work environment may include drafts of hot and cold air from outside doors. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must not require future employment visa sponsorship.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, Hospitality, Museum Studies, or a related field and at least two years of customer service experience; alternatively, at least three years of retail management experience.
• Strong leadership, teamwork, communication, and organizational skills.
• Excellent customer service and public engagement skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to learn new software.
• Knowledge of basic retail accounting and reporting.
• Strong problem-solving, multitasking, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Enthusiasm for art, history, and museum experiences.
• Physical dexterity sufficient to use a keyboard and telephone and to carry, push, and pull up to 70 pounds.
• Ability to perform duties that may involve extended periods of walking, standing, climbing and descending stairs, sitting, reaching, balancing, bending, kneeling, handling, climbing ladders, and twisting.
• Speech and hearing sufficient to interact with coworkers and communicate with professional and general audiences.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without requiring future employment visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual ability.
• Experience working in a museum or other cultural institution.
• Experience managing an e-commerce site.
• Background in visual merchandising and product presentation in a retail environment.
• Prior experience with Tessitura, NCR Counterpoint, Shopify, or similar CRM, ticketing, and point-of-sale software.

Responsibilities

• Support and supervise guest services staff and volunteers, providing guidance and direction.
• Ensure staff are prepared to deliver consistent, welcoming visitor experiences.
• Coordinate staffing coverage during breaks, absences, emergencies, and high-volume periods.
• Oversee sales and ticketing operations in the Manager’s absence, maintain operational standards, and escalate issues as needed.
• Assist the Manager with recruiting, interviewing, and hiring guest services staff.
• Support onboarding, orientation, and training of new staff and volunteers, and provide ongoing coaching on service standards and operational procedures.
• Support daily museum store operations, including merchandise displays, store organization, replenishment, backstock organization, and keeping the store visitor-ready.
• Assist with retail promotions, special sales, and store events.
• Support accurate retail transactions and ticketing activities, and provide backup at the admission ticketing desk and museum store.
• Welcome visitors and promote museum membership, exhibitions, and public programs while maintaining an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environment.
• Respond to visitor inquiries in person, by phone, and by email.
• Address visitor complaints, incidents, and accidents when the Manager is unavailable.
• Receive, process, track, organize, and replenish merchandise.
• Assist with product selection, purchasing, and vendor relations.
• Process online orders by picking, packing, and shipping them accurately and promptly.
• Respond to online customer inquiries and coordinate order fulfillment with inventory availability.
• Attend relevant markets and professional conferences as needed.
• Oversee register opening and closing procedures and ensure compliance with cash-handling and deposit policies.
• Apply standard retail accounting and reporting procedures.
• Support museum events, public programs, promotions, and special sales.
• Coordinate store and guest services support during high-attendance periods and campus events.
• Work evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours as required.

Benefits

• Medical plan options.
• Dental plan options.
• Vision plan options.
• Retirement savings options.
• Paid time off.
• Other benefits and privileges available to University of Tulsa employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level